I had someone call me the other day. She was on another breeder’s list and was concerned because the puppy she was supposed to be getting was a singleton. She had heard “bad things” about getting a puppy raised without litter mates.
I told her I didn’t consider it an issue, as long as the puppy is proper socialized, introduced to other dogs and given a proper start like any other puppy.
I do have an advantage with Smudgie’s puppy because we have other puppies near her age that she will learn to play with and interact in the normal puppy way. But if a puppy doesn’t have other puppies, they can learn a lot from their mother and other gentle adult dogs that may be in the family. They sometimes become a bit “spoiled” because they receive a lot more attention so it’s important that they also have periods where they learn to play contentedly by themselves. Just like a litter of puppies should have some times away from litter mates and learn it’s okay to be separated.
I’ve already started introducing Smudgie’s girl to Raven’s pups. When the moms went out for a potty break, I let the group have some snuggle time together.
And when they are up and starting to toddle and interact with each other, I’ll let her in on the fun too so she learns how to properly “play” with other little canines.