St, Bernards

Question
We are getting a St, Bernard puppy in about 3 weeks.  We are ready for this size of a dog and are prepared for the enjoyment and hard work BUT the question is we were thinking of getting two, her sister is still available, will it be possible to raise two together (in separate crates, both in obedience training) or will dominence or playtime make training more difficult with two?

thank you
Patty and Mike

Answer

Hi Patty,

Having multiple puppies at the same time is not a good idea, and is seldom recommended by reputable dog breeders. The reason isn't because you might not be capable of it, it's because the puppies have a strong tendency to bond more closely with each other, than with their human family.

There is a relatively small window to get a puppy socialized correctly, you really want to set the pup up for success, as it's entire life will be based on how well it was socialized as a puppy.

Read more about this here:

http://leerburg.com/2dogs.htm

http://www.uvhs.org/behavioral_docs/double_trouble.pdf

Best of luck,

Patti