How To Handle Littermate Syndrome In Dogs

Like any loving dog parent, you’ve likely heard of problems like littermate syndrome. Which, in the long run, can harm your puppies’ social development. So in this post, we’re going to cover everything you need for your new bundle (or bundles) of joy – plus what to do if one puppy leads to the other escaping.

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What exactly is “littermate syndrome”? Is it real?

Littermate syndrome – or littermate dependency – can occur when two puppies adopted at the same time grow up together in the same home. (And not necessarily from the same litter.) These sibling puppies might form such a deep bond that they miss out on properly socializing with you, other pets, and people.

So when these two pups must be separated from each other even for a short time, they may bark, howl, or whine excessively, exhibit destructive behavior (like chewing your slippers or peeing around the house), or show extreme anxiety in new situations.

⚠️ Littermate syndrome is not a medical diagnosis. But most experienced dog parents and veterinarians can attest that it is real. Your pups might not get to properly bond with you. And isn’t that the whole reason you got a dog in the first place?

At what age does littermate syndrome start?

Puppy siblings kept together exclusively together after 12 weeks of age may become each other’s “security blanket.” Because of this, they might miss out on a critical phase of social skill development. (I.e., being able to handle being by themselves – which, over time, may cause them separation anxiety.)

Thankfully, most experts agree that you can avoid littermate syndrome by getting one puppy at a time. Then, wait a year or two to introduce a second puppy to the family.

How is littermate syndrome connected to dogs running away?

Fear and separation anxiety are common reasons why dogs – including puppies – run away from home. And since they’re small and weak, your little buddy might not be able to find their way home by themselves.

So make sure you’ve gotten your puppies microchipped (around 8 weeks) to help a vet or local shelter identify them if they get lost.

💡Plus, you could track your wandering puppy’s every step in real-time with a dog GPS tracker – and find them safe and sound, just in time.

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Is littermate syndrome common?

Yes, littermate syndrome can be quite common – especially if you’re raising a pair of similar-age puppies together. But since it’s not an official diagnosis, it’s not a guarantee you’ll come across it. (Even if you’re raising two puppy siblings together.)

What are the most common symptoms of littermate syndrome?

When you raise two puppies together beyond 12 weeks of age, they can become overly dependent on each other. The attention they give each other is so intense that they can fail to live independently or interact appropriately with other dogs or people.

Here are some of the most common symptoms of littermate syndrome:

• Extreme co-dependence
  Which can include feeding off one another’s fear and anxiety – resisting anything that takes them out of their comfort zone. (Like new activities, people, dogs, or places.)
• Separation anxiety
  If you separate the two, their co-dependence can cause them to have a complete meltdown. (Even something as simple as walking on separate leashes!) This can turn up as destructive behaviors, like peeing around your house, chewing inappropriate objects – or even running away from home.
• Poor social skills
  Puppies raised exclusively together beyond three months of age can miss a critical phase of puppy development. Aka, the opportunity to interact with other dogs and humans. Even worse, your two puppies may not have equal status – one may be more dominant than the other, which can lead to aggression.
• Training difficulties
  As a rule, puppies can begin training as early as 8 weeks old. But with littermate syndrome, your dogs’ co-dependence can cause them difficulties focusing or paying attention to anything else.
• Fearfulness
  When two pups are codependent, they may never develop the confidence that comes from exploring and learning about their surroundings. The result? A powerful fear of anything new, which sends them directly to their comfort zone with their sibling.

Does littermate syndrome ever go away?

The short answer is no, littermate syndrome does not go away on its own. But the good news? You can address the behavioral issues that arise from two sibling puppies being raised together. Any dog can develop littermate syndrome, but it’s not always possible to pinpoint the cause of anxiety, aggression, or destructive behavior in a dog, even if it is being raised with a littermate.

Which is why experts recommend you view each of your dogs as an individual – with unique temperaments and personalities. Simply blaming littermate syndrome for your dogs’ symptoms might cause you to miss out on other causes for their anxiety or aggression. (Like, say, moving to a new house, teething, or even being in heat.)

With time, effort, and consistency, you can help your puppies socialize properly, develop better skills, and behave better.

You’ve already adopted a pair of littermates?

If you’ve already adopted two pups, your first task should be helping each pup be comfortable without their sibling. This includes training, crating, and walking them separately. Yes, this is time consuming, but remember that your goal is to nurture each pup’s self-confidence and to build a strong bond of trust. And to get there, your little buddies need to develop the courage to spend time by themselves and grow into confident young dogs.

Should you rehome one of your puppies?

Sometimes, the aggression that arises from littermate syndrome can lead to unsafe situations, especially for the less-dominant of the sibling puppies. Or, if the two littermates develop a pack mentality, they could team up to be aggressive toward other dogs or people, including you.

