Two puppies at once - tips welcome
 

Hi All -

I am a new member to Yorkie forum, but have been visiting the site for years. I have had Yorkies since high school. About three months ago I lost my little baby to renal failure. It has been a heartbreaking experience. This was the first one I have had by myself and the last nine years with her were wonderful.

After a lot of internal debate and tears, I have decided to once again add to my family. (First time I thought about it I felt like a traitor or that I was cheating on my little Poppy, but I later realized it was a testament to how much she meant to me and how much richer my life was with her in it.)

I have decided to get two puppies - a boy and a girl - different litter, same breeder, 3 weeks apart. Met both mom's and have spent hours watching these little guys play and romp. I am going out to see them again tomorrow and will be picking them up the end of next week when they will be 12 and 15 weeks old.

I have never had two puppies and have been researching the pro's and con's. I have talked to the breeder in depth and my friends who have gotten two at the same time.

If anyone has gotten two at once and has any advise or tips, I would greatly appreciate the input.

thanks -

Welcome to YT!!! Good luck with two puppies. I haven't had one puppy yet (mine was a year old) so I don't know if this is a good or bad idea. Just make sure you don't have any accidental breedings.

I kinda envy you. I want to add to my pack so badly!!

I only have one and I got her at 6 months. I also would like to add another and will when the timing is right. No advice, just wanted to say welcome to YorkieTalk!

Welocme to YT.
I have not had 2 small yorkies before, but....I did get 2 weimaraner puppies at the same time, same breeder...WHEW!!! They drove me nuts and never again...Not with a weimaraner. They are BIG dogs and eat EVERYTHING. Like TILE FLOORS!!!
I think you will be fine with 2 small yorkies. I have a friend that got a male and female, just a few weeks apart 15 years ago. They did great. Played together, learned together.
Just make sure you keep them on a schedule and love them lots...:)

I've never had 2 at one time....
I only have one...and I got him when he was 10-weeks old. He just turned 1 and I have to say, he has been the Best Puppy....!! Sooooo Good and Sooo Easy! I always think that if I knew for sure that another would be as easy and as good as he has been I would have brought two home. :)

I got 2 Yorkie puppies at once but it was six weeks apart. They are from different breeders. They were spay /neutered at the same time. They have always done great together and the potty training was not much harder because they learned together. I got the female 1st at 13 weeks old and the male six weeks later at 12 weeks old. The female was very lonesome by herself. Since then I have added another male and female. They are all spay/neutered.

I'm raising 2 sisters right now that are 23 weeks, as well as their niece that is 2 years and I have not found it all that hard. There is twice the mess, but there is twice the fun and laughs too. They keep each other company and they love to sleep together, so there is no crying at night. My 2 little ones have been best friends from birth, my breeder said that they always played only with each other, so we could not bring ourselves to separate them. If you have the time, energy and patience to deal with them going in opposite directions and the same time, I say go for it. They each have their own special personalities, and bring so much joy into my life that I can't imagine having to pick between them. Good luck with whatever you do.

Prozac and a lot of rest! Best of luck. We have 2 six month old brothers...they keep you busy

Thanks for the support.

Last week I talked with the vet about getting them spay/neutered. Since they are a few weeks apart, I am not sure if they will go together or at different times for their procedures. I plan on taking a few days off to make sure all goes well when they get home. I know this will actually be more for my piece of mind, but these little ones never slow down

I have scheduled to take the week off of work for the first week the puppies come home to make sure we all settle in together. Not everyones dream vacation, but sounds great to me!

I have always heard that it is best to not get two puppies at the same time....actually, a neighbor who lived down the street from us had two Yorkie pups that they got about 3 or 4 weeks apart, but they ended up re homing one...I think the one that was more of the dominant type, more rambunctious. Also, I think it is much more difficult to potty train with two around. That was one of their problems too, I believe.

Welcome!! I ended up with two pups at once...lol. Both females, one a yorkie and the other a yorkie/pom mix. It's fun but a lot of work and potty training takes forever! One will do great and the other will lag and then they'll switch. Also, they tag team together in mischief...lol. However, I'm still alive and so are they...lol. If you're ready for the challenge then you should be ok! :-)

Thanks for the comments. Last week I met with the vet to discuss having them fixed. Since they are a few weeks apart I am not sure if they will go in at the same time yet or not for the procedure. The first week they are home with me I am taking the week off of work - a working vacation so to speak since I know they will be a lot of work. I am interviewing dog sitters to come and spend an hour with the puppies mid-day while I am at work. Right now I am looking at doing this for the first month or so and see how it goes from there.

I have been really thinking about getting another pup for Abby to play with.
Especially when I am at work. I am afraid she would be jealous and I don't want to upset her , I just want to give her company.
Any thoughts on this topic?

There may be some initial jealousy, but it should pass. THey will play together and keep each other occupied, but you now have 2 times the mess, food, haircuts, vet visits, etc. We have 3 yorkies and one Cane Corso. The pups are the most challenging.

I've only ever bought two puppies together, two litter sisters, but they're two of the Skyes not the Yorkies & I have to say (like Lisa with her Weimaraners) never again!!

They were a nightmare to house train, took months & months, where my other little ones all copied the older dogs & learned quite quickly. These two were SO wrapped up in each other they only cared about each other & had no interest whatsoever in pleasing us. They also barked more than the others, a lot!
I took them to obedience classes hoping it would help but they got thrown out!!

They are four years old now & have settled down a lot but they still care more about being together than being with us or any of the other dogs. And it isn't just because Skyes as a breed are a lot more stand offish than other breeds. I've kept Skyes & Yorkies for years but never had two like these before.
All my others have either been bred by me or bought as one puppy & all have been much more loving & easier to train than these two.

