Double Doodle Puppies Vs. Single Doodles

[Louise Sorrentino]

We are expecting our first doodle pup very soon.  He will be 8 weeks old.  I am thinking about getting a second pup, right away, assuming our breeder may still have one available.  Have I lost my mind?  I am the mother of human twins and one slightly younger singleton and they are reasonably well adjusted...  Tell me double doodle puppy owners, would you do it all over again? Or, would you wait until one is older and then add the second?   What is the best way to effectively train double doodle pups?  Do you crate them together when young and later use separate crates?  Your answers and any other pros and cons would be greatly appreciated.  Thanks!  

[Jeanne, Tura and Dolly]

I was tempted to get 2 as well and even now as my little pup is 6 months old. I still think about getting a second pup to keep her company and for her to play with. However, all the research I did and everyone I spoke to said DON'T do it. They bond to each other and not to you. So I will wait until she is a year or so and then add no. 2.
If you go ahead (I know the temptation is powerful), I think you try to train and crate them separately so they bond to you. Good luck with however you decide. There is experience out there to help you.

[Lucy & AnnaBelle's Mom]

Oh, where to start. We had a toy poodle for 16 years and my DH always said if we ever get another dog we are getting 2. We both worked the entire time we had the toy poodle and felt she was lonely. We always heard if you were going to get two dogs, you should get them at the same time. We waited 5 years and then got our girls. They are liter mate sisters. What we never heard prior to getting them is the worst way to do it is liter mate same sex siblings, next would be liter mates one of each sex, and the best way would be from different liters. I'm not sure if I think that it matters. The issue is apparently that they will constantly battle for who is the Alpha dog. That hasn't really seemed to be a big problem here. Pretty much Lucy lets Sophie think she is the Alpha until it matters to her and then she takes over. The thing that I think might make a difference is their attachment to each other and maybe their attachment to us. We got them under the best of circumstances. We were both not working when we got them. DH was off for the first 6 months we had them and I am no longer working. They are both very attached to me because I'm with them constantly. They aren't lap dogs, although they do occasionally come up for a few kisses. They will lay beside us on the sofa or on the floor beside me, but aren't the closely attached gotta be in my lap attached to us.

My biggest advice would be on the amount of time and work (and expense) involved with two dogs. You must, absolutely, positively, go to training. Two large dogs in the house can be crazy at times and you are adding 3 kids to the mix. You don't say how old they are, but that changes things regardless. If I had 3 children or still worked full time I think this would have been a disaster for me, particularly in the puppy stage when we were doing lots of training. If I had added sports, scouts, dance, music lessons and all of that on top of 2 new puppies, I'm not sure there would not have been enough hours in the day. So, My best advice would be to take a long hard look at your personal situation ..... think about your time (are you already complaining there aren't enough hours in the day) ..... I think one last point would be how much support and help you will be getting from Doodle Hubby! You can't take two dogs to the same training class so if he isn't going also, you will need to go to 2 separate classes. And one very important factor is financially. It is twice as expensive for vet bills and grooming, etc.

There are many on here who have had great success in getting one and getting it completely trained and then adding a second one around 18 months. I think that would be a very good option. There really hasn't seemed to be any trouble with the two bonding (or at least I don't remember anyone saying there has been). That will also let you see how much time one dog takes up and then you could make a better decision about getting the second. I can see advantages to both ways!

Personally for me, if I were going to do it again I would be looking at an adult rescue as I really do not want to go through the puppy thing again. They are cute, but oh my can they be a handful at times! There were days I thought "What the heck have we done". As an adult dog I would also know if they were going to shed, what their temperament is etc. So, there are advantages and disadvantages so you just have to look at your personal situation and see how it fits with you! Good Luck. Will look forward to pics of your puppy(ies)!

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

I can comment on my experience. We got our first Doodle puppy (Guinness) from a breeder. I remember how difficult those first six months were....we were crazy busy with housebreaking, training, learning to groom him, and giving him all the love and attention a new puppy needs. I can't even imagine doing all this well with two puppies, but I know others do it. When he was a year old we decided we were now ready for another. At that point Guinness was pretty well trained and reliable....we had gone through all the "growing pains". We decided this time we really wanted to rescue. We weren't particular about age or sex, but we knew we wanted a poodle mix of some sort. We were lucky enough to be matched with a Doodle puppy through DRC. I'm so glad that Guinness was a little older (and pretty easy), because I think that really helped the new puppy (Murphy), and I know it helped me. We're still in a "high maintenance" mode with Murphy. He's pretty much housebroken, but I still do need to watch him closely to avoid "accidents". He had been either tethered to me or gated in the same room with me for the first few months, and now he can have a little more freedom. He's finished his first training class, but we still are doing training every day, and he'll go into the next level in September. Bottom line, our household is still very much "puppy focused" right now. I have been able to train them to walk well together, so we no longer have to do separate walks (that was very time consuming). All in all, FOR ME, I'm very happy with the timing of our two puppies. They are close enough in age to have bonded really well....they "hang out" together all the time. But, I'm glad I was able to get one fully trained before starting with the new puppy. Good luck...I can't wait to hear more about your new puppy (or puppies).

