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Busting The “Littermate Syndrome” Myth

Busting the Littermate Syndrome Myth.

This myth has caused a lot of dogs a lot of pain, by forcing them to grow up in solitary confinement, with no same-species/age companionship as people begin their LGD packs. Yet there is literally no truth to it, only a few training tips.

Every aspect of getting CMD pups and integrating them with livestock is complex, whether it is one or 10. We could call that "Livestock Guardian Dog Syndrome". Think of it. One young LGD cannot be left 24/7 with livestock...so...who is he left with? Himself? Two pups of same age are at the exact same developmental stage and have the exact same energy levels and play demands. They can exhaust themselves on each other. The only way someone could come up with something so far south as "littermate syndrome" is if they think an LGD is a machine that should do all things perfectly with no training and mentoring. They need training and mentoring... if you have one, two, or ten...same age...different age.

Having a solo puppy in a barn is sad. Having two pups means they will keep each other engaged when they are off duty and when they are with livestock. Teach them to play only with each other. Put them with does who have kids on them. The does will make sure the pups only play with each other, lol. When they grow to the age of aggression and peer rivalry, be there at mealtime and mentor them towards respect...start with that early... if you are in charge, you can prohibit aggression in the pack. If you are not in charge, it won't make any difference if you have one pup, or two pups, or ten pups, you will have behavior problems.

I purchased a year old LGD who was "terrible with livestock". They said he ran them and played with them. I asked if he had ever had canine companionship and they said no, and I said, "I'll take him". I drove him home, put him in a CMD pack with goats of all ages, told him no once when he looked at a goat sideways, and that was it. He played and played and played like he was in heaven....with the dogs. He never touched the livestock. That dog had been purchased as a pup, and had literally never had a canine to play with. I registered him as a CMD foundation. He was awesome.

When your two pups reach adolescence, they will begin to develop guarding aptitudes and work together. One will guard, one will sleep. If you need your dogs to bond with humans more, so they don't act like a gang, simply spend time with them individually. Let them experience being kept apart for short periods, so their experience will be more diverse.

Simply put, getting two pups has its challenges but it is not a "syndrome". Problems come from inexperience and lack of good direction. Baby dogs are in a litter and it is a big shock to lose that litter. Getting two makes the transition much easier. You can get a pup and an adult. But like some adult people, not all adult dogs will play with a baby as much as they need to play.

The puppy stage is always complex. I would advise against litter mates only if a person intends to raise CMDs because one of your biggest concerns is genetic diversity, if you get two of the same sex, you will probably have an “oops litter”. Yes. Avoid that.

Our situations vary greatly and one size does not fit all. This is why creating a label, "littermate syndrome" is not helpful. It is better to start with more than one LGD, and to be prepared for a season of training and mentoring.