# Sibling (not litter mates) puppy advice



## aawendt (Sep 9, 2016)

Hi all. I was wondering if any of you have had experience with sibling puppies. I currently have a 7 month old puppy, and the breeder I got him from has another litter that is due in march, with the pups to be released in May. So, at the time of potential adoption, my current pup will be 10 months old. I really like the breeder, and my pup has the inherent characteristics that I love in a Vizsla, so another puppy from the same sire and dam seems like a no brainer to me. I know having 2 "puppies" is it's own hectic thing which I am prepared for. Just wondering if anyone has had experience with this sort of thing, and if so, what are the things to be on the look out for, or if siblings from separate litters who are 8 months apart in age is a bad idea for some reason. Thanks in advance for the input!


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## Anida (Jun 10, 2016)

We have 2 beagles that are 6mths apart; however, they are completely unrelated. They bonded really well and are the best of friends 8 years later  Granted they aren't V's so they have never had as much energy as Kaylee but if you can handle that (and the training that will go along with that) I think you're set


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## tknafox2 (Apr 2, 2013)

My V Fergy and his BFF Max are 4 mo. apart and absolutely Love each other... granted Max doesn't live with me, but has spent many many days in my care and the two just have so much fun... They play all the time, and sleep together too. They are almost 4 yrs now and have been together since 8 mo/ 4 mo. when Max's mom and I first met ( by dog... by the way)

I must warn, puppies will feed off of each others bad behavior, so serious training will be a must.

I just love it when we are together, which is at least 4 times a week... the dogs are so fun.


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## einspänner (Sep 8, 2012)

My only thoughts are that at 10 months, depending on your dog's temperament, you may be entering a more challenging phase in his development. Some dogs push back at training in a kind of rebellious adolescent way. So sleep deprivation + violent puppy attacks + potty training + a physically maturing, more energetic, boundary testing male could be a recipe for a mental breakdown. But you say you are prepared for this, so beyond that I wouldn't have reservations.


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## 1notenough (Sep 6, 2008)

we have 2 from the same litter . All I can say is what are you waiting for . they coexist perfectly. they have a bond that cant be broken.


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## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

I've did it with 1/2 sibling. 
Just depends on how much time you have, and how committed you are to their training. 
Most don't recommend it due to the work involved, and needing to train separately. When done correctly, they are so much fun together. But remember if you start slacking, you will have 2 unruly high energy dogs. 

The hardest part for me was leaving one behind, to go work the other. They give you those sad pleading eyes.


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## riley455 (Aug 27, 2011)

TexasRed said:


> I've did it with 1/2 sibling.
> Just depends on how much time you have, and how committed you are to their training.
> Most don't recommend it due to the work involved, and needing to train separately. When done correctly, they are so much fun together. But remember if you start slacking, you will have 2 unruly high energy dogs.
> 
> The hardest part for me was leaving one behind, to go work the other. They give you those sad pleading eyes.


I would echo what TexasRed said above, time and commitment.


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## Canadian Expy (Feb 27, 2013)

Having siblings from separate litters isn't an issue. They won't even realize they are related 

That being said, we all have different expectations on our dogs training. For me, I would never have added a second dog until I got my first dog to the level of training that I am happy with. 

For me and Aspen that was around the 2 year old mark - the teenage years were over, and we had developed a really strong relationship. If I had another dog in the mix before that, the dogs would have enjoyed each other, but I wouldn't have been able to put the time and effort that I wanted into Aspen, or the other dog. I then moved to fostering dogs to see how I could manage two dogs under my care. 

We recently added a permanent V pup, who is now 4 months old. I do find it challenging to divide me time between the dogs to make sure the pup is getting the daily training time she needs (in my opinion) and that Aspen still gets his one on one time with me. It's a commitment I made in getting the second pup, so I make sure it happens. 

I am also continuously amazed at how much Willow learns from Aspen (thankfully, these are all good behaves that I have worked with him on) but it has really cut down on so much of the nonsense. If she's not sure of how she should react/respond to a command (or even a strange noise) she looks over to him and mimics. I continuously have people telling me how well behaved she is for a 4 month pup, and a lot of that goes to her learning from her older brother. 

Just my personal experience.


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## aawendt (Sep 9, 2016)

Thanks All!!! my current pup is doing really well with his training. I'm not a hunter, and I have no plans to show him, so the training is all about basic behavior, and he's doing really well. I'm sure there will be a little bit of a regression when the new pup shows up, but more and more I'm of the mind that if I have two dogs close in age it will give them both the longest life together possible. If i commit to gritting my teeth and getting through the training two young pups thing, it will be super worth it. 
if you have any other recommendations for my upcoming scenario, i'd love to hear them.

thanks!

Aaron


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## tknafox2 (Apr 2, 2013)

Aaron, You must keep a log and post your progress... it will be most helpful, as this is a common issue... please keep us as your extended family and in the loop ;D

I have always wanted puppies together, and only introduced new puppy to old dog ... which has fantastic advantages. Old dog mentors young pup and saves owner half the training time it would normally take to teach puppy new trick. 

My next venture may be to have pups together... your input will be most useful!


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