Only Dogs (as in "only child') are smarter.

[LuvMyAbby&Kaela]

Sole (one only) dogs, when with the right master, are far smarter and have the potential of becoming so much more than dogs in multiple dog families. Just like the only child who doesnt turn out spoiled or neurotic often turns out to be intellectually advanced over his peers. It is the one-on-one time and focused stimulation that leads to this superior ability. I have seen street bums with the most amazing dogs. You would think the dog had an IQ of a human. It was all the one-on-one time. All the hobo had was his dog, all the dog had was his hobo; in the world. Also I have observed a neighbor lady with the most amazing dog, when I commented, one time, that she should get a friend for Bella she replied "I only want one dog - I dont believe in multiple dogs". Was she right? Maybe. I don think I ever have met a person with multiple dogs where one of the dogs truly "shine" I have only observed this on one-on-one dog to person relationships. Like Bocker for example. I think we may be setting our dogs up for failure, not allowing them to be all they can be with our childish notions of "Fido needs a friend" - "Suzy needs a sister". We are in essence making dumbass dogs.

[LuvMyAbby&Kaela]

Top dog and only dog~!

[Jacquie Yorke (DRC)]

The relationship between YOU and the dog benefits in a single dog situation......You have the full attention of the dog..You are the dogs primary focus because you are the entire world to that dog...Consequently, they take their cues from you and are more "tuned in' to the subtleties of your language, gestures and emotions thus they will develop a better understanding and comprehension of your language.....The dog benefits from you for the very same reasons.....

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I'll toot my own horn with you. I was the oldest of three girls, and academically there was no contest. I talked earlier, read earlier, was more independent socially, and actually skipped fourth grade- there was no "enrichment" or gifted program in those days, they just skipped you to a higher grade. My sisters were both mediocre students, the middle one struggling most. (Youngest child gets more attention, too).
I'm pretty sure that studies have clearly shown that eldest and only children are higher achievers in general. I'm pretty sure that studies also show that stimulation in the form of attention and time spent talking to a child increases their intelligence. Not sure if it works the same way for dogs, but it makes sense to me.

[Leslie and Halas]

I'm an only child, and I would also like to declare my brilliance. I know many tricks, and I always pee where I'm supposed to. Although I do sometimes misbehave and embarrass my mother in public. I think Halas takes after me.

[Jacquie Yorke (DRC)]

LMAO!..The apple doesn't fall far....Like you, I happen to love having a brilliant dog who only has eyes fo me......

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I had always read that it was a lousy idea to adopt littermates, for the reasons mentioned here. Just found this opinion by a professional trainer:
Adopting littermates?

I just got a call that I love to receive! Someone calling to ask a professional dog trainer their opinion on adopting littermates BEFORE they bring home two puppies from the same litter. My advice? Don't do it!

When I first started training dogs full time, another dog trainer warned me about problems between littermates that grow up together. She said that she never recommends it because it can lead to problem behaviors down the road, including aggression between the dogs. I thought she must be overreacting a bit or exaggerating how bad the problem could be, but I went and researched it a bit anyway. I actually found a number of dog breeders that will not sell two littermates to the same family. I was a little more convinced, but still wasn't sure I would advise people against adopting two siblings from the same litter.

Then, I saw it myself. I had a client that had a male and female that were from the same litter. It was one of the saddest things to watch them grow up together. The male was so completely dependent on the female. He never quite blossomed himself and he also suffocated her much of the time. I don't know if they experienced aggression issues down the road because they've since moved away, but what I saw was enough to make me think that it was not a good idea. I've also seen parent/child pairings that resulted in aggression problems when the puppy matured into an adult dog.

Here is a little of what I have since discovered on the issue of littermates growing up together:

1 - It doesn't have to be littermates. The same problems may occur when you raise either a mother and child or father and child pair. It also appears that it may be problematic when you raise two unrelated puppies of the same age together. In general, we recommend waiting a minimum of 6 months to a year AND getting your first dog's manners under control before you bring another dog home.

2 - Raising two littermates can lead to, for lack of a technical term, "failure to blossom" in one of the dogs. In fact, according to Steven Lindsay (author of Handbook of Applied Dog Behavior and Training), one Guide Dog organization reported problems when a mother and child pair was fostered together and when littermates are fostered together. Quoting a representative of the organization: "I cannot remember a single dog who was raised with her mother to adulthood who could be successfully trained for a Guide Dog. Where two litter mates are raised together in the same home we have had the same results. . . . one becomes a successful candidate for Guide Dog work and one fails, even if their aptitude tests were equal." (Lindsay, 2000, p. 50).

3 - Two puppies raised together don't often have a chance to bond to family members because they're so busy bonding with one another. This can lead to trouble with training and behavior, and over-bonding with one another may lead to difficulties with being left alone or separated for even short periods as adults.

4 - Many trainers recommend the following steps if you have littermates:

- Take time with each dog individually EVERY day for the first 6 or so months you have them so that they can bond with you instead of just bonding to one another. Go out for separate walks (you'll need to do this to teach nice leash manners anyway), have some one-on-one training sessions with each of them, and attend a group puppy class with each one (separate classes!).

