Dutch Shepherd Forum

I remember reading that some of you have said it's not a good idea to have dogs from the same litter. I was wondering if you could explain some of the possible consequences, problems, etc. of having two dogs from the same litter. Our dog Asha was found abandoned with 3 other pups in August. I assume she's a DS mix because of her looks, as well as her general behavior and intelligence level. My neighbor's daughter kept a male golden brindle pup from the same abandoned group (we assume it's Asha's brother) but now, like some many DS (or presumably DS) owners does not have the time or patience for the dog. I don't want her to take it to the humane society or give it to someone else who could possibly eventually reach that point. My mother LOVES Asha dearly and has been wanting a dog. The problem is she travels a lot. I suggested we "share" the other golden male DS, which she totally went for. So she would have him for weeks to months at a time, but during busy months she would have him for most of the week and we would puppy sit for a few days at our own home. Do you think this will be a problem? Any advice concerning litter mates or the broader question of "sharing" a DS would be appreciated.

I think in general, dogs get used to the environment and situation in which they are raised. They are amazingly adaptable. I run a doggie daycare where I pick up and drop off dogs on a daily basis Mon-Fri. In many cases, the dogs spend more time with me than their owners. However, very shortly it becomes routine and I think it is a good thing. The dogs are comfortable, content and confident in more than one environment - therefore they aren't crated all day. Secondly, when their owners do have to travel, they are just as comfortable here as they are at home. No stress boarding. So I don't see any issues with sharing as long as it is the norm for you and the dog. Also, you can't get into a whole "Oh he misses home soooo much...." thing. Then they play off of your apparent sympathy. If you accept that this is the way things are, then that is the way they need to be.

As far as siblings, I think it can be done successfully. You just have to ask yourself what are your goals with the dog? Siblings are already bonded and you will have a very hard time being important to your dog with a sibling in the picture. If you are OK taking second fiddle, then no worries from the get go. If you want a more one-on-one relationship with your dog then you need to set up separate times to work with and interact with your dog/dogs. You need to make yourself the gateway to all resources so you are valued and you need to have an independent relationship with both. If you are "sharing" a dog, then you will probably have lots of one on one time with your personal dog, so it shouldn't be a problem as long as you make that time productive.

Good luck!

It s more that raising twoyoung dogs together/siblings ia hard. They tend to bond more to eachother than you, puppy mess and learning to behave with 2 dogs, more bonded to eachother than to you is harder to do. It will amke me nuts . But they arent pups any more, have been separated and will be separated from time to time. If they are also different sexe i dont see a problem in this case.