Raising two males

I am planning on raising two male puppies. One is a Golden Retreiver, the other, a Springer-Spaniel. They are about 1-2 weeks different in age and will be getting them within 3 days of one another. Will this work?

It can definitely be done, but you'll make your life A LOT easier if you have both boys neutered ASAP. Keeping two intact males when you're not experienced in doing so can be a disaster.

you can do it but it will be trying @ times. good luck

I appreciate everyone's reply.But does anyone have a reply based on the actual experience of raising two male puppies?

Raising two of the same sex dogs at the same time is always a challenge. As you get puppies who grow up like litter mates and will often fight for top dog status their whole lives. You can almost count on leg lifting. It won't matter how quick you get them fixed. Its not a sexual thing its about dominance. This is my house (lift), my chair(lift), my tree(lift), my bed (lift) ect. You will need to keep the upper hand and must never let them fight. You are going to have to be the top dog of your pack and you must let them know right away that you will not be challenged. It is your house, your chair, ect. Puppy classes are a must. It can be done but it will take time and a lot of work.

I'll second Maryanddobes reply. Raising 2 puppies together is not a good idea, and 2 males together can be bad news in the long run. Each puppy needs time to bond to you and individual training. You can socialize them by taking them lots of places and by taking a puppy class & then basic obedience. Get the second puppy a year later - you will be glad you waited.

Maoseger has a good point. I didn't realize when we got our second dog that they shouldn't be the same sex. Both of ours are female, but they still did the battle of who was "top dog". My youngest thought she was the "alpha" dog either way and training her has been a Real challenge! If I were ever to do it again, I would have a male and a female, not that I would ever get rid of either one of mine! LOL

I am currently raising 2 male littermates, they are mutts, both with different Dads. Mom is a rott/lab mix and one Dad a chow and the other a labrador. They are 12 weeks old. Like you I have been reading horror stories all over the place about raising 2 dogs together and had some concerns. Yes, they do fight and to lessen this both have identical toys and chews so that one doesnt feel the other has something they want, if this does occur I remove what they fight over. If the fighting is obviously play then I let them fight, if they get overly aggressive then I intervene by simply telling them to stop, which they do, immediately. They also play, eat, sleep and drink together, I also walk them together and they are quite content to walk at my heel side by side. I am going to take them to individual training classes next month, I feel this is an important step for individuality and socialisation as well as obedience, it will also help me to work both dogs seperately. They have very different personalities and characters. Both dogs are housetrained, both know their individual names, they have learned to come to call, sit on command and they are learning 'stay'. They are both eager to please, extremely affectionate with all family members and eager to please. I have not crated them as yet, which I realise flys in the face of everything I am reading and when I took the pups to the vet yesterday for their second shots I asked him about this. He said that really the outcome depends on whether the dogs get along, some do and some dont and he said I have to accept that in this situation one will always be vying for 'top dog' status to which I replied, 'no, I am top dog' the vet said, 'thats the spirit!' I am kind and patient with my dogs but I dont see them as 'people', they are dogs and have to be treated as such. Not babied all the time, not spoiled and they have to understand as they have come to do already that if I want something they must obey and they know I will not quit until they do as asked and they do. I am thrilled with them so far, they are wonderful dogs but I am mindful of all the stuff I read and watching the situation very carefully, I will keep you posted on how it is going. Good luck

That is because your other 3 males are still puppies. Give them a year or two and your house will most likely be a war zone .... especially if the female is not spayed. I hope you are prepared to keep all those dogs seperated when they reach maturity or else be prepared to lose one or more to horrific fights. I would not care to contemplate your vet bills due to fighting, or the smell in your house when they all start deciding that they need to mark their territory. I'm sorry if this sounds a little pessimistic, but people need to know the truth about keeping multiple dogs together - especially un-altered.

I don't know a lot about pugs so I can't say how yours will do together as they mature. Females do vie for dominance however, and the fights can be nasty. Hopefully, they will all find their place in your pack with a minimum of fighting, but there are no guarentees of that. Whenever you start owning "dogs" and not just A dog, the possibility of fights goes up. The more dogs you have, the bigger the possibility.