Why we would never sell two littermates to the same home.....

We very often get initial enquiries from people requesting two puppies, most good breeders would never let this happen, let me explain why.............

You are not purchasing poodles (although the same thing could happen with anybreed) GSDs can be damned hard work in the first 18 months....this all depends on how much time you put in training, but for the average pet owners, it takes around 18 months to achieve maturity in all departments.....some dogs may take longer than this and some will be quicker, this bit is purely down to the owners.

But when you take two pups from the same litter, a hard job becomes damn near impossible, the pups look to each other instead of you, one becomes alpha and one becomes the omega, always, always, always will you end up with one dominant pup and one submissive.

Then you get the separation anxiety, if one pup goes out without the other etc. This can bring on nervousness, or if the two are walked together and one starts to bark, the other will copy.......if one doesn't get the recall, neither will the other, unless you work totally separately with them and even then, it's touch and go.

Several of you have two of our dogs, as what works really well is when you get your first to a point where your 2nd can learn from him, instead of copying bad habits. So when you ask me for two pups....yes you can have them.....but never from the same litter. We have a couple of peeps waiting at the moment for their current dog to become mature enough for another.

Great post Ann. Totally agree with you. The age gap between Aspen and Zeus is exactly 2 years and 4 days. Although Zeus is now two and a half and Aspen is just turned 8 months on the 2nd of Oct Aspen is the dominant of the two dogs and Zeus is very submissive in every way. I usually walk the two of them separately although I have had to change the time of day for their walks to when Katie is back from school.

This change has come about since we lost Toby at the end of August, as when he was with us and I was taking one dog out there was always two at home together. Now, if I take one out during the day the other one gets upset at being left at home on his own so I always wait until Katie is back so that she can be with the other one when I am out.

WE have taken them out as a pair sometimes and interestingly enough when we do although Aspen is Alpha dog in the house he always walks behind Zeus when we have them on a lead he is not happy walking out in front. Out of interest is this because although at home Aspen feels secure as Alpha, when we are out he is not as secure as the Alpha dog given he is only 8 months and chooses to let Zeus take the lead?

Things changed on the food front after Toby too. Toby was always fed first followed by Zeus then Aspen. Toby had always finished his food by the time Aspen had started his and Aspen has always liked to have competition around when he eats. Toby would lie in the kitchen watching Aspen eat and Aspie would fill his boots with his food as Toby looked on and he took great delight in eating when Toby was around. Never once did Toby go over and attempt to eat Aspens food though, he just watched him.

Since we lost Toby, Aspen has been much less interested in food as there is not the same competition with Zeus. Only in the last couple of weeks after Zeus has eaten his food and I let him in the kitchen where Aspen is eating has Aspen improved his eating habits. Aspen now eats some food and walks away, Zeus strolls over and puts his head in Aspens bowl and starts to eat his food, Aspen heads back to the bowl and Zeus retreats quite happily leaving Aspen to finally finish all his food although Zeus does not go back to the bowl a second time as he does not need too !!!! I know it is a bizarre ritual they have between them these days but it works and they are both happy with their food arrangements these days.

I think that Aspen felt that he lost his mentor when Toby was gone and when we got Aspen, never in a million years did I envisage Toby leaving us so soon afterwards. It was my intention that Toby would be round for a longer period of time for Aspen to learn from the wise, calm old man but it was not meant to be. Zeus has matured into a lovely boy and they are the greatest of buddies. Although I have noticed that Aspen has picked up a few things that Toby used to do, for example he goes to the cupboard where the bowls are kept at breakfast time and pushes the tug of war toy into Zeus's face when he wants to play. Both characteristics of Toby.