proper crate size for two pups

[marymrumfelt]

Do you do separate training with them? I've seen the result of two puppies sold into the same house at the same time many times which is why I refused to do it. If you don't have a problem then that's wonderful but it is really not the norm. As breeders, if we wanted to keep 2 from a litter for future consideration we would get a breeder friend to run on one of the pups so that one doesn't become subserviant to the other or learn to rely on the other for it's confidence.

I do keep them separate when working with one, yes! But we don't do a lot of training around here. I'm happy if they know sit/stay/come and no bark. I don't do agility or things like that. Mine were born at home, to me... I guess I'm super lucky because they aren't the least dependent upon each other. That's interesting... I have no idea how I kept them from being this way because I never made an effort to make sure they had separate time, minus when teaching something which probably only equates to a handful of hours their whole lives. I taught them sit/stay and little things like that together. They have two totally different personalities and the only thing they influence each other on is BARKING!!!

I wonder how I got lucky?

 

[marymrumfelt]

I have to agree with Tagg, I have seen far too often litter-mates or pups that are close in age who become dependent on each other over their handler and, in some cases, virtually ignore their human.

This couldn't be further from my two... ignoring their human! LOL They each have their own times they want attention and they would always, always prefer us over each other. Theo, my boy, is cuddly at night and sleeps in bed. Lily, my girl, is sweeter in the morning and sleeps on the floor with my other sheltie. We don't take Lily out as much because she has issues we're working on, but my boy is fabulous in public and I never even had to train him much...I guess I'm just that good of a puppy mom Orrrrr I got lucky lol

 

[BarbV]

How long do you plan on crating your pups? That will dictate how big you need the crates to be.

I'm pretty sure that I contained my dogs until about 18 months. That being said after about 12 months I put Bacca's crate into an xpen so that he had more room to move since he was house trained. Indy was still crated until about 14 months, but only because I couldn't figure out an arrangement for both of them, without buying more hardware

By 16 months I had then both contained in the back part of my house behind a baby gate.

All to say that once they are house trained and chew-trained, your options are open.

Some dogs do better during the day alone with crates. Others, like mine, do better alone in the house finding their own sleeping spot.

 

[Tagg]

Once they are past housetraining and chewing they are only crated for travel and bed here. I don't really use the crate much even during the training period and, until Tinsel, never deliberately went out and left them in crates. Baby gates, chew proof area and lots of toys etc., open crates - no door on and newspapers for tolieting was how they were left when I was a working stiff and yes, I came home to shredded pooped on papers many times. However, they did get the message and became clean little pups.

 

[labgirl]

Exactly Tagg. I know some people don't have a lot of space and think it will be alright to put two dogs in one crate, but it really can be a disaster.