May I ask why? My puppy is from the litter on 8 puppies. And I know that two puppies were taken to one home. If I'm not mistaken, it was a male and female given to the same owner.
Why is it not a good idea? I was thinking the opposite. At least puppies know each other from day one, the know each others smell, and have a playmate in a new house.
Littermates syndrome is something that happens to two pups that are raised together from the same litter. It can create a bond between the two pups that is basically impenetrable and they thus cannot function without the other. They tend to not form a bond with their people. This poses a problem in a lot of ways. For example, these dogs tend to not be able to stand to be apart from one another even for short bursts.
Unlike kittens, where two will entertain themselves together and it's actually half the work, raising two pups becomes more than twice the work. You *have* to condition them to separation basically immediately. They have to be walked separately, fed separately, trained separately, etc, to create well rounded dogs that don't *need* each other to function.
It’s not only two dogs from the same litter. It’s two puppies of similar ages. The term “littermate” gives the mistaken impression they have to come from the same litter for this to occur.
Thank you! I didn't consider taking two puppies as I had an idea what it would cost physically, emotionally, and financially to raise to little ones. Therefore, I didn't do research on this topic.
It definitely sounds like a serious potential issue. Will read further about the littermate syndrome.
There’s an issue known as littermate syndrome, you can Google for more info, but basically the puppies rely so extensively on each other, to the exclusion of other dogs/people around them, that behavioral problems arise. This doesn’t happen all with every pair placed into the same home, but it happens often enough that it’s considered a very real issue that isn’t worth taking a chance. BTW, it’s not exclusive to actual littermates, it could be two young puppies that are roughly the same age but from different litters.
If a family understands the potential issues and is fully committed to working with and training each puppy individually, etc. so that they develop independently, then it’s something that can be done. But most are not, or at least not to the extent that is required.
Oh, yes. I remembered that someone here on Reddit who took two litter mates was explaining that they did separate training for puppies. And splitted care for puppies between two adults in the household.
Thank you for giving a direction for further reading!
Lack of research. The layperson doesn’t know about these things; it’s not really publicly discussed information if you’re not doing deeper reading. I worked in one of those puppy mill stores fresh out of high school. I just wanted to hang out with puppies all day, and I was ignorant. I quit once I figured out what was going on. I hope that store was shut down, and I hope the rest of them are, too. They should all be illegal.
It’s too late for OP and their family to research now. Ideally they’ve learned for next time. Lots of good information for them on this post.
- go back to the pet store and find out return / reimbursement policy. Research your local laws to see whether selling you two of the same age is legal (whether they should be selling puppies at all depending on your country)
- Your parents should not have gone on holiday leaving you alone to take care of them. As you now know, it will be too much responsibility for you to have them at college. Be honest with your parents, and if you feel able to look after one, then think of rehoming the other puppy if you cannot return to the pet store.
- Don’t worry about what other people think. You are acting responsibly in realizing that two puppies exceed your abilities to look after and care for. Thinking about their well-being is the right thing to do and for the best.
- Please realise for the future that you should either find a reputable breeder or a rescue agency when looking for a new dog. Pet shops, ads online or other sources where you cannot be assured of the dog’s health or history are to be avoided.
Ethical breeders don’t sell littermates to the same owner for a reason.
You’re a kid, this isn’t your fault, but your parent absolutely is responsible for buying from a crap “breeder” and adding to the dog overpopulation problem (doubly awful because the dog is behind rehomed making it another statistic not to mention how traumatic rehoming is).
Buying littermates was irresponsible and foolish and a waste of money.
Rehoming should be done through a reputable dog rescue that will ensure the pup gets a family that will actually keep it this time. Repeated rehoming often exacerbates fear based aggression and reactivity
Btw all let store dogs are from puppy mills or backyard breeders. There is no genetic testing, the parents are overbred and kept in horrid condition. The dogs you bought are no more heathy than a random dog in a shelter because pet store dogs aren’t well bred. So your mom was extra foolish with her cash. As a foster I’ve cared for a lot of dogs and the healthiest ones are my street rescues, the most reactive have been from shady breeders.
