Teddy and Blair were siblings. They were two of six dogs that shared my home at one time. Have you heard the saying about Cavalier King Charles Spaniels “they are like potato chips, you can’t have just one”. I had five along with my feisty Shih Tzu who I think at times thought she was a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel.
Overall things went well like potty training. Teddy and Blair were bonded to me and the other dogs. However taking the two with out at the same time was quite an ordeal. They didn’t listen to me but fed off each other, thus I didn’t take them out much. Having this photo made was an ordeal as they played off each other.
Sibling syndrome is when two siblings bond closely with each other and that makes bonding with their human and other dogs more difficult. Some signs of sibling syndrome is they are fearful around people or other dogs/animals. It is difficult to train the siblings as they don’t respond positively to the human or anyone other than their sibling.
If you decide you must have siblings there are some things you can do to help discourage the sibling syndrome.
- Be sure they spend significant time apart every day.
- Each puppy needs individual time and training.
- Do separate walks, vet visits, feeding times and sleeping arrangements.
We think getting one puppy, training it and bonding with it and then bringing in another puppy is the way to go! Poof! The first puppy is training the second puppy and then both are bonded to you and the puppies are well adjusted.