- Separate the dogs when you are gone during the day (for the first 6 months). You can do this by crating them in different rooms of the house or by babygating them into separate rooms (in a way that doesn't allow them to interact through the gate). I know, you're thinking this is foolish because I want my dogs to play with each other and keep each other company during the day. They will do that. Someday. Just not during their formative months. Let them each develop an individual personality first and then allow them to be together during the day.

Now that I've said all that, I want to be frank. NONE of what I've just said has been proven in a verifiable, repeatable study. I have yet to see a study that confirms the claims I've just made (I hope that someday we'll have more information on this, but as of yet, I don't think any studies exist). For those of you that know me or read my blog regularly, you'll know that I don't like to pass on information that is simply based on anecdote. There is far too much mythology and plain-old-junk out there in dog training to justify throwing ideas out willy nilly. However, I've seen enough evidence of problems with raising two littermates or a parent/child pair that I'm willing to warn dog owners of the problems and recommend that they not adopt a pairing like this. At the very least, I make recommendations about precautions they can take, always with the caveat that the problem hasn't been studied enough to be verifiable.

I just attended the annual conference of the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants and I asked a Veterinary Behaviorist that was at the conference what she thought of the problems of raising littermates together. She confirmed my suspicion that there haven't been any studies on the topic, but, she has also seen enough problems to cause her to recommend that clients not adopt a littermate or parent/puppy pair. So, take it for what it is worth - just anecdotal evidence - but I for one won't adopt any littermates any time soon!

Cara, Austin Dog Training, Behavior, and Dog Daycare

[Sandy]

We were in puppy classes with a couple that had littermate cocker spaniel pups, and it was SO disruptive. All the pups did was cry for each other, loudly. The husband and wife sat on opposite sides of the class, and all the pups wanted to do was be with each other. They were not interested in training or the humans with them. When they went to off leash play time, they played with each other. So I agree that you should at least semi-raise one dog, and take time to bond with it, before you add a second. And that even when you do add a second, give them time away from each other.

[Adina P]

Very good article. I'm sure there are exceptions, but I would guess that article reflects what is true for most average pet owners with littermates...even those who are satisfied with their littermates. As for me I just enjoy that dog-human bond I have with Rosco so much... to me it's the main beauty of having a dog. It would just not be fun for me at all to have a couple dogs who mostly enjoyed each other but didn't have a strong primary bond to me. Yes it's fun to watch them play...but I wouldn't want to live in the middle of a doodle romp all day long =) Just when I miss a little chaos it seems my friends ask me to babysit their dogs so I get a nice small dose of it and am back to the peace.

I dog sat (went to the owner's home though) for a coworker of mine with two littermates (non-doodles). There was a clear hierarchy between the two females and it was obvious that one of them really did a lot of controlling of the other. Whenever I'd toss a toy for one to chase...the dominant one (who couldn't care less about the chasing) would block her path initially and tell her off before letting her chase. When I'd try to pet the 'submissive' one the 'dominant' sister would barge in and demand I pet her instead. I can imagine that together one is being stifled slightly in a way that (maybe) perhaps wouldn't have happened otherwise.

Others adore having huge doggy families, and that's fine. To each their own!

[Jacquie Yorke (DRC)]

I think if you are going to do the multiple dog thing, 3 or more makes more sense than 2....2 is asking for trouble for the reasons illustrated above.....3 or more means that once the hierarchy is established, the subordinate dogs have each other. The competitive element with the 2 dog equation is quelled because it's understood without question that they are lower in the pack order....The dynamic just works better for some reason....Ask anyone who has multiple Huskies...Huskies pack up more quickly than any other breed because it's essential for the success of the "team"....Anyone who I have ever spoken to with Huskies will tell you 2 is the kiss of death...3 or more works beautifully.......

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

When we got Ned, the breeder had two pups needing re-homing. When we went, we were looking at taking one of those pups for our family. They had gone to a husband and wife - one for each. Now who knows why but they did not relate to humans or even the other puppies from a more recent litter.
An interesting note, Ned and his sister have met on a few play dates and her owners and I feel that they innately recognize each other. They appear overjoyed to see each other and rather than the preliminary sniffing and meeting, they just rush into play/wrestle mode.
While I love having each of my dogs, I do feel that they don't get as much human attention as when I had only one dog. They are separated by about 5 years each and it seems that the youngest gets the lions share of attention because in their turn they were the pushiest.
Ned is my smartest dog, Ned has been pretty easy to train, and is the most fun to take places.
So..... whatever this adds to the debate I am not sure.

[Lynne Fowler-Oodles of Doodles]

I agree. I could never understand all the agility and training classes, etc. We have never had a one. After the basic commands (sit, stay, drop it, come, stop) I care more about "kiss me", get it, catch him, squirrely in the grass and all the phrases my dogs understand. They eat off a fork and their teeth never touch the tines but they don't do "tricks." They never beg at the table but will sit at my feet staring at me the entire time I am cooking. But I think it more comes down to how we interact with them. I don't think they are born that way, WE make them that way. How crazy am I? LOL

[Jacquie Yorke (DRC)]

Lynne, I'm convinced that Cody marks because of the fact that he was once an only dog with an alpha personality who has now been reduced to subordinate.....One of the reasons it works at your house is because of his relationship with Jack who is the lowest man on the totem pole......So here we have a perfect example of how the 3 dog dynamic works......If it were just Ginger and Cody things might be very different......