Should we bring home 2 puppies?

Hi, we're looking at two Yorkies (littermates) that are about 8 weeks old. One male and one female. The female is a little bigger.

I've read a lot of Pros and Cons to raising littermates.

Thoughts? Thanks!

Personally no.

Mainly because it is more than double the work and you have to do loads of separating to help them develop thier own personailties.

......and I also like to have a gap in age between my dogs.

No - and I would be ever so concerned with a breeder letting litter mates go to the same home, at the same time.

No - IME one yorkie is enough

I would agree with this totally. Any good breeder wouldn't let you have 2 pups anyway.

Besides which having 2 dogs of the same age means have 2 old dogs and possibly losing them both together, and that is a lot of heart ache

I think it all depends on how much time and experience you have. Would you have the extra time to take each pup out separately for exercise, for training, for socialising etc? I would say definitely no to same sex litter mates, but have found that a litter sister and brother can get on very well indeed, but you must spend time with each pup separately to ensure they bond to you, as well as to each other.

The pros of having two pups together is that they have each other for company when you have to leave them alone, as well as having a live-in play mate

The cons can be that they become rivals as they mature for your affection/for toys/food etc. But this doesn't automatically happen. Two pups can also bond very closely together, to the exclusion of the human owner - however, plenty of one on one time should eliminate that.

Good luck, whatever you decide.

No, for all the reasons mentioned above.

No self respecting Yorkie would want to share the attention of its owners with a litter brother or sister, anyway. They like the attention all to themselves. Get the one pup, enjoy raising that pup and when that pup is fully mature and trained, think about another.

Many years ago I went to get a standard poodle puppy. I drove for 3 hours and when I got to the breeder she did a real sob story on me and I ended up taking another one home with me. Luckily I had the time and the energy to devote to them otherwise I would never have entertained the idea. They grew up to be beautiful majestic dogs but with completely different characters. The question is.....would I do it again? The answer is NO. My own enjoyment, let alone the puppies, was perhaps not as it should or could have been. Of course, it can be done and we always imagine that one dog will keep the other company but really, its so lovely if you have the opportunity to devote special time to one pup before introducing another at a suitable year or two later.