I love living with multiple dogs, I find it interesting and a learning experience, BUT, I will never recommend getting two pups especially from the same litter to my clients. I strongly believe you need to have the right dogs living together with the right owner. As a trainer I have seen how strongly dogs bond together making it difficult or impossible to build a strong bond with the handler or owner. A dog that is indifferent or is not bonded to its owner will be difficult to train and live with.
Dogs are pack animals, and in the pack there is rank order. Dogs will always bond strongly with each other, after all they speak the same language and are of the same species. Every dog that comes into your life needs time to build a relationship with you, and bond with you. Every addition to the pack will increase the pack instinct, and make no mistake these dogs will work, play and fight as a pack. Owning a pack of dogs is a responsibility that should never be taken lightly. Often owners don’t realize how dangerous a pack can be regardless of how sweet they may seem. Owning two or more dogs is considered a pack!
Living with multiple dogs in harmony can be accomplished when done right, usually by experienced owners or trainers. I understand the joy in owning more than one dog but time needs to be given to each dog to train, bond, build a strong relationship and establish leadership. Two puppies from the same litter creates an even more difficult situation as these pups are already bonded prior to entering your family, and trying to break that bond can be challenging if not impossible for most owners.
I have seen where raising two pup’s together results in violence and where it becomes necessary to re-home one of the dogs. Rarely people have the time to separate and spend time with each pup individually. It is a challenge and time consuming and does not fit with most people’s hectic lifestyles. This is not to say that I advocate against owning more than one dog, but that I believe raising two puppies together should only be done by experienced dog trainers or owners. Adding an existing dog to your family should also be well thought out and time given to each dog separately. When done properly owning multiple dogs is very rewarding!