Living with two 3 month old labs

[annamariakatrina]

I recently got a 3 month old male Labrador and shortly after my sister, who lives with me, decided to get her and her son their own lab pup. They got one of the brothers of my pup, same litter as mine. We keep reading that two puppies shouldn't spend much time together for the first year, allowing them to develop separate personalities. My question is how do I start introducing them to each other slowly? They currently dont spend any time together. Wanted to know if we could keep them together in the afternoons then separate them again for bed. Any advice greatly appreciated!

[javasmom]

It's not that they shouldn't spend ANY time together, they definitely should.
They just shouldn't spend ALL their time together.
They should be separated for training sessions and each just have special alone time with their owners.
It's fine (and good for them) to spend time together...just not 24/7.

[lisa]

It's not that they shouldn't spend ANY time together, they definitely should.
They just shouldn't spend ALL their time together.
They should be separated for training sessions and each just have special alone time with their owners.
It's fine (and good for them) to spend time together...just not 24/7.

Agree with this.

[Dio's mama]

Arrange play dates so that the pups can play and socialize together. If they have socialization classes, why couldn't two litter mates play together?

[windycanyon]

The whole idea is to make sure each puppy has individual owner/training time so they bond to their person, not to each other. I've raised littermates here-- not easy, but if you are committed to doing right by the puppies, they will turn out just fine.

[LuvBrown]

The whole idea is to make sure each puppy has individual owner/training time so they bond to their person, not to each other. I've raised littermates here-- not easy, but if you are committed to doing right by the puppies, they will turn out just fine.

Ditto to this. We have kept siblings together all the time, but separate training time, time out, trips in the car, crated separately....they always learn to focus on the humans and not each other.

[Tanya]

just let them have "playdates". they can have hem each day, they can have more than one playdate in a single day. if everything else is seperaed (i.e. seperae crates, seperate eating quarters/sleeping quarters, seperate raining sessions) you should be ok. The warning is for people who have two littermates living together all the time (i.e. they are never seperated from one another) and you are definately on the right track on that - no worries at letting them play together (and I wouldn't make a big deal about introducing them, just having them in the same room)

as said above, it isn't about not letting them interact at all. You also need to look at socialize both of them (depending where you are in your vaccination schedule, you have to be careful where you do this but definately start) to people, sounds, environments, other dogs. I would socizliase them seperately at least half the time (so they learn to deal with new experiences alone) but they can definaely do some of this together.

I would also suggest going to different training classes (at least the first round, after that you will probably be ok to attend the same classes)

[PatO]

Hi, I think we may have erred I have two sibling brothers now 8 months who have spent all there time together! I did tell my oh that I felt they should be seperated but he seemed to think they where ok. In some respects they are great they have come a long way recall is great, potty training great however, they still pull on lead although they know how not to and when walking one will pull then the other and so swap around!!! They also lunge at other dogs and birds some people although not all. My husband works shifts so have not been able to attend training classes yet. Should I be more assertive and insist they are seperated at times and not sure how to stop the lunging so many opinions out there on what to do?

[Tanya]

Hi, I think we may have erred I have two sibling brothers now 8 months who have spent all there time together! I did tell my oh that I felt they should be seperated but he seemed to think they where ok. In some respects they are great they have come a long way recall is great, potty training great however, they still pull on lead although they know how not to and when walking one will pull then the other and so swap around!!! They also lunge at other dogs and birds some people although not all. My husband works shifts so have not been able to attend training classes yet. Should I be more assertive and insist they are seperated at times and not sure how to stop the lunging so many opinions out there on what to do?

there is no maybe about it - INSIST they be seperated regularly and work with them seperately.

For the lunging, you (both) need to work more on training and it may be helpful with them seperate at first to star working on this issue as it requires you to be "working with them" and it is very very hard to work this with TWO of them lunging (you can only work with 1 at a time).

it would be best to start a new thread with your question about lunging

[PatO]

Thanks for the help I will start new thread and will stat to take them out seperately as well.