When your pets are aggressive, they are not happy, playful, or relaxed – and neither are you. So make sure you address aggressive behaviors as soon as they appear. Your veterinarian or a professional trainer can be a great resource.

If you’ve tried everything possible and nothing is reducing the aggression, it may be time to consider rehoming one of your pups. Your dogs and your family deserve to live in a safe and peaceful environment.

Will a third dog help with littermate syndrome?

Some say that having a third dog – not a puppy, but an older dog – can help avoid littermate syndrome. In theory, the sibling puppies bond with the older dog as well as each other, which may help them develop better social skills. There is no solid evidence to back up this claim, and of course each situation is unique. (But it could be worth a shot – especially if you can give a third, older dog a loving forever home.)

How to address littermate syndrome in dogs

Overcoming the behavioral issues associated with littermate syndrome is a huge task. If you want your dogs to ultimately become confident when separated from each other and disciplined when they are together, be prepared to invest the time and energy to reach these goals. It will be worth it, we promise!

Simple crate training

Easing your pups’ separation anxiety is a slow process of desensitizing them to being away from their sibling. Simply placing them in separate rooms and closing the doors won’t solve the problem. This will just create more separation anxiety.

Start by buying two crates of the proper size. Place each puppy in a separate crate, but keep the crates right next to each other, allowing the puppies to see, smell, hear, and touch each other.

• Over the next few weeks, move the crates farther away from each other. Always make sure the puppies can still see each other. Eventually, the puppies should be able to remain calm while on opposite ends of the same room.
• Once the puppies can remain calm for 30 to 60 minutes in their separate crates, try moving them out of sight of each other. You can leave them in the same room, but slide a box or chair between the crates so they can’t make visual contact with each other.
• During this process, keep a close eye on the pups. If they become overly anxious, whine constantly, or bark constantly, go back a few steps in the process.

One key to success is offering a frozen treat or toy to each pup while they are separated from each other. This will help the pups to equate alone time with positive experiences. They may even begin to look forward to being separated!

⚠️ Just make sure not to keep them in their crates for too long. In some countries, the legal limit is around 20-30 minutes. You could also consider crate alternatives like puppy fences or keeping them in different rooms.

Train your puppies separately

Once your dogs are OK with being apart from one another, you can begin training them separately. Dog training sessions take a lot of concentration and to make these sessions successful, your dog must be completely focused on you. Having their sibling present or even in the same room can be too distracting completely disrupt your dog training session.

Build their independent behavior

Now that each puppy can be away from their sibling and has their training basics down pat, you can reinforce their independence by treating each pup as a separate dog – not as a single unit. Which means you now have to:

• Feed them separately
• Take them on separate walks
• Play with them separately
• Take them to the vet one at a time
• Spend some time separately with each puppy – so they get to bond with you without their sibling around. With this kind of quality time together, you’re more likely to help encourage their independence and secure attachment.

During this process, your dogs will of course see each other and spend time together. But you should only take them out on walks or training together once they’ve gotten used to being happy and relaxed while apart.

Follow our puppy socialization checklist

Socializing your puppies can seem challenging – with all the risks and dangers they can face coming in contact with other pets and people. So here’s a checklist for you to get started with, for each puppy separately:

Plan ahead for an emergency

Which could include a runaway attempt, especially as you’re in progress with your puppies’ training.

• Strap a collar and ID tag to your puppies’ collars at the very minimum. (Including your contact details.) This can help prevent them from getting them mistaken for strays. And sent to the local pound, where they may end up rehomed at best, euthanized at worst.
• Ensure your puppies are microchipped by 8 weeks. So that they now have a permanent ID tag to help a vet or local animal shelter identify you as the rightful owner.
• Equip your puppies with a dog GPS tracker. One fearful or anxious puppy can lead the other to run away as well. But if you’re tracking their movements in real-time and over an unlimited range – you’ll never have to worry about losing them again.

Follow your dog anywhere

Get real-time location information, wherever they go. And find out when they try to make an escape, or just when they go somewhere they shouldn’t, with Virtual Fences.

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And if you’ve liked this post, share it with a friend or loved one – and let’s help build a safer, kinder world for our furry friends together.

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Your furry friend’s health and wellbeing means as much as to us as it does to you. So we’ve made it a priority to only share medically-relevant content on our blog.

This post was checked, double-checked, and medically verified by Georgia-based vet, Dr. Dwight Alleyne.

Originally from Long Island, New York, Dr. Alleyne began his career at a no-kill animal shelter before becoming a licensed veterinary technician. He graduated from Cornell University Veterinary College in 2006 and completed an internship at Purdue University.

Now practicing in Georgia, Dr. Alleyne specializes in soft tissue surgery and ultrasounds. He also writes pet health articles on his website, “The Animal Doctor Blog” (www.anmldrblog.com).