Hi I am new to the forum. I have a 7 year old lab (Roxxy) She has been our only Lab. Until now! We have three pups Mason(male) and Dixie and Abbey(females) they are 10 weeks now. Roxxy has stepped in and become somewhat of a mother figure. She breaks up their squabbles and seems to alert me when they are up to no good. We are crate training which is saving my sanity. The thing is we intended only for one pup but have three from different parents. They are wonderful pups but having trouble with how i am going to train them. Can anyone suggest material for training multiple pups????
three pups at same time
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Wow. It is REALLY hard to manage 2 puppies at once. 3 will be extremely difficult. Not trying to be Debbie Downer here, but you can only train them one on one effectively - and that means you put 3 times the hours and effort into the process.
As they will bond to each other much more thoroughly than with the people in the household you really need to invest time with each puppy separately as frequently as possible.
As they will bond to each other much more thoroughly than with the people in the household you really need to invest time with each puppy separately as frequently as possible.
Be very careful about this. YES you want them to be good siblings and get along but even with just TWO puppies one has to work hard to ensure each bonds to the HUMANS first and each other second. This is a hard task, takes time and dedication.
Make time everyday to train each individually. Regularly seperate them, even better, crate train them in seperate crates. DO NOT put them all in one crate ever. (ok maybe for like a ew minutes in a pinch but never for more than that)
Unforunately it's going to be about more than TRYING to find time for them individually every day. THEY MUST absolutely have one on one time with you. In fact, I would regularly split them all up (so they are used to be ALONE ALONE, not just taking one away and leaving two together at all times). They need to be able to be on their own as well as with their siblings and be ok with that.
Thanks Tanya. Yes i have them in seperate crates. Seems like the first 2 weeks my 7 year old lab had the adjusting to. they have accepted her. my husband has bonded with one of the females and my 17 year daughter to the male. i have the 7 year old shes mine. and i am trying to spend as much time with the other female. Whew!! It is very hard work.! I feel i can do i, just unsure sometimes if i am doing right by them. They will follow simple comands when alone with one of us. House work and laundry are behind as well as my sleep. But it will be worth the outcome. Thank you again for any info.!
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I have no advise, because I've only ever had one puppy at a time ... I just want to say I think you are very brave. LOL
We got our chocolate lab puppy and quickly realized she needed a friend so we got our yellow shortly after. I was concerned about them bonding more to each other than to me but they are just as attached to me and my husband as each other. My yellow doesn't seem to think I will make it out of the restroom without him and my chocolate seems to think I'll fly off the bed if she doesn't hold me down. Our chocolate seemed less destructive once we got her a friend as well. We did do seperate training sessions however. good luck!
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you've got your hands full!! I raised two pups at once, I really don't see it as a problem with them bonding together. I wanted them to be friends, but as for training you do have to train seperately.
Hi !! Well we have an older lab. My daughter wanted a choc. male pup for high school graduation present. We decided to get a female for companion and the older lab was adjusting well with the first pup. The next week my husband came home from work saying that a friend at work was giving away the last pup from her litter for free. She was AKC as well with first two sets of shots etc.. She was having a hard time letting her first litter go. Soooo he brought her home. They are such loving pups and are blending well. When they are in their crates before naptime the will watch me give commands to the older lab with such attention! It's funny you mention triplets, because i was thiinking the same thing at feeding time!! I am just thankful i am not working right now to care and train them. My hubby is a big help too and my daughter is as well. Sorry for the long reply.
Ronessa
Ronessa
Is your dauther bringing the puppy with her when she leaves the house or is she staying there even after she graduates.
If she is bringing the pup with her she needs to take on the main role for that pup from day 1. Train it, keep it seperate from the others as much as possible (even during the day), etc. Otherwise when you try to split them up it will be a disaster.
I'd also not keep the crates right next to each other for at least a little while.
How is house training going?
