When you decide to adopt a puppy, the desire to adopt two puppies at one go is valid. Training two puppies together seem to be an easier job than training them one after the other. However, as a responsible dog guardian, there is something you should be aware of. It is the littermate syndrome.
In case you are considering adopting puppies from the same litter or if you already have puppies from the same litter who are misbehaving, read on all the way to the end to know everything about littermate syndrome in dogs and how to avoid or fix it.
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🐾 Littermate Syndrome in a Nutshell
“Littermate syndrome” is not an official veterinary diagnosis. It is a popular name for problems that can show up when two puppies of about the same age grow up together: panic when they are apart, fear of new people and dogs, more interest in each other than in you, slower training and, later, fights. It can happen with unrelated puppies too. Many pairs grow up fine when each puppy gets its own crate, walks, training, socialisation and one-on-one time with you every day.
Do dogs recognize their siblings?
This is a very common question in the mind of a lot of dog guardians. We often wonder if dogs recognize their own siblings. The answer to this is yes. Almost from the time puppies are born, they can recognize their own siblings by their unique scent. This recognition is also the strongest when the dogs are in the puppy stages.
Whether dogs recognise siblings after years apart is not clear; studies are small and the results are mixed.
What is littermate syndrome?
Littermate syndrome is also called littermate dependency or same-age puppy syndrome. This is a non-scientific anecdotal term that has been used to refer to the collection of behavior issues that has been observed in the case of canine siblings if they are brought up in the same house after the age of 8 to 10 weeks.
The primary definition of littermate syndrome is behavioral issues occurring in dogs when the puppies get adopted from the same litter into one family. The puppies develop a strong attachment to one another. The bond or attachment to one another is so strong that it starts to interfere with the ability of the puppies to interact with other people as well as with other dogs in a normal manner. The puppies fail to understand how they should behave or respond when they are not together.
This mainly happens because the littermates bond very strongly with one another. It is due to this bonding that they fail to develop any kind of connection with their human family. The connection which forms between the two puppies makes it impossible for them to reach the full potential of good behavior. Puppies with littermate syndrome tend to only interact with one another and over time they become highly dependent on each other for normalcy as well as safety.
Littermate syndrome is not breed-dependent. It can affect dogs belonging to any breed. It can also affect unrelated puppies if they are adopted at the same time and are raised together and are close in age.
In the case of the littermate syndrome, one of the two puppies will become shy. This happens even if both the puppies were initially outgoing and bold. This poses a huge problem since the shy puppy is never able to reach his or her full potential in training as well as behavior.
The good news about this whole fiasco is that it is not necessary that all puppies who have been adopted in pairs will naturally develop littermate syndrome. If the dog guardians use specialized training methods, the littermate syndrome can be avoided.
What are the symptoms of littermate syndrome?
One of the easily identifiable symptoms of littermate syndrome is the fearfulness of the puppies towards unfamiliar dogs, people, or any unknown stimuli. Such puppies display heightened levels of anxiety if they are separated from each other for even a short period of time. None of the puppies are able to reach their complete potential in terms of training and obedience skills. In some cases, it has been observed that the two pups will constantly indulge in fighting.
Let’s discuss a few symptoms of the littermate syndrome in further detail:
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Fear of anything unfamiliar:
High levels of anxiety when separated from one another
Puppies with littermate syndrome will display behaviors like panting, pacing, barking, whining, or destruction of property if they are separated from their sibling. Such puppies have high levels of separation anxiety
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Will not eat if left alone
Dogs with littermate syndrome will not eat if the sibling is not around. He/she will keep looking for the sibling and will start eating once the sibling comes back.
Will not engage with toys or other people when they are alone
Puppies with littermate syndrome prefer to focus on the other puppy or sibling rather than the guardians. If you notice that your puppies only play with each other and not with you, it can be an early sign of littermate syndrome.
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Basic training is difficult
Since the puppies are distracted by one another, training the two puppies belonging to the same litter will take longer than you may have initially thought.
Fight with each other
Once puppies with littermate syndrome reach the social maturity stage, they start fighting with one another. Most often these fights are pretty severe and can cause injury to one of the pups, mostly the submissive one.
Littermate syndrome in non-sibling puppies
According to certified dog trainers, it is not recommended to get two puppies within six months of each other. This increases the chances of littermate syndrome. Even if the two puppies do not belong to the same litter but are brought up together, there is a high chance that they will exhibit littermate syndrome.
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Challenges faced by the guardians in the case of littermate syndrome
Littermate syndrome can present a huge challenge to dog guardians because of the numerous behavioral issues which are displayed by the puppies. In some cases, the signs and symptoms may be noticed early on. However, in most cases, the symptoms of littermate syndrome are observed once the puppies reach the adolescent stages.
Puppies with littermate syndrome develop separation anxiety due to being extremely attached to one another. Since puppies who have littermate syndrome most often crave each other’s attention, they fail to understand how to play, communicate or socialize with other canines or humans. Over time, this absence of socialization leads to aggression and fear in the pups when they are exposed to other dogs or humans.
As I mentioned before, puppies with littermate syndrome are hyper-focused on one another. This leads to them not engaging enough with their guardians. As a result, the puppies fail to develop and learn the correct socialization skills with humans as well.
Another challenge is training. Since the puppies are almost always focused on one another, it is very difficult for the dog guardians to get their attention to train them properly. Therefore, teaching even the basic skills to such puppies becomes a huge challenge compared to if the training is done one pup at a time.
