Jake and Maggie’s First Trip To Pet Supplies Plus
Updated post: Jake And Maggie were 3 months old when I created this post. They are now 4 years old. Boy what I have learned along the way in raising to sibling puppies at the same time!
Jake and Maggie are 3 months old now and I thought it would be fun to take them on their first trip to Pet Supplies Plus. I needed to get them new toys and treats and figured they would want to pick something out for themselves :-). Let’s just say it was an eventful trip but short lived. I didn’t consider how these two would attract so much attention. I made it into the store (see how thrilled Jake is) but before I could get them out of the shopping cart to walk around, three people stopped to fuss over them which got them all riled up. Maggie wanted to be front and center giving lots of puppy kisses and Jake joined in. But instead of calming down, he jumped out before I could grab him. It was time to head back to the car before they broke something like their leg! I did accomplish buying them their toys and treats but I think I’ll wait for Thomas next time so we can all go together!
I first called this post Jake and Maggie’s first trip to Pet Supplies Plus but after updating this post, it’s safe to say that calling it Littermate Syndrome In Dogs is exactly what it should be called. One of the reasons, the pups acted up is that they both suffer from this. We were told and took the advice of an experienced dog owner when she told us that taking on two at a time would be much easier because the bad one would follow and learn from the good one. Let me tell you first hand that this did not happen for us and was the exact opposite.
Some things that happened to us and what to look for:
Sibling puppies will quickly bond to each other leaving you the odd man out
Training is extremely difficult as they focus on each other and not you
It is safer to train them individually and by themselves
You must separate them at times to allow for bonding with you and not eachother
If separated, they can have intense levels of anxiety in which we deal with our Maggie when she cannot see Jake
Having two puppies the same age at the same time can hinder their socialization skills and they can become fearful or reactive to other dogs
One of the reasons you see distress in the first photo is that Jake And Maggie thought they were going to be separated. I learned while raising them and spending almost every waking minute with them that this is the look of fear.
The pups will not go outside without the other. They both have to be outside at the same time.
It is extremely difficult to train a dog during loose leash training while you have another the same age as they do not pay attention
The energy of one puppy can be fun but tiring. Can you imagine two puppies at the same time!
I cannot stress enough that if you do not have the time and your schedule does not permit training to littermates at the same time, DO NOT get them. We wanted Jake And Maggie to be together as they did not come from the greatest environment. I was home full-time with them but it took much patience. To say it was easy, I would be lying.
If you take the time to learn what it takes to train siblings or two puppies at the same time, hire a trainer, ask questions, show patience, do your research. Trust me. You will need to learn all you can. Animals are incredible. A well-trained animal makes all the difference. You will be so glad you made the investment in them because they will return all the love ten fold.
Want to learn more about Littermate Syndrome, check out my previous post:
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Aww I know it was alot of work but they are perfect little angels now???? you put alot of time in with training them and it shows!!!
Thank you! You have to be fully committed to training and raising your pet(s). They are so much joy now. Can’t imagine life without them.