Is getting two puppies at the same time doable? Yes.
Is it for everyone? No.
Here’s everything you need to know about owning two puppies at once.
What’s So Good About Raising Two Puppies at Once?
If you get two puppies at once (also known as “twin dogs”), you’ll reap the benefits of having the dogs play with each other and burn off a lot of that puppy energy in your own home. This takes some of the pressure off of you to play an hour of tug-of-war every day (or however you choose to burn off that energy) or be the only main source of entertainment for your puppy.
Some folks also like having a multiple-canine household because the dogs are not “home alone” when the humans are gone – bonded pairs have each other for companionship and cuddling. However, young dogs will need to be crated separately and shouldn’t be loose when home alone together for at least a year or more.
Another benefit is that the cuteness factor doubles. You will have a ridiculous number of pictures and videos of your beautiful, loving dog family.
The Hard Part About Raising Two Puppies at Once
You’ll have to train the dogs both separately (while the other puppy is crated in another room) and together. Twin dogs will need to learn the skills one-on-one with you before you can incorporate the distraction of having their best buddy around. You will already be in your training mindset and have dog treats or kibble ready, so swapping out puppies during a training session might work out just fine for you!
You’ll need to ensure that twin dogs still bond with you (and other family members) and not just with each other. You can accomplish this by taking the pups to separate dog training classes, taking them on separate walks (and then also walking them together), and by doing separate training sessions in your home.
You need to ensure that each dog learns how to be apart from the other puppy, so they do not develop separation issues as a bonded pair. You’ll do this by occasionally leaving one puppy home alone when taking the other puppy out and by crating the dogs in separate crates and rooms. The dogs need to learn that life is okay even when the other pup is not around.
You’ll still need to socialize your puppies to other dogs and new environments. You can’t get lazy about exposing your puppies to the world just because the inside of your own home offers so much entertainment. Read this blog for tips on how to safely socialize your puppy.
Having two puppies will also double the cost of regular puppy bills, which includes food, grooming, veterinary costs, toys, dog training, doggy day camp, and everything in between.
Don’t forget to enroll both your puppies in pet insurance as soon as possible and prepare for unexpected vet bills. AKC Pet Insurance's (underwritten by Independence American Insurance Company) multi-pet discount* will even help you save a little money while protecting your pets’ health.
*Not available in all states. New and current policyholders may receive a 5% multi-pet discount if they get coverage for more than one pet or add an additional pet to an existing policy.
