What is littermate syndrome in dogs?
Velda Nicolas
2025-06-13 22:59:05
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Also known as littermate dependency, this term refers to behaviors that develop when two puppies from the same litter are raised together. Behaviors include attachment to each other, difficulty bonding with humans and other animals, aggression, separation anxiety, and reduced independence in training. This pattern is believed to occur with any pair of puppies or dogs that are raised together at the same time, whether they are siblings or not. However, this syndrome is not recognized by veterinary behaviorists or other leading experts in the field. Instead, the behaviors associated with this “syndrome” are more likely related to the challenges of raising two puppies together. When working with two puppies, it is difficult to ensure that each puppy has their own unique experiences independent of the other. When it comes to littermate syndrome, it is not so much about a lack of bonding with the family or behavioral problems developing when puppies are siblings. It is more about the challenges that come from raising two dogs together simultaneously.
Jordon Kohler
2025-06-07 03:15:43
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When two puppies are placed together, they learn to rely on each other. One of the puppies always becomes shy, even when both puppies started off as bold and outgoing. This is a HUGE problem, since it means that the shy puppy never reaches his or her potential. The shy puppy becomes increasingly withdrawn and introverted and never reaches potential. Often even the “bold” puppy turns out to be quite nervous and uncertain when separated. The puppies often become incredibly co-dependent, exhibiting high anxiety when separated. They often fail to bond to their human family as strongly as they otherwise would, if at all. At social maturity, these puppies may begin fighting with one another, often quite severely. Even non-sibling puppies can exhibit Littermate Syndrome when placed together.
Joey Rippin
2025-05-27 19:13:40
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Littermate syndrome is a blanket term for a variety of behavioral problems in dogs, which are attributed to their being raised alongside other dogs of the same age. Behaviors which have been connected to littermate syndrome include leash reactivity, fear aggression, neophobia, and separation anxiety relative to the other dog, as well as aggression towards each other and towards their owner. The American Kennel Club posits that littermate syndrome is the result of puppies bonding more closely with each other than with their owner, arguing that they will distract each other during training and thereby mutually impede their socialization.
A 2019 article in the Journal of the International Association of Animal Behavior Consulants argues that there is no scientific evidence of littermate syndrome existing, only anecdotal, and that the syndrome's various aspects all have different causes, including poor management of the dogs' environment, and insufficient opportunities for behavioral enrichment. Biologist and ethologist Marc Bekoff has declared it to be a "myth", specifying that while the relevant behaviors may be real, the overall phenomenon is "rare enough not to warrant being called a syndrome". The existence of littermate syndrome is disputed. Many dogs are raised alongside their siblings without the occurrence of littermate syndrome, and further suggests that the label "syndrome" may wrongly give the impression that the behavioral problems are irremediable.
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