Litter Mates-- Still Hanging in There!

[Ashley, Sadie and Coal]

Well our precious pups are growing like weeds.  At almost 16 weeks, Coal is just under 20 pounds and Sadie is 18 pounds.  They continue to be healthy and happy, and we continue to love them like crazy.  Keeping them separate has provided us with bonding time and is allowing their personalities to really shine.  Sadie is a momma's girl and Coal is a snuggle bug.  So, that all sounds great, right?  It is, and it isn't...  

With one puppy, being a puppy parent is tough enough, but there is still a little time for laundry, cooking, human kids, grading papers and maybe even relaxing once in a blue moon. With two, after you finish the 45 minute walk with one pup, feed it, brush it and work on sit, stay, down, come and fetch, you then have to do it with the second pup. Free time is now puppy time.. so is paper grading time (which is not such a bad thing).  With five people here, it works out okay most of the time, but when one human is on the golf team, another is out of town for a business meeting, two have golf lessons and one is driving them to and fro, that makes life a little more "ruff." Throw in a Parent Night at school, an ice storm, a Girl Scout meeting and some teenage angst, and we make a three ring circus look tame.  

The good news, as I keep telling myself, is that if we can make it until the end of May, we will be out of school and will have nothing that we have to do other than puppy doody.  Hopefully, our diligent training and puppy classes will have resulted in somewhat well-behaved, adolescent pups who we can really enjoy this summer.  Please don't remind me that some of those days are the most challenging... I prefer to fool myself into believing that it will be a magical puppy Utopia, complete with a spay and a neuter.

We are going to make it (at least we think we are at the moment), but I feel compelled to repeat to anyone who is thinking about adopting litter mates, that it is not easy, it is not even difficult... it is completely consuming and thoroughly exhausting.  The rewards are plentiful, but they are hard won.   At this point, we believe this will most likely turn out well for us, and we still think these precious pups are worth it.  

Sadie  

Coal...

[Brenda Updike]

Ashley , I was reading your blog that someone suggested I read because I got 2 GD girls yesterday, 1 Harper is ours and the other 1 is suppose to go to my sister in a couple of months she is having her house renovated and I am going to start the training. I did get 2 separate crates. I did let them stay in 1 together last night probably wrong thing to do but today I have them in separate rooms . I want to start like what you said is train each 1 alone, I was hoping you could give me a few basic suggestions to get this working , I am a stay at home mom so I do have the time to work with them. did you feed in the same room ? I have not read your whole blog yet so any suggestions would help .

[Stephanie and Ragley]

You are doing a fantastic job. You are a true inspiration to all of us. Every time I get frustrated with my one calm and mostly well-behaved puppy, I think of how hard you guys are working to do it all with two! 

[Miss Ellie]

Oh my they are just gorgeous...I'm exhausted just reading your post...you sure do have your hands full Ashley but definitely sounds like you are persevering and marching onward...good for you...and the best thing is you get double the doodle love and kisses:)

[Robin and Libby Louise]

They are beautiful!  And kudos to you and your family.  You sound so much more upbeat and positive and the fact that you can see the light at the end of the looooong tunnel is very encouraging.  I know you will wind up with 2 wonderful doodles who are the loves of your life!  Congratulations!

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

Thanks for keeping us in the loop as Sadie and Coal grow.  As a retired teacher, I really get what you mean by 'time off' to concentrate on puppy doody - it will be magical and fun!

[Ricki and Tara (doodle)]

No advice but I am truly amazed at your diligence and commitment!  The time you are putting in now will be repaid in the future with happy well adjusted doodles.  I can't believe they are already 4 months old!  They have really grown!

[Ashley, Sadie and Coal]

Thanks everyone!  Your encouragement really makes a difference and revives me when I'm fizzling out.  Janie, from what I have read, we should keep them apart until they are six months old and they have been spayed/neutered.  We plan to do some training together when they are consistent with their recall separately, so they will know how to follow commands when the other is present.  For now, we don't give them any unsupervised time together or let them choose to interact with each other without our permission. They go to the vet together and have done really well so far. Several friends have suggested that the time apart may be too much, and that they may become possessive of us and aggressive towards each other, if we keep them apart too much.  At this point, I am looking for the happy medium.  All advice is welcome, because I truly do not know what is best... kind of basing it all on a mix of all the advice we have received, what we have read, our instincts, the pups' personalities and actions, etc. We plan to socialize them separately and together, also.  They have their first day care visits scheduled for this week if the weather doesn't interfere.  

[Janie, Jackson and Jilly]

You are doing such a great job with your gorgeous pups! How long does the separation period usually last?

[Pat and Traveler]

Kudos to you for doing such an excellent job of raising litter mates.  What an adorable pair!

[Bonnie and Kona]

Thank you for the blog. It was a great read! My favorite line: "magical puppy Utopia"! Enjoy dreamland. ;o) Seriously, they will be wonderful, just not every hour. Then, it will settle down to pretty darned Utopia-ish.