There’s nothing better than a brand new puppy. Well, except multiple brand new puppies. And due to this, people tend to think raising a puppy isn’t enough. In response, they decide to adopt more than one puppy at the same time. The logic here is we tend to think every dog needs a best friend.

However, the idea of raising two puppies together is problematic. See, it takes an extraordinary owner to raise two puppies successfully. You need someone who’s capable of spending an equal amount of time with each puppy.

In this article, we’ll go over a variety of different reasons why raising two puppies together is a bad idea. But if you feel like you’re the owner who can handle all these issues, you should feel free to try. After all, there are a lot of puppies out there in need of a good home.

Time Commitment

Let’s be honest: raising a puppy by itself represents a considerable time commitment. I can’t imagine how much energy it would take to raise two puppies side by side. The reason people try is they get sucked into a puppy’s cuteness and think why not double down.

But these people don’t take into account that each puppy training experience is different. What might work for training on the first puppy will probably be ineffective on the second. Think about like this, with two puppies most likely have double the time commitment you’re expecting with one. And given the amount of time you have to put aside in successfully raising one puppy, this isn’t an ideal situation. You’ll have to give up a lot of things, like your social life, to make this work.

In light of this, many puppies raised together become untrained and under socialized. Usually, it’s not because the owners didn’t try hard or our bad owners. It’s because of the time commitment needed for a successful experience is a burden.

Bonding Issues

One of the most significant problems with raising two puppies together is they’re more likely to bond with each other than with you. In fact, you’ll need to put a lot of time and effort into separating them from each other. As anyone who has multiple dogs will tell you, separating dogs is a hassle. Dogs are naturally inquisitive and will do anything to inspect the things they find interesting. Therefore, putting them in separate rooms is going to involve a lot of whining and barking. If you don’t separate them from time to time, they’ll become inseparable. In doing so, the puppies will develop issues such as separation anxiety: this will make it almost impossible to take them separately anywhere.

For example, taking them separately for walks, vet visits, puppy training classes, etc will all become extremely problematic. See, their separation anxiety will make them restless encouraging them to release their excess energy on things like curtains, pillows, and other shredable items around your home.

Lack of Individual Personalities

Due to their extreme closeness, it’s likely both puppies will never fully develop their own personalities. This lack of personality could manifest in two different ways:

1) One puppy’s personality dominates the other.  In doing so, the puppy with the stronger personality becomes the alpha, and the other puppy will follow their lead at all times.  As you expect, this makes training these puppies extremely difficult, especially, if the alpha puppy doesn’t feel like they need training.

2) Neither has a dominant personality. In this case, it seems like the puppies operate together as a whole rather than separate dogs. For example, they become so dependent on each other that even the smallest task seems impossible without the other.

Honestly, you want a puppy to establish a personality. You want the puppies to become the best dog they’re capable of being. Raising two puppies side by side make this more difficult for both to achieve. In the end, your either diminishing one puppy’s personality or getting rid of both. In either case, it’s not pleasant to watch. So, if you don’t think you have the time, don’t get sucked into the cuteness of two puppies.

They Grow to Dislike Each Other

Just like humans, dogs can get tired of being around the same dog every day. In fact, it’s common for puppies that grow up together to eventually start disliking each other.

As the puppies get older, their relationship will start to get worse and worse. Eventually, they’ll being to avoid each other or even act aggressively towards one another. There isn’t any real reason for this being a commonality other than them becoming sick of each other. However, it seems it’s most common among puppies from the same litter. But this doesn’t mean that it doesn’t happen to other puppies as well.  I’d guess it happens mostly due to some jealousy issue.

In any case, it could lead to some tragic circumstances like one dog getting hurt or having to give one of the dogs away. I couldn’t imagine giving away a dog I’d raised from their puppy days. It would break my heart.

An Alternative Option

Now, if you still want to get two puppies, there’s another option worth considering: wait a couple of months.

Adopt Two Puppies Several Months Apart

Adopting one puppy then waiting a couple of months to get the second makes the process much easier. For example, you’ll know what to expect from dealing with the first puppy. Now, I know each puppy is different; however, the first puppy would give you some idea of what you need to do. You’ll understand the time commitment and effort in successfully raising a puppy.

In doing so, you can fully evaluate whether or not you’re ready for a second puppy. You might find out one puppy is the perfect amount for you and your family. Trust me; there’s nothing wrong with having just one dog.

Overall, there can be a lot of negative consequences of raising two puppies together. It’s just safer for both you and the puppies to avoid this scenario entirely. As previously stated, it’s a good idea to try raising a puppy before getting a second one.

However, if you’re dead set on getting two, make sure you understand that separation between the puppies is crucial.