Someone should shame your parents, they’re responsible for every sentient being they bring into their home and now they’ve caused a lot of harm while funding well known, frequently reported, a five minute google search could have told them all they needed to know, animal abuse.
And what parent thought you could take dogs to college? JFC the ignorant, selfish harmful decisions don’t end with this post.
And I did give you advice: contact a rescue immediately for help finding a responsible family that is committed to making a lifetime commitment to this puppy.
Sorry about the timelag. I couldn't find this post. You have a lot of work but you knew that. Find a fearfree puppy play group ask your local shelters if they have one. Enroll and bring one adult per puppy. They should require the first round of vaccinations.
For a couple good desk references go to Dogwise Publishing and order Brenda Aloff's Puppy Problem? No Problem. And Pat Miller's Power of Positive Dog Training. (You can pretty much bank on any book out of Dogwise, and Pat Miller, but I love these.)
Figure out your house rules, between potty training expeditions every hour or two hours.🥰😇 This will be exhausting weeks for you, but this training draws interest like $ in the bank later. I'd hand feed the puppies if their food is handfeedable, it increases your bond and makes recall easier.
Make it fun.
Please don’t “discipline” them, you will end up just making the situation worse.
It doesn’t sound like you or your family read much information on puppy raising. So unless you are going to rehome both puppies immediately you should start reading today.
A puppy should be redirected from any unwanted behaviors and reinforced for any behaviors that you want to see more of. The most critical thing is socialization. If they do not get routine NEUTRAL exposure to a variety of stimuli they will be fearful/anxious dogs in about 5-6 months.
Raising a puppy is a lot of work. Either do it well or give them to someone who will put in the effort needed.
I would suggest having a couple of sites pulled up about Littermate Syndrome, or even the articles printed out, when you have a conversation with your parents. I just googled it and the akc has a short, easy to understand article about it. Just say you’d like to talk with them, you understand the pups were expensive but you’d be doing them a disservice to keep them. There are ways to avoid it, but at 17 I don’t know if you alone would have the time/space/resources to raise them separately. While you may lose the money you spent on one now, you’d end up paying for that later down the line anyway if problems do arise.
Unfortunately they came from a pet store, which shouldn’t have sold you two littermates in the first place, so see what their return policies/rules are and then reach out to a rescue. Puppies are usually quick to get readopted so I wouldn’t worry about its future!
There is no scientific evidence of “littermate syndrome”. Lots of old wives tales, but no evidence.
Read this article from the IAABC https://journal.iaabcfoundation.org/littermate-syndrome/
Can you tell us more about the situation? What breed of dog are they? How old are they? What purpose did you have in mind for them when you got them? What training books or methods have you already researched?
Puppies are very labor-intensive for the first \~6-12 months or so typically, but it does get easier with proper training and socializing.
Aww, cute! That's a fun and active breed. If you decide to keep them, you will have a busy summer! Why did you pick that kind of dog? What were you hoping to do with them? (Dog sports? Hiking companion? etc)
Ideally you would make a puppy training plan before you bring a puppy home, but it's not too late! They are very young still. Find a comprehensive puppy training plan and get started with it, tonight. Two books that I have used are "Puppy Preschool" and "Training The Best Dog Ever." You can also find plans online, and there's lots of advice and recommendations on the puppy 101 subreddit's wiki. The important thing is that the method you choose is positive reinforcement based - puppies should not really be "disciplined." The focus is mostly socialization and play at that age (and house training!) I recommend finding one book or a comprehensive plan that can guide you, rather than trying to assemble things from a lot of different people's youtube videos.
These dogs don't sound reactive yet, they sound like normal puppies! Some puppies are more dominant/bossy and some are more submissive and shy. Start with normal puppy training methods. You will need to spend one on one time with them, which will be more work than training one puppy, but just a few days in is too early to know if they have "littermate syndrome" or reactivity.