In worst-case scenarios, the puppies may attack one another. It is common to have some aggression between two dogs living in one house. However, this aggression is much more if the dogs have been adopted from the same litter compared to puppies who have been adopted from different litters and at different time periods.
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At what age does littermate syndrome start?
Littermate syndrome can easily be identified in puppies within a week or two of them arriving at a new home. If you notice that your puppies are giving more attention to each other than they are to you, it is an early warning sign, so start separate training and one-on-one time now.
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| Littermate syndrome in dogs |
Can littermate syndrome be cured?
Littermate syndrome is easier to prevent than to fix, but with separate training, socialisation and lots of one-on-one time, many sibling pairs improve a lot. Even guide dog raisers find it hard to prevent littermate syndrome from developing if the puppies have been taken from the same litter.
However, if you do land up with puppies of the same litter, the two puppies need to be cared for as well as crated in different places. They should get separate walk times, training duration as well as play duration with the guardians. Such puppies must have more interaction with their guardians compared to each other. However, this increases the amount of work that the guardian has to do as well as reduces the potential benefits (puppies providing each other company) which the guardian had thought when adopting the two puppies together.
To successfully raise sibling puppies, you must follow the following steps:
Separate the two dogs gradually
Get two crates. Do crate training for both the puppies. Keep the two crates side by side at first. Slowly start to move the crate away from one another. Do this till the pup in one crate cannot see the other crate.
It is preferable that the two crates be kept in separate rooms. Take your dogs outside at different times. Train the two dogs separately.
Socialize the two puppies separately
Take your pups out for separate socialization sessions with other dogs. Do not take the puppies out together. Take only one puppy out at one time for socialization practice. As the puppies learn to adjust to socialization and staying away from their siblings, use rewards and treats as a positive reinforcement to encourage good behavior in your pup.
Allow some puppy playtime as well
Your puppies should train separately, eat separately, sleep separately, go on walks separately. However, you should have a designated time slot when your puppies are allowed to interact with one another. This will help the two puppies get along with each other. You can also try to indulge in playtime with your pups by playing a game of fetch, tug of war, find the treats et cetera
Reducing littermate syndrome in dogs is going to be tough but it is not impossible. With proper time management, training, walk, and feeding schedules, littermate syndrome can be prevented from growing and can even be reduced.
In case you realize that you don’t have the time energy or space to train your pups separately, reach out to your veterinarian, certified dog trainer, or dog behaviorist and seek professional help.
⚠️ Get Professional Help If…
- Fights draw blood, keep getting worse, or one dog is always the target.
- A puppy panics when separated: non-stop crying, drooling, destroying things or hurting itself trying to escape.
- Either dog is fearful or aggressive with people or other dogs.
Start with your vet to rule out pain or illness, then work with a veterinary behaviourist or a certified reward-based trainer. Keep the dogs safely apart (baby gates, separate rooms, crates) between sessions. Never punish fights; it can make fear and aggression worse.
How to prevent littermate syndrome in dogs?
The easiest solution to preventing littermate syndrome in dogs is to not adopt dogs from the same litter. Furthermore, keep a time period of at least a few weeks or months between the two adoptions so that you are done with the training of one puppy before you start with the training of the other.
Can Brother and Sister Dogs Live Together?
Yes, many sibling dogs live together happily for life. The risk is not that they are related; it is that two puppies of the same age can become so dependent on each other that they struggle when apart and never learn to cope with the wider world. Give each puppy its own life as well as a shared one, and watch for warning signs during adolescence (about 6 to 18 months), when fights between same-sex siblings are most likely to start.
Can dogs from the same litter mate?
Yes. Dogs do not avoid mating with siblings, and a brother and sister can mate as soon as the female has her first heat (often from about 6 months). Inbreeding raises the risk of inherited health problems, so keep an opposite-sex pair apart during every heat and talk to your vet about the right time to spay or neuter.
Can littermate syndrome happen with puppies from different litters?
Yes. The same problems can develop in any two puppies of a similar age raised together, related or not. It is much less likely when there is a clear age gap, for example adding a puppy to a home with a settled adult dog.
Conclusion
Most certified dog trainers and dog behaviorists discourage getting two dogs from the same litter. However, if you do land up getting two puppies from the same litter, it may take you a lot of hard work and time but littermate syndrome can be cured in dogs.
Have you ever faced littermate syndrome in your pups? What did you do to prevent such behavior in your dogs? If you have any suggestion which you feel has not been included in this blog post, please mention it in the comment section below. If you have any queries pertaining to this blog post or any other blog posts, feel free to reach out to me on any of my social media channels. I will be happy to help.
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See you in my next blog post
Shruti
Frequently Asked Questions About Littermate Syndrome
Should I adopt two puppies from the same litter?
Most trainers and behaviourists suggest adopting one puppy at a time and adding the second once the first is trained and confident. If you do adopt two, plan for double the time: separate training, walks and socialisation every day.
Do dogs miss their littermates?
Puppies may cry or seem unsettled for the first few nights in a new home, but this usually passes quickly once they bond with their new family. There is no good evidence that adult dogs pine for siblings they were separated from as puppies.
Can littermate syndrome happen with dogs of different ages?
It is mainly a problem of two young puppies growing up together. Dogs with a bigger age gap can still become over-attached or fight, but the classic pattern is far less common.
Can sibling puppies seriously hurt each other?
Rough play is normal, but real fights between siblings, especially two of the same sex, can cause serious injuries once they mature. Separate the dogs and get help from your vet and a behaviourist if fights happen. In a few cases, rehoming one dog to a loving home is the kindest choice for both.
