Rocky Acres Kennels

25/04/2025

17/04/2025

Giving the puppies some grown up time this morning!

12/04/2025

It’s a golden Pawtyyy 🥰

11/04/2025

What a beautiful morning! Maybe just MAYBE spring is in the air 🤔🥰🌻

10/04/2025

Give a big welcome to Jaxzz!! It’s his first time here and he’s been such a good boy☺️ Look at the those brown eyes😍

07/04/2025

Meet Toby! This is his first time at Rocky Acres and we are excited to have him!

02/04/2025

Great read on why we do not sell 2 of our pups to the same family!

Understanding Littermate Syndrome in Puppies

Bringing home two puppies from the same litter might seem like a great idea—they’ll have built-in companionship, right? However, many dog owners are unaware of the challenges that come with Littermate Syndrome, a behavioral condition that can develop when sibling puppies are raised together.

What is Littermate Syndrome?

Littermate Syndrome is a set of behavioral issues that arise when two puppies from the same litter (or even unrelated puppies of the same age) are raised together. These issues often stem from excessive bonding between the puppies, making it difficult for them to develop independence and proper social skills.

Signs of Littermate Syndrome:

Severe Separation Anxiety: Puppies become highly distressed when separated, making training and socialization more difficult.

Fearfulness: They may become overly reliant on each other, leading to increased anxiety in new situations or around unfamiliar dogs and people.

Difficulty in Training: Since they focus more on each other than their human, training sessions can become ineffective.

Inter-Puppy Aggression: As they grow, fights between littermates can become more intense, sometimes escalating into serious conflicts.

How to Prevent Littermate Syndrome

If you’re raising two puppies together, consider these steps to ensure they grow into well-adjusted, independent dogs:

Separate Training Sessions: Train each puppy individually to ensure they learn to focus on you rather than each other.

Encourage Independence: Allow them to spend time apart daily so they learn to be comfortable alone.

Socialization: Expose each puppy to different people, dogs, and environments separately.

Individual Bonding: Spend one-on-one time with each puppy to strengthen your personal relationship with them.

Should You Get Two Puppies?

While raising two puppies is possible, it requires significant effort and commitment. If you’re considering adopting littermates, be prepared to implement structured training and socialization strategies to prevent Littermate Syndrome.

By understanding and addressing Littermate Syndrome early, you can help your puppies grow into happy, confident, and independent dogs!

02/04/2025

28/03/2025

Stryker loves playing with his emotional support pillow before lights out for the night! Such a cute boy!

26/03/2025

We got Bohdi for daycare today! Bohdi was one of Bonnie’s pups from her last litter. How fun!

25/03/2025

Beautiful weather, happy doggos

25/03/2025

Wishing this brother and sister duo a very HAPPY 5th BIRTHDAY today!! Nellie and Hook 💕🩵 Littermates from our very first Golden litter in 2020! We own Nellie and Hook got to spend his birthday playing with his buds, getting extra treats and belly rubs! Happiest birthday to the rest of their littermates🥰

22/03/2025

MN Dog Treats Update! 🐶🍖 I’m on vacation and out of the kitchen until early April, but don’t worry—your pups don’t have to miss out on their favorite treats! You can still find MN Dog Treats at these awesome local retailers:
The Chocolate Dog
Bark & Beyond LLC
Rapids Brewing Co.
Brewed Awakenings Coffeehouse
Rocky Acres Kennels
Stock up while I’m away, and I’ll be back baking soon! 🐾✨

19/03/2025

Crisp morning play time!

07/03/2025

We welcome this big floof ball, Zuma to Rocky acres kennels for his first stay! He is the floooofiest Newfoundland!

07/03/2025

📣Exciting news!! We now have the best Minnesota Dog Treats for sale at the kennel! They are healthy, all natural treats and made locally!! Our personal dogs LOVEEE them!

06/03/2025

I guess it’s nap time in the kennel office right now🤣 Good dogs!🥰