Can dogs live with their siblings?
Sienna Barton
2025-05-28 22:45:17
Count answers: 3
When families have two puppies from the same litter, they can do everything with the puppies separately, but they will still gravitate to each other at any opportunity and a big part of this is because of their close bond since birth. Depending on when the pup is rehomed, dogs can recognise their relatives later in life. If puppy littermates remain together for the first 16 weeks of the puppy’s life before being rehomed, the chances are they’ll be able to recognise their family later on, at least for a few years. Pups that are rehomed before the 16-week mark are less likely to recognise one another later on and, even if pups did live together for the full 16 weeks, if they don’t meet each other for the first six or seven years afterwards, it might result in them being unable to recognise their relatives too. The natural bond with the dam will be stronger due to the time spent together after birth as well as the scent. Signs dogs recognise their relatives can often include playful nuzzling, sniffing each other’s faces and mouths and circling with friendly body language such as play bows, tail wags and small barks. You might find that a dog recognises a sibling, parent or puppy from a distance and so may stand still and watch quietly while they are subtly scenting the air to really use their olfactory system which will help with recognition.