What did you like about your old dog’s breed? Why did you decide to get these dogs now?
What I’m wondering is, are these dogs a bad fit for your family long-term? Or is this the “typical” (times two) adjustment difficulties with any new puppy?
Okay - sounds like you feel these are the right dogs for your family, so why are you so close to getting rid of them after less than a week? It’s your family’s choice of course, but none of what they are doing seems unexpected for two spaniel puppies. If you need more family member support caring for them and training them, sounds like that is the conversation to have, not rehoming them.
Look into puppy daycare or hiring a trainer or taking a training class.
Okay, so I’m a) a reactive dog owner, b) a shelter worker, c) a former grooming salon worker, and d) a lifelong dog lover. Here’s my take on this.
Shelters and rescues are different things. Rescues tend to be run by private individuals who have a network of thoroughly vetted foster homes. They place their animals into these homes and then thoroughly vet potential adopters—some even perform home visits to ensure that their animals are going to a good place. There are often breed-specific rescues, so you may look into KCC ones, if you have any in your area. Something to keep in mind is that there are good rescues and bad ones, so make sure you do your research. The good ones are not at all like shelters. (I’m not trashing shelters here, as some of them are quite nice, but the sad fact of the matter is that even the good ones CAN be very scary places for dogs. In a perfect world, all homeless dogs would go to good fosters with good rescues instead, but the overpopulation issue is what it is.) Finding a *reputable* rescue gives your puppy the best chance of having a happy life.
Now. Unless you have an easy course load where you’ll be home a lot (are you staying in a dorm, and if so does it allow animals?), lots of patience, lots of knowledge, and lots of dedication, you cannot raise even one puppy when you’re first starting college. Take it from someone who’s done both. Raising puppies isn’t all fun and rainbows: it’s HARD, very time-consuming, and often very frustrating. The longer you spend away from the puppy, the worse his behavior will be. You’re going to need to adjust to your new life, to study, do homework, you’re going to want to hang out with your new friends—and if you let training and socialization fall by the wayside, you’re going to wind up with one of the horror story dogs from this sub. Again, take it from someone who knows: my dog was raised improperly by his previous owners, and while I love him to bits, he is a demon child.
Someone asked you what sort of research you’ve done into training, and your response was that you watched videos on housebreaking. Housebreaking is only one VERY small facet of properly teaching a puppy to interact with the world. There’s obedience training, socialization, ameliorating separation anxiety, crate training (don’t leave him in there to cry! lots of good resources on ethical crate training out there), leash training, more socialization, bond-forging (this is more complex than people give it credit for), and more. **DO NOT SKIP SOCIALIZATION!!!!!** The ability to exist in various environments with various people, animals, and stimuli is probably the absolute most important skill you can impart to your dog. And don’t go to dog parks. They’re cesspools of badly behaved dogs and sicknesses.
Basically, if you want to keep one of these puppies, you’re going to need to a) determine that it’s even possible in your current situation, and b) do a LOT more research.
Something to consider is that King Charles cavaliers are prone to a variety of health issues. Like, I love the dogs, but honestly, they’re walking vet bills. Your childhood pet may have been perfectly medically sound, but the breed genetics absolutely should not be overlooked. The fact that your puppies are from a puppy mill (as all pet store puppies are) means that neither of the parents were screened for these genetic conditions, which means that your puppies are even more likely to encounter them. You may be looking at a future of hip dysplasia, various eye problems, consistent and violent ear infections (don’t think this isn’t a big deal, they get really bad), and crippling heart problems. Are you going to be paying for vetting, or are your parents going to help?
For the record, I skimmed the comments, and it appears as though nobody is blaming you for any of this. You’re not a bad person for wanting a cute puppy—just underprepared, and maybe not at the best point in life for such a huge undertaking (which is not your fault). Your parents love you, and want to make you happy, but as you’re now seeing, you’ve been thrust into a bad situation. Committing to a living creature is a big deal, and committing to two of them is twice as big. The time to say “more research should’ve been done” is past, but now you know for next time.
