From the moment your fluffy little canine best friend enters your life as a cuddly bundle of fun, your life is different – and, let’s be honest, more than a little bit brighter. Raising a puppy can take some determination, with working to instill the behaviors now that you will want to have present in your household when that dog is many years into its adulthood, but you know it will be beyond worth the effort when you forge that unbreakable bond of love with your canine family member.

But what about raising two puppies at once? It’s twice the work, right? What is it like? Is it even possible? Is it worth it? If you are contemplating adding two puppies to your family, here are some points to think about:

• One season of puppyhood
  • While you will have to put in individual effort toward each puppy – and consider that every puppy is different, so the things that come easily for one puppy might be challenges for another – the puppy-phase will be fresh in your mind for the second puppy if your adoptions are slightly staggered, leaving you better equipped to have raising your second pup go smoothly. Or, if you adopt two puppies at the exact same time, it may be more work upfront, but, for example, you’ll only be figuring out housebreaking once, rather than training it into one dog and then having to go back through it again a few years later.
• The puppy bond
  • Our dogs are hands-down, no-question, without-a-doubt best friends. They snuggle together on the same dog bed, wrestle together in the back yard, and have never grown tired of spending time together. Even when at friends’ houses when other dogs are present, they still seek each other out to snuggle with when they want a nap. Their friendship is a really sweet thing to witness!
  • One note about the puppy bond is that, while it absolutely can be mutually beneficial for dogs to get to form relationships with each other, it’s important to socialize them individually, too, so that they aren’t reliant on each other.
• Entertainment when you are occupied
  • During work or school when a dog might not get as much human attention as he or she would prefer, it can be really nice to have a canine sibling to keep them occupied, help them get exercise, and give them companionship.

While two puppies certainly isn’t for everyone, if you’re up for a challenge that is sure to have sweet payoff down the road, it can be extremely rewarding and fun to raise two pups alongside each other. Prepare yourself for lots of snuggles, sweet puppy friendships, and twice the fun!