How old is Abby? I got Tessie when she was 13 weeks old and then got Hobbes 6 weeks later, she may have been a little jealous at first but she was happy to have a friend so she wouldn't be alone at night or when was at work. We just made sure that she was first for hugs, treats, etc. She is still #1 even with 4.

I have 2 boy's that are one month apart. They are 15 and 16 months old now. They are best buds. Good luck to you and welcome to YT. Make sure you neuter and spay around 6 to 8 months old. Also during that time your vet can remove any baby teeth left. Good luck and cant wait to see some pictures.

Abby is 16 weeks. She hates to be alone when I am at work. I have some luck when my granddaughter puppy sits, but I don't think it would much harder having 2 and at least when there is no babysitter she would have a buddy

I got mine 3 months apart. Potty training was (and is) a nightmare! They play well together, but believe me -what trouble one doesn't think of, the other one will!

lol That is funny but very true

Hey! A positive attitude will take you a long way! Sounds exciting, like an adventure...wishing you all the best. It should be ok. My sister took on two puppies at the same time and thinks it was a great idea still.
Keep us posted! It will be fun to look in on your "double trouble"!!

You will be giving the advice next time someone asks. :)

I went to visit the puppies today and spend 3 hours getting to know them and watching how they interacted. They are full of energy and fun. They played together for a little while and then one found a chew toy and the other came to play with me. When I was ready to leave, the breeder put them in their pen and they went to sleep before I left. Finalized everything and will be picking them up on Thursday. I will let you know how our first day and night together go.

I got my first 2 about 3 months apart, and it worked out very well. Then a year later I got 2 girls (sisters) at the same time, and I have to say that has been wonderful too.

I love having them in pairs, and all 4 get along well too. Some breeders don't advise getting pups that close, but for me it has been ALL good, a lot of fun and joy, and not that much more work.

Well, I did have two pups at the same time!! (Westies) I promised myself never again. It was like having twins. Potting training was hopeless because when one had an accident the other went right over it again. Of course, it was made harder because I was working at the time, but none the less, I couldn't do it again.
As long as you know what all is involved, go for it. Good luck!

9yrs ago I brought home twin poodle brothers and then 4 weeks later I brought home one of their half brothers. The best investments that I made was a pac n play, an expen and a kitchen timer. The pack n play stayed in the den and the expen in the kitchen (this is where most of the activity is in my house. They were in one or the other or on a leash tied (literally) to me. I made sure that the each got a little one on one,usually while on their way to their crate for the night. The biggest problem we had was with the twins. The were in separate crates on separate floors of my house. If one cried the other would cry. We finally turned the air unit fan on so it ran all night and they couldnt hear each other. Sleeping through the night finally happened after two weeks. The half brother couldnt of cared who was crying,he just slept. The kitchen timer was for me. It was set and they went out EVERY hour for the first month (I didn't know about pepe pads at that time) and then I began stretching it to one and a half and then two hours. I had each of the boys neutered about a month apart so I could give that little one special attention and concentrate on each of their needs while they recovered.
One of the poodles passed away suddenly several months ago,he was the lite of my life. I understand how you felt deciding to get another puppy and I like the way you put it as a great testiment to how important your baby was to your life. Mina has been a part of my life for only about 6 weeks,I still miss my baby boy,but I know that he loved me alot and wouldnt want me to be sad. Mina and I continue to build our special relationship and I will never forget "my lil friend" and the part that he played in my life for the past 9yrs. His brother still looks for him.
Good luck with your babies,enjoy every minute. Attitude is everything,especially when you are sleep deprived.

Sorry you lost your little Mina. Happy you have a new baby to love.

Well I still am not sure I will take on this task. I guess I should wait a little while to see how she does alone and give her a chance to get used to it before I take the plunge.

I got Lila (chihuahua) at 6wks, then, about two and a half months later, I got Lucy (yorkie) at 16wks. I have to tell you, it is more difficult with two... But not by much! My girls got along great from the start, no fights, ever. It was more difficult walking them for awhile, because Lila thought Lucy was just along as a play buddy and wouldn't actually walk! But they got over that eventually. And going to friends houses with my pups suddenly became a much bigger deal than it had been when I just had one. But that worked itself out too. Honestly, I found that the biggest issue came from trying to deal with two separate crates! In and out of the vet or to walk or to a friends house... It was all such a hassle trying to juggle both crates at once. But my two stinkers sorta solved that one for me on their own. I caught them cuddled up together in one crate so many times that I finally just let them stay there. I haven't used a separate crate since. Luckily, both of mine are only just over 4lbs, so they are not too heavy for this to work (they actually weigh exactly the same, to the ounce, crazily enough, which I always say is further testament to the fact that they were just meant to be together... When Lucy, a stray, found me, I think she was actually looking for Lila :)).

But aside from that, my experience with two has been smooth sailing! I can honestly say I wouldn't change it for the world, and, although I can't ever imagine my life without them, it would be even more difficult to imagine their lives without each other.

So I guess my best advice to you is the same as it would be if you had just one... Put them on a schedule and stick to it! And be patient! Trust me... It's harder to do at first... But once you get it, it'll make your life soooo much easier!

Good luck, and I can't wait to 'meet' your beautiful babies!!!

I often regret not purchasing Gracie's sister with her. Now she is such an alpha dog I don't know if she would accept another dog in the home. If you have the time and patience to train two pups at once I would go for it. The only thing I would wonder about is the bond a couple of pups would make with the owner. Having another dog around to play with has got to be great for exercise and to avoid boredom but do they get as attached to their human? I don't know.