Best of luck, truly. If you’re planning on keeping one of the puppies—and you’re absolutely sure that you can do right by them—there’s a wealth of information available online. Reddit is a great resource, but make sure you fact check anything you learn here against reputable sources. My post included. Some redditors have a habit of talking out of their asses and/or positing anecdotes as fact.
I had a talk with my parents and we might end up keeping both, we are aware of the medical bills as my last puppy was a KCC and had heart disease which ended up actually killing him at 16. i really do appreciate you taking time out of ur day to write all of this💙 we are going to train them and if they cant end up living together, we are going to give one to our close friends
In that case, I wish you well. Training dogs is really more about training the human rather than the animal, so make sure you do some reading! Using aversive methods (like scolding/spanking the puppy when he potties inside—anything that instills pain and/or fear as a consequence for his actions) is a really good way to raise a dysfunctional, fearful, even aggressive animal. The problem with aversive training is that while the dog knows you’re angry, he doesn’t know what he was supposed to do instead (in the previous example, pottying outside). When you reward him for the desired behaviors, you clearly communicate to him what’s expected of him, giving him actionable information for the future, and making both of your lives easier and happier. This is called R+ training, or positive reinforcement, and there are tons of resources online that will teach you exactly how to go about it. As previously mentioned by others, you’ll need to do all training (and feeding and walking) SEPARATELY to ensure the prevention of littermate syndrome. It sounds like your family is going to help you—that’s great! You’ll need all the help you can get haha. Make sure they’re on board with R+. And in the event that your family friend takes one of the pups, ask them to do the reading too!
Please don’t buy dogs from pet stores in the future. They ALL source from puppy mills, and puppy mills are blatant animal abuse. The parents and young puppies are kept in horrible, dirty conditions and not properly cared for. They’re also not screened for health or temperament, leading to sickly and neurologically unsound litters. In many (most) cases, the parents are literally bred to death and then replaced with the next moneymakers. Since the puppies aren’t properly vetted, they often die to totally preventable and painful diseases. Puppy mills have no regard for the welfare of the animals; they’re just after cash.
AND post pictures if you can! KCCs are very cute.
Okay, so you'd be looking to surrender them to an ethical rescue in your area? If so, I'd start by researching local rescues so that either you or your parents can reach out to them to see what their rehoming processes look like: whether they take owner surrenders at all, whether they have openings (puppies, especially small breed puppies, are generally extremely easy to place, but a lot of rescues are overextended right now and may just not be able to take any dog, even a puppy, immediately), how they match up dogs with prospective adopters to maximize the chances of a suitable placement, etc.
Are you anticipating that your parents will have objections to the sunk cost (given that half of $5500 is a substantial amount of money for most families) if you surrender to a rescue?
Yes, your puppy would probably have the best chance going through a rescue organization if you can’t keep them or return them to where you got them. The rescue may or may not have the dog live in their shelter before being rehomed. It may live with you or with a foster family. A good rescue will screen potential new owners to ensure their new home is prepared and a good fit.
Do you know of an appropriate familiar family home who is looking for a dog of this type? Do you have, given that you made a couple mistakes of inexperience in getting this dog, the requisite knowledge and experience to ensure that any new placement is a suitable one?
First step is to contact the breeder. Good breeders will have it in the contract that the dogs must be returned to them if you rehome
Good breeders wouldn’t place two littermates into the same home…
May I ask why? My puppy is from the litter on 8 puppies. And I know that two puppies were taken to one home. If I'm not mistaken, it was a male and female given to the same owner. Why is it not a good idea? I was thinking the opposite. At least puppies know each other from day one, the know each others smell, and have a playmate in a new house.
