Two Sheltie Puppies

[jgonyo]

My family will soon be purchasing two sheltie puppies. We are familiar with shelties, we had another sheltie for 12 years. While we are very excited about the puppies, we are also wondering about the best way to train two puppies at one time. Numerous websites have said that you shouldn't have two puppies--or even two dogs--at the same time. I see on here that there are many people out there with more than one sheltie. Does anyone out there have any tips or hints that will help us to train the two new members of our family?

Thanks

[elaine2004]

Great idea actually. they will keep other entertained and you just use the same house training schedule as you would do for one just now for two. Crate training is your best bet . :yes: Anytime you can't be around them place them in an enclosed area or crate. :winkgrin: Dogs are clean animals and do not want to soil where they sleep, so crating is the best option. as long as they get along,I believe one crate of appropriate size will do. A partioned crate with one on each side. :confused2: I would ask the breeder you are getting them from. I'm assuming they are litter mates?? Best of luck with them. Pictures when you get them please , we love pictures!!:lol:

[Narmowen]

Great idea actually. they will keep other entertained and you just use the same house training schedule as you would do for one just now for two. Crate training is your best bet . :yes: Anytime you can't be around them place them in an enclosed area or crate. :winkgrin: Dogs are clean animals and do not want to soil where they sleep, so crating is the best option. as long as they get along,I believe one crate of appropriate size will do. A partioned crate with one on each side. :confused2: I would ask the breeder you are getting them from. I'm assuming they are litter mates?? Best of luck with them. Pictures when you get them please , we love pictures!!:lol:


No, no, no! Two separate crates! The crate should be safe haven for them, so one to a puppy.

Two puppies are harder to housebreak than 1, but as long as you keep them on the same schedule, it shouldn't be too hard.

[graydawntreader]

Train and feed them separately. I have two dogs, and my German Shepherd will try to interfere with my Sheltie mix's training sessions unless I put her in another room for a while.

[thebippies]

Hi Greenie-

I was just thinking to myself that the trick to having shelties is having two! Then I saw your thread:lol: I just put the girls outside b/c there was a wild game of *chase me* as I call it going on through the house:razz:

I have two shelties that are 1.5 years old, they are sisters, the last two in the litter, and we brought them both home at 9 weeks. We could'nt decide when we looked at them - so my brilliant husband said we'll take both & rather then them chewing on ME they'll be chewing on Eachother. Actually it was really easy raising two - and a lot of fun. I did use two separate crates - separate bowls - separate beds. They are and always have been on the same feeding and potty/poopie schedules. I must tell you this...people that tell you you should'nt have two dogs or from the same litter - don't know squat about shelties!!!! Don't worry - it is a fabulous idea. Actually they want a brother now:eek2: Okay I want them to have a brother sheltie:biggrin2: The breeder said she always raised two together. There is some jealousy between the two - but so little in fact that it is funny when it happens. They both get special attention and are truly loved and appreciated EQUALLY...They have two very different personalities - but it is funny when they are slepping in the same position or turn their heads at exactly the same time - stuff like that will crack you up! I'm excited for you!!!

[tim15856]

Buttons was a year old when we got Bows, so we didn't have two puppies at once. But I still found it easier to train Bows when I could do it one on one. So I'd say that you should try to give them individual time for training, but potty training can be done together since you should be feeding them at the same time.

[jgonyo]

Thanks to everyone for all of your advice and encouragement. I feel much better about our decision now. We did go to the breeder and pick the puppies out this past weekend. They will not be coming home until later in the summer. They are a sister and brother, tri-colored girl and a blue merle boy. It was so much fun picking them out, watching all of these sheltie puppies run around.

We will be sure to spend plenty of quality time with them individually as well as with the two of them together. Thanks again.

[preston]

Congratulations on choosing 2 shelties. We started with one in February. Chase was 3 months old and in June, we bought another male Sheltie, Connor from a different breeder who we were familiar with. Connor is a month older and they both get along great.

Two is just as easy as one. I agree with 2 crates - they will need their alone time. We use x-pens for each that house their own beds, favorite toys, and bowls. We feed them in the x-pens (it is easier as one eats faster than the other and would most likely go after the other bowl) and they stay in the xpens while we are at work. When we are home, they have free roam of the house. As I type this, they both are in the xpens by their own choosing with the doors open.

We decided to fence in our yard as they do love to chase each other around the house - very fun to watch. We walk them twice a day - every morning before breakfast and in the evening just to help them burn off some energy. They need that!

Good luck - it is truly a blast!

[blacknblue]

I got two sheltie pups at the same time and it's been great. They are not littermates, but two weeks apart in age. They're 18 mos now and are so much fun. I heard alot of gloom and doom stuff about two puppies too, but it really has been fine. With potty training, I used seperate crates and took them out on the same schedule. I think it did take a little longer, but they got it. With obedience training, I trained them together some and seperately some, and I was/am the primary person who handles Frosty and my husband is the primary person who handles Ripley. The biggest negative has been double expenses, but I'm sure you've considered that at this point.