Not a chance, say canine behaviorists and trainers. Bringing home two puppies can almost always result in something known as littermate syndrome.
Some of the most common signs of littermate syndrome include:
Difficulty with obedience and training
Extreme anxiety when separated from each other
Aggressiveness toward each other (especially if it’s two female dogs)
Fear of strange dogs and people
Fear of anything new
Why it doesn’t work
People often get two puppies because they feel guilty that they won’t have the time to spend with their new four-legged family member. They think that adopting two pups will give them the constant companionship they need.
This can be a problem on a couple of levels, say dog behavior experts.
First, puppies are a lot of work. Potty training alone takes a ton of time. Having two puppies might make for more restful nights, but it just means double the time spent training your new charges to potty outside. It also means twice the time spent teaching obedience commands and basic manners.
Those early weeks and months of puppyhood are also key for socialization, and many owners don’t expose their puppies to other dogs.
How it can work
Suggests keeping them in separate crates, preferably not near each other, and feeding, walking, playing with and training them separately.
“You have to singularly have a relationship with each dog,”
Suggests having a friend or family member take one each of the dogs occasionally for the night so they can learn to be apart from each other and take them separately to the vet and to the park. Have training sessions at different times so they’re not distracted with each other and are only focused on you
Basically, you have to do everything twice, but apart.
Getting two puppies at the same time that are about the same age will also usually result in serious bonding.