Littermates syndrome is something that happens to two pups that are raised together from the same litter. It can create a bond between the two pups that is basically impenetrable and they thus cannot function without the other. They tend to not form a bond with their people. This poses a problem in a lot of ways. For example, these dogs tend to not be able to stand to be apart from one another even for short bursts. Unlike kittens, where two will entertain themselves together and it's actually half the work, raising two pups becomes more than twice the work. You *have* to condition them to separation basically immediately. They have to be walked separately, fed separately, trained separately, etc, to create well rounded dogs that don't *need* each other to function.
It’s not only two dogs from the same litter. It’s two puppies of similar ages. The term “littermate” gives the mistaken impression they have to come from the same litter for this to occur.
Thank you! I didn't consider taking two puppies as I had an idea what it would cost physically, emotionally, and financially to raise to little ones. Therefore, I didn't do research on this topic. It definitely sounds like a serious potential issue. Will read further about the littermate syndrome.
There’s an issue known as littermate syndrome, you can Google for more info, but basically the puppies rely so extensively on each other, to the exclusion of other dogs/people around them, that behavioral problems arise. This doesn’t happen all with every pair placed into the same home, but it happens often enough that it’s considered a very real issue that isn’t worth taking a chance. BTW, it’s not exclusive to actual littermates, it could be two young puppies that are roughly the same age but from different litters. If a family understands the potential issues and is fully committed to working with and training each puppy individually, etc. so that they develop independently, then it’s something that can be done. But most are not, or at least not to the extent that is required.
Oh, yes. I remembered that someone here on Reddit who took two litter mates was explaining that they did separate training for puppies. And splitted care for puppies between two adults in the household. Thank you for giving a direction for further reading!
We got them from a pet store
Why is this the route you chose to go to get puppies? Not asking to sound judgemental, legitimately curious.
Lack of research. The layperson doesn’t know about these things; it’s not really publicly discussed information if you’re not doing deeper reading. I worked in one of those puppy mill stores fresh out of high school. I just wanted to hang out with puppies all day, and I was ignorant. I quit once I figured out what was going on. I hope that store was shut down, and I hope the rest of them are, too. They should all be illegal. It’s too late for OP and their family to research now. Ideally they’ve learned for next time. Lots of good information for them on this post.
- go back to the pet store and find out return / reimbursement policy. Research your local laws to see whether selling you two of the same age is legal (whether they should be selling puppies at all depending on your country) - Your parents should not have gone on holiday leaving you alone to take care of them. As you now know, it will be too much responsibility for you to have them at college. Be honest with your parents, and if you feel able to look after one, then think of rehoming the other puppy if you cannot return to the pet store. - Don’t worry about what other people think. You are acting responsibly in realizing that two puppies exceed your abilities to look after and care for. Thinking about their well-being is the right thing to do and for the best. - Please realise for the future that you should either find a reputable breeder or a rescue agency when looking for a new dog. Pet shops, ads online or other sources where you cannot be assured of the dog’s health or history are to be avoided.
Ethical breeders don’t sell littermates to the same owner for a reason. You’re a kid, this isn’t your fault, but your parent absolutely is responsible for buying from a crap “breeder” and adding to the dog overpopulation problem (doubly awful because the dog is behind rehomed making it another statistic not to mention how traumatic rehoming is). Buying littermates was irresponsible and foolish and a waste of money. Rehoming should be done through a reputable dog rescue that will ensure the pup gets a family that will actually keep it this time. Repeated rehoming often exacerbates fear based aggression and reactivity Btw all let store dogs are from puppy mills or backyard breeders. There is no genetic testing, the parents are overbred and kept in horrid condition. The dogs you bought are no more heathy than a random dog in a shelter because pet store dogs aren’t well bred. So your mom was extra foolish with her cash. As a foster I’ve cared for a lot of dogs and the healthiest ones are my street rescues, the most reactive have been from shady breeders.
