Training 2 Labradoodle Siblings at Once

[matt]

Hi,

My wife and I are due to pick up our 2 labradoodle puppies in less than 2 weeks (they are brother & sister and will be 8 weeks old)

My wife doesn't work at all so will have lots of opportunity to spend 1 on 1 time with the pups for training and socialisation. I do have a few questions though:

1) We live opposite many acres of woodland, and I wondered how long it should be before we can let them off the lead for walks.
2) Also, I understand that to start off with they should be walked seperately - how long should this continue for?
3) We have been advised to also crate them seperately, this is fine but how long should the crates be used for i.e. when can they be left to sleep together - if they desire.
4) We want to get them neutered and spayed - what is the best age to do this?

I would appreciate any other advice that anyone may have on traing two pups at once.

Cheers

Matt

[MaxandMe]

WOW you'll have 2 8wk old puppies!! congrats! and WHEW! hahahaa

i have 3 doodles but Beau is 7mos younger than Peanut
and Peanut was 5 mos younger than max when we got her

to-date i do not let any of them sleep togehter in their crate

i would say have one on one time with each for love and basic training
and I'd try walking them separately for a while otherwise they tend to play outside rather than go potty

I didn't let mine off leash till they were 8mos or so old
as at 6mos they go thru a stage of" i can'' hear you" hahahhaha and more
totally normal

you'll have fun but remember to keep your sense of humor on hand at all times! and you may find their LESS mouthy/nippy wity you since they have each other to play with .

good luck! can't wait to see pics and hear more!
congrats

[DebBrown]

All I can say is GOOD LUCK! I am totally overwhelmed by the thought of two 8 week old puppies. Give your wife alot of support. She will be a wreck for the first week.

And welcome to the forum! Hope to see more of you and pictures of the pups.

Deb

[Dizneydoodle]

Hi Matt Welcome
I have 3 doodles also, but not all the same age they are 2, 19, and 7 months. I work form home so I am able to be with them all day. We do not create train but kitchen train. We are able to close off the kitchen and that is their create. They all love to sleep together and I think it would be hard for me not to let them now.
We worked with them one on one and then in the group They are fairly well behaved and my soon have the run of the house at night . during the day they have the run of the house except if I have to run errands. I would do some walking with the both and some alone. You want them to get use to walking with each other also.
My son takes them for off leash walks but we started slow making sure they knew come, but I feel as puppies it is easier to start them because they are to afraid to get to far from you.
As far as having them fixed my vet recommended six months.

[matt]

Brilliant - thank you for the feedback.

I posted the same thread on a UK forum and was met with so much doom and gloom that it started to worry me that I had done the wrong thing by getting 2 littermates

[annabelles mom]

Hi Matt

Welcome !!

Fun - 2 pups. Before we had Annabelle, our current baby, we had 2 chocolate Lab babies.

They were littermates and got them at 10 weeks old. We did have the advantage of having about 2/3 acre fenced in so they did not have to be on a leash.

We had 2 kennels for them - the all metal ones, jumbo size so they could grow into them, and kept them side by side. They were kenneled when we were not home until they were about 2 yrs old. After that we left the kennels up in the family room and Heidipooh used her for napping for another year or two, Mollyann preferred to be wherever I was.

One thing is to never yell at them when they are in their kennel or use it for bad behavior - that's their home, safe haven - you don't want them afraid of it.

A lot of dogs will take off when they get a scent, especially living so close to woods with critters so when to let them off leash is a hard one to answer. You want to make sure you have them somewhat trained - come when called and prob would not want to let them off leash at same time when you do try it.

One thing I did train them to do was to walk on one leash with a coupler, that way if I had to take them someplace by myself, the vet, petsmart etc, I could handle them easier than holding 2 leashes and having them get all tangled up. If dh and I took them out then we each put one pup on a lead, but training on the coupler can come in handy!

I've had all my dogs spayed between 5-1/2 and 6 months

Good luck and make sure you post lots of pictures

[M&Tdoodles]

Matt,
About the question regarding at what age to let them roam free of the leash in the woods across from your home.
Wait until they are completely immunized against "LEPTO" THIS CAN CAUSE SEROUS RENAL FAILURE. It can be a mean virus passed in the woods by wild animals.
There was a large amount of this last summer in RI. We found out because we had to bring one of our new born pups to the large emergency animal hospitals. They said they had 4 dogs in renal failure because of it.
Make sure your pups get the Lepto vaccine at 12 weeks and 17 weeks. 2 vaccines for complete immunization.

Good luck with the 2 pups sounds great in theory but tis a challenge.

Tom & I tried 2 pups at one time and we found it too overwhlming for us. But we don't stay home full time yet ( I wish). ....That will help your wife concentrate on training the 2 cutie pies....
Post pics once you get them...