If she is bringing the pup with her she needs to take on the main role for that pup from day 1. Train it, keep it seperate from the others as much as possible (even during the day), etc. Otherwise when you try to split them up it will be a disaster.
I'd also not keep the crates right next to each other for at least a little while.
How is house training going?
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They aren't siblings, Laura.
Having raised ONE lab pup in the last few years, I wish you luck, and lots of it.
I would probably try and make charts and lists to ensure that every puppy is getting their needs met. Work out specifically who is responsible for which pup and which activities. Charts work great for mapping out puppy chores and ensuring accountability.
Good luck!
Having raised ONE lab pup in the last few years, I wish you luck, and lots of it.
I would probably try and make charts and lists to ensure that every puppy is getting their needs met. Work out specifically who is responsible for which pup and which activities. Charts work great for mapping out puppy chores and ensuring accountability.
Good luck!
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Charts! What an excellent suggestion!!
prototypes more than welcome!! lol... daughter will be home during college. She takes Mason Jar (male choc pup) everywhere !! He really loves her when she gets home from work he is all over her. During the day he is not like that with me. I feel confident he has bonded with her from day one.
Potty training is going well. At first WOW!! But now it is much better. They are going to the back door individually. We have a tambourine hanging down for them to learn to jiggle for out.
You guys are helpinng so much. I knew that i needed support!! Thank you so much
Ronessa
Potty training is going well. At first WOW!! But now it is much better. They are going to the back door individually. We have a tambourine hanging down for them to learn to jiggle for out.
You guys are helpinng so much. I knew that i needed support!! Thank you so much
Ronessa
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Oh boy. This sounds like a nightmare to me and I've "only" raised 2 littermates together in my 16+ years of Labs. I'm in the process of raising a 6 mo old and starting a 9 wk old now (hopefully will find her a nice co-own locally), and even that's not terribly easy though the 6 mo old has a good foundation already in her training and is bonded to me.
So.... what happens when your daughter goes to college, takes a job, enters the military or whatever? You now have 3 pups, all the same age (I can't even imagine how fun that will be vet bill wise when they all need to be altered, etc). They age together, and now there is no room to add a younger one to the family when you need a boost of youthfulness. And they get dementia, and finally die together, leaving you all alone.
Hate to give the dose of reality, but as a breeder, I think this is a terrible idea. Sorry. Anne
This sounds like a nightmare to me and I've "only" raised 2 littermates together in my 16+ years of Labs. I'm in the process of raising a 6 mo old and starting a 9 wk old now (hopefully will find her a nice co-own locally), and even that's not terribly easy though the 6 mo old has a good foundation already in her training and is bonded to me.So.... what happens when your daughter goes to college, takes a job, enters the military or whatever? You now have 3 pups, all the same age (I can't even imagine how fun that will be vet bill wise when they all need to be altered, etc). They age together, and now there is no room to add a younger one to the family when you need a boost of youthfulness. And they get dementia, and finally die together, leaving you all alone.
Hate to give the dose of reality, but as a breeder, I think this is a terrible idea. Sorry. Anne
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Congratulations times three! We got Abbey and Coco at the same time. Two different litters and lines but they are good friends. I have to echo the separate crates and making time for training one-on-one. It is the only way you will keep your sanity and they will learn to listen to you and not think every minute is playtime with each other. I call it wrangling toddlers. It takes both my husband and I to work with the girls. He is home with them all day and I do the early mornings and evenings to give him a break. After 8 months I can honestly say it is worth every minute of lost sleep, dusty furniture and incomplete projects. They have blessed our lives more than I can explain. Blessings and best wishes. Keep us posted and be sure to take lots of pictures - we all love pictures!!
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I was thinking the same thing Anne. I love my boys and I love their relationship together, but make no mistake, they are a TON of work. Even without them being littermates, they will bond, and I am surprised that any breeder would let a dog go to a home that had other young pups in it. I certainly wouldn't have. But then again, since the last pup was a give away from a friends litter, I doubt there was much thought about where the pups were going.Oh boy.
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