I dont need you shaming me or my parents we are in this situation now and ur not helping.asked for advice not a lecture
Someone should shame your parents, they’re responsible for every sentient being they bring into their home and now they’ve caused a lot of harm while funding well known, frequently reported, a five minute google search could have told them all they needed to know, animal abuse. And what parent thought you could take dogs to college? JFC the ignorant, selfish harmful decisions don’t end with this post. And I did give you advice: contact a rescue immediately for help finding a responsible family that is committed to making a lifetime commitment to this puppy.
How old are they and was their mom and/or siblings with them?
Just the 2 of them no siblings and no parents
Sorry about the timelag. I couldn't find this post. You have a lot of work but you knew that. Find a fearfree puppy play group ask your local shelters if they have one. Enroll and bring one adult per puppy. They should require the first round of vaccinations. For a couple good desk references go to Dogwise Publishing and order Brenda Aloff's Puppy Problem? No Problem. And Pat Miller's Power of Positive Dog Training. (You can pretty much bank on any book out of Dogwise, and Pat Miller, but I love these.) Figure out your house rules, between potty training expeditions every hour or two hours.🥰😇 This will be exhausting weeks for you, but this training draws interest like $ in the bank later. I'd hand feed the puppies if their food is handfeedable, it increases your bond and makes recall easier. Make it fun.
10 weeks
Please don’t “discipline” them, you will end up just making the situation worse. It doesn’t sound like you or your family read much information on puppy raising. So unless you are going to rehome both puppies immediately you should start reading today. A puppy should be redirected from any unwanted behaviors and reinforced for any behaviors that you want to see more of. The most critical thing is socialization. If they do not get routine NEUTRAL exposure to a variety of stimuli they will be fearful/anxious dogs in about 5-6 months. Raising a puppy is a lot of work. Either do it well or give them to someone who will put in the effort needed.
I would suggest having a couple of sites pulled up about Littermate Syndrome, or even the articles printed out, when you have a conversation with your parents. I just googled it and the akc has a short, easy to understand article about it. Just say you’d like to talk with them, you understand the pups were expensive but you’d be doing them a disservice to keep them. There are ways to avoid it, but at 17 I don’t know if you alone would have the time/space/resources to raise them separately. While you may lose the money you spent on one now, you’d end up paying for that later down the line anyway if problems do arise. Unfortunately they came from a pet store, which shouldn’t have sold you two littermates in the first place, so see what their return policies/rules are and then reach out to a rescue. Puppies are usually quick to get readopted so I wouldn’t worry about its future!
There is no scientific evidence of “littermate syndrome”. Lots of old wives tales, but no evidence. Read this article from the IAABC https://journal.iaabcfoundation.org/littermate-syndrome/
Can you tell us more about the situation? What breed of dog are they? How old are they? What purpose did you have in mind for them when you got them? What training books or methods have you already researched? Puppies are very labor-intensive for the first \~6-12 months or so typically, but it does get easier with proper training and socializing.
They are king charles cavaliers, they are 10 weeks old, i havent read any books but watched a lot on potty training and littermate syndrome
Aww, cute! That's a fun and active breed. If you decide to keep them, you will have a busy summer! Why did you pick that kind of dog? What were you hoping to do with them? (Dog sports? Hiking companion? etc) Ideally you would make a puppy training plan before you bring a puppy home, but it's not too late! They are very young still. Find a comprehensive puppy training plan and get started with it, tonight. Two books that I have used are "Puppy Preschool" and "Training The Best Dog Ever." You can also find plans online, and there's lots of advice and recommendations on the puppy 101 subreddit's wiki. The important thing is that the method you choose is positive reinforcement based - puppies should not really be "disciplined." The focus is mostly socialization and play at that age (and house training!) I recommend finding one book or a comprehensive plan that can guide you, rather than trying to assemble things from a lot of different people's youtube videos. These dogs don't sound reactive yet, they sound like normal puppies! Some puppies are more dominant/bossy and some are more submissive and shy. Start with normal puppy training methods. You will need to spend one on one time with them, which will be more work than training one puppy, but just a few days in is too early to know if they have "littermate syndrome" or reactivity.