[Allyson, Peri & Taquito]

You should contact Michele Barton on DK. She got her two pups from my Peri's breeder - her Gus and Molly are littermates - she would also be a good source of info for you.

I will tell you that doodles are addicting and many of us DKers have more than one or want another. I have an older chihuahua and Peri, 14 months old now. If I had a house with a big yard, I would have no question about getting another doodle - and for me, the timing of Peri's age right now would be perfect. She is totally housebroken (has been for many many months), is mostly obedient (ha!) and still playful enough to enjoy a puppy.

[Hunter and Daisy's Doodle Mom]

As many medical problems we've had, one would think I'd say, "no way", but I wouldn't have it any other way. Everything IS times two, obviously, but we had two dogs before, so we had experience in raising litter mates. It isn't easy, it takes a lot of patience, and obedience training by 6 months old is recommended. We trained them together and neither Hunter nor Daisy are the "alpha"- My husband and I are. Doodles are smart, hence why obedience training would be a must. It's not for everyone to raise litter mates or two dogs the same age. Take the time to figure out what you can handle financially, emotionally, and mentally.

[Joy Williams]

Louise, we got our two girls from the same litter and have not regretted it one bit. Originally, we were only going to get one, but my husband "talked me into" getting another one from the same litter. We definitely had a few moments of "what were we thinking!!!" when they were teething and learning to sleep thru the whole night, but all in all, I wouldn't change a thing. But our kids are grown and on their own, so we don't have young kids in the house to also take care of like you do. That would definitely be a handful, but you would (hopefully) also have some extra help with taking them out to potty, etc. As far as bonding to each other instead of to us, that has never been a problem. They seem to "take turns" sitting with us and when one thinks it is her turn, she will go to the front door and bark to make the other get down - or will get a toy and pretend to be having too much fun with it so the other will come running. Then she gets "her turn" on the sofa with Mom!!
My husband and I both took them to obedience classes at the same time. Sometimes that was a distraction having both of them in the same class, but for the most part, they did very well.
We did crate them together at first. Its hard to believe that they were ever that small that they could both fit in the same crate and still have plenty of room to move around. But later they each got their own. They still have their crates, but the doors are left open and they just get in there whenever they want to - usually at night. Or, if they've been "Bad Doodles" and Mom starts to yell, then they run straight to their crates - and once recently, they both got in the same crate. (What a sight that was!!) I must have been really mad that day!!
One of the things that I do regret, and this was totally my fault, was that I did not try to train them separately on some things. Seems that every time I would try to teach them something together at the same time (usually tricks) they would start out ok, but then it would soon end up with just a wrestling match between them. So I would just get tired of it and give up.
They have been wonderful as far as not chewing up or destroying things in the house and I am sure that having each other there when we are gone has been what saved us on that. Whenever we are leaving the house, we give them a treat, tell them we will be right back and to be Good Doodles, and they have never whined or cried when left alone.
I totally agree with Lucy & Sophies Mom about the double expense (vet bills, toys, food - pretty much everything) and the extra time and work involved with two. But I have to say - it is so worth it - You get twice the love and companionship. I can have the absolute worst day at work, and when I come home, they are waiting at the window for me, run to find as many toys or "babies" or shoes that will fit in their mouth to greet me with when I walk in the door. And it just makes everything allright again!!
Sorry to run on for so long, but,when it comes to my girls, I just can't stop!
Best of luck, and please let us know what you decide!!
And if you need any help or encouragement trying to get thru those midnight hours of potty breaks....you know where to come!!

[Hunter and Daisy's Doodle Mom]

Re: Crates: I crated Daisy and Hunter seperate but had the two of them very close to eachother so they could see eachother as well. We crated our other dogs together when they were still pups and we realized that wasn't such a good idea at first. The seperation I personally think was good for them to be able to relax and sleep without the other one starting to chew on the other's ear to start playing, etc. :-) Now, they are a smidge over a year and we are already breaking them in to not being "locked up" while we are away. We are doing slow little baby steps, and only doing it on days I come home early, so they only have 4 hours to possibly destroy something :-) At night, we are not putting the gate up at the end of our hallway, so they have the house to roam if they choose not to sleep, but the habit is there that it's night time and when my hubby wakes up, he says they're either in their bed or in their favorite place in the whole wide world...the bathroom :-)
I beleive that trying to raise two alone had to be beyond hard for you. You know how they say it takes a village to raise a child??? It takes an Army to raise one Goldendoodle, let alone 2! They're just SO smart! Sometimes, too smart for their own good :-) I had mentioned in this discussion that my husband and I were familiar with raising litter mates and knew what to expect, what to do, not do, and so forth. It is a different experience for everyone and every dog is different. It takes planning on the whole family and what roles will be with all areas of having a new puppy or puppies. If there's argument or conflicts before they even come home, then responsibly, it should be a "no go"

[Allyson, Peri & Taquito]

I saw Teri Fann commented on your page Louise! She is Peri's breeder! I live near her - she is great.........
I think by your photo you decided on two? I am assuming they are from Teri?