Training Two Puppies at Once
The idea of getting two puppies at once can be very appealing. Maybe a particular place that you stumbled upon has two of the cutest puppies that you've ever seen. Maybe you and your partner both want a puppy of your own. Maybe you just ended up with two puppies and don't have the heart to give one away. Whatever scenario applies to you, please know that trying to train two puppies at once, can be a nearly impossible task. Oddly enough, the key to training two puppies at once is to not train the puppies at the exact same time.
When two puppies are raised together many problems can occur, that make the task very difficult. The most common problem with having two puppies is that they often bond with each other. Puppies become dependent on one another for play and socialization, which often weakens the ties between the puppy and the owner.
The energy of two puppies is often underestimated as well. While some people's common sense might say that raising two puppies is twice the work of raising one, in actuality it may be ten times more work. When two puppies are around one another, they become very excited and start to behave in a more group based way. This can lead to hyperactivity and destruction of things around the home. In summary, the main problem with trying to train two puppies at the same time is that when there are two puppies, they do not feel as if they need you. All of their focus lies with their partner in crime and as a group they cannot focus on your commands.
In order to properly train two puppies, it is important to teach them how to be separate from one another. Both puppies need to slowly be weaned of each other. This can be started with time apart in different crates and grown into spending long periods of time away from one another. Training your two puppies in an individual setting will make the task much more manageable. Develop individual relationships with each of your puppies. This way they can start responding to you and your commands without being completely caught up in socializing with the other puppy. Once you have bonded with each of your puppies individually, it's important to remember not to favor one over the other and to keep focusing on periodically separating the puppies. Training two puppies simultaneously will not be an easy task, but hopefully these tips will help with the struggle.
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