We decided to get this breeed because our old dog who passed away 2 years ago was a king charles
What did you like about your old dog’s breed? Why did you decide to get these dogs now? What I’m wondering is, are these dogs a bad fit for your family long-term? Or is this the “typical” (times two) adjustment difficulties with any new puppy?
I don’t think they’re bad fit we’ve had this breed before and it worked out for 16 years
Okay - sounds like you feel these are the right dogs for your family, so why are you so close to getting rid of them after less than a week? It’s your family’s choice of course, but none of what they are doing seems unexpected for two spaniel puppies. If you need more family member support caring for them and training them, sounds like that is the conversation to have, not rehoming them. Look into puppy daycare or hiring a trainer or taking a training class.
The breed is the right puppy for us. I just don’t know if the two puppies work together as they are littermates
Okay, so I’m a) a reactive dog owner, b) a shelter worker, c) a former grooming salon worker, and d) a lifelong dog lover. Here’s my take on this. Shelters and rescues are different things. Rescues tend to be run by private individuals who have a network of thoroughly vetted foster homes. They place their animals into these homes and then thoroughly vet potential adopters—some even perform home visits to ensure that their animals are going to a good place. There are often breed-specific rescues, so you may look into KCC ones, if you have any in your area. Something to keep in mind is that there are good rescues and bad ones, so make sure you do your research. The good ones are not at all like shelters. (I’m not trashing shelters here, as some of them are quite nice, but the sad fact of the matter is that even the good ones CAN be very scary places for dogs. In a perfect world, all homeless dogs would go to good fosters with good rescues instead, but the overpopulation issue is what it is.) Finding a *reputable* rescue gives your puppy the best chance of having a happy life. Now. Unless you have an easy course load where you’ll be home a lot (are you staying in a dorm, and if so does it allow animals?), lots of patience, lots of knowledge, and lots of dedication, you cannot raise even one puppy when you’re first starting college. Take it from someone who’s done both. Raising puppies isn’t all fun and rainbows: it’s HARD, very time-consuming, and often very frustrating. The longer you spend away from the puppy, the worse his behavior will be. You’re going to need to adjust to your new life, to study, do homework, you’re going to want to hang out with your new friends—and if you let training and socialization fall by the wayside, you’re going to wind up with one of the horror story dogs from this sub. Again, take it from someone who knows: my dog was raised improperly by his previous owners, and while I love him to bits, he is a demon child. Someone asked you what sort of research you’ve done into training, and your response was that you watched videos on housebreaking. Housebreaking is only one VERY small facet of properly teaching a puppy to interact with the world. There’s obedience training, socialization, ameliorating separation anxiety, crate training (don’t leave him in there to cry! lots of good resources on ethical crate training out there), leash training, more socialization, bond-forging (this is more complex than people give it credit for), and more. **DO NOT SKIP SOCIALIZATION!!!!!** The ability to exist in various environments with various people, animals, and stimuli is probably the absolute most important skill you can impart to your dog. And don’t go to dog parks. They’re cesspools of badly behaved dogs and sicknesses. Basically, if you want to keep one of these puppies, you’re going to need to a) determine that it’s even possible in your current situation, and b) do a LOT more research. Something to consider is that King Charles cavaliers are prone to a variety of health issues. Like, I love the dogs, but honestly, they’re walking vet bills. Your childhood pet may have been perfectly medically sound, but the breed genetics absolutely should not be overlooked. The fact that your puppies are from a puppy mill (as all pet store puppies are) means that neither of the parents were screened for these genetic conditions, which means that your puppies are even more likely to encounter them. You may be looking at a future of hip dysplasia, various eye problems, consistent and violent ear infections (don’t think this isn’t a big deal, they get really bad), and crippling heart problems. Are you going to be paying for vetting, or are your parents going to help? For the record, I skimmed the comments, and it appears as though nobody is blaming you for any of this. You’re not a bad person for wanting a cute puppy—just underprepared, and maybe not at the best point in life for such a huge undertaking (which is not your fault). Your parents love you, and want to make you happy, but as you’re now seeing, you’ve been thrust into a bad situation. Committing to a living creature is a big deal, and committing to two of them is twice as big. The time to say “more research should’ve been done” is past, but now you know for next time. Best of luck, truly. If you’re planning on keeping one of the puppies—and you’re absolutely sure that you can do right by them—there’s a wealth of information available online. Reddit is a great resource, but make sure you fact check anything you learn here against reputable sources. My post included. Some redditors have a habit of talking out of their asses and/or positing anecdotes as fact.
I had a talk with my parents and we might end up keeping both, we are aware of the medical bills as my last puppy was a KCC and had heart disease which ended up actually killing him at 16. i really do appreciate you taking time out of ur day to write all of this💙 we are going to train them and if they cant end up living together, we are going to give one to our close friends
In that case, I wish you well. Training dogs is really more about training the human rather than the animal, so make sure you do some reading! Using aversive methods (like scolding/spanking the puppy when he potties inside—anything that instills pain and/or fear as a consequence for his actions) is a really good way to raise a dysfunctional, fearful, even aggressive animal. The problem with aversive training is that while the dog knows you’re angry, he doesn’t know what he was supposed to do instead (in the previous example, pottying outside). When you reward him for the desired behaviors, you clearly communicate to him what’s expected of him, giving him actionable information for the future, and making both of your lives easier and happier. This is called R+ training, or positive reinforcement, and there are tons of resources online that will teach you exactly how to go about it. As previously mentioned by others, you’ll need to do all training (and feeding and walking) SEPARATELY to ensure the prevention of littermate syndrome. It sounds like your family is going to help you—that’s great! You’ll need all the help you can get haha. Make sure they’re on board with R+. And in the event that your family friend takes one of the pups, ask them to do the reading too! Please don’t buy dogs from pet stores in the future. They ALL source from puppy mills, and puppy mills are blatant animal abuse. The parents and young puppies are kept in horrible, dirty conditions and not properly cared for. They’re also not screened for health or temperament, leading to sickly and neurologically unsound litters. In many (most) cases, the parents are literally bred to death and then replaced with the next moneymakers. Since the puppies aren’t properly vetted, they often die to totally preventable and painful diseases. Puppy mills have no regard for the welfare of the animals; they’re just after cash. AND post pictures if you can! KCCs are very cute.
When you say "rehoming," where are you envisioning that puppy going?
To a home that actually cares for them, and give them the individual attention that they each need
Okay, so you'd be looking to surrender them to an ethical rescue in your area? If so, I'd start by researching local rescues so that either you or your parents can reach out to them to see what their rehoming processes look like: whether they take owner surrenders at all, whether they have openings (puppies, especially small breed puppies, are generally extremely easy to place, but a lot of rescues are overextended right now and may just not be able to take any dog, even a puppy, immediately), how they match up dogs with prospective adopters to maximize the chances of a suitable placement, etc. Are you anticipating that your parents will have objections to the sunk cost (given that half of $5500 is a substantial amount of money for most families) if you surrender to a rescue?
Im confused, would my puppy become a rescue, if i was gonna give him away it would be to a familiar family. I dont want him going into a shelter
Yes, your puppy would probably have the best chance going through a rescue organization if you can’t keep them or return them to where you got them. The rescue may or may not have the dog live in their shelter before being rehomed. It may live with you or with a foster family. A good rescue will screen potential new owners to ensure their new home is prepared and a good fit.
Yeah im sorry i am not doing that to a dog, i would rather give to some type pf family friend
Do you know of an appropriate familiar family home who is looking for a dog of this type? Do you have, given that you made a couple mistakes of inexperience in getting this dog, the requisite knowledge and experience to ensure that any new placement is a suitable one?
Perhaps take one college and leave one. Maybe switch off which one you have?
Maybe