Oh, yes, this is normal. We had two pups at the same time and the energy level was so high that the DVDs I made at the time nearly pop out of the player by themselves.
You're in much better shape than we were, though--we had a year-old and two puppies in a 50 x 75 sq ft backyard and when we moved we had some serious relandscaping to do!
And it
will get better. As they get older, they
will mellow. And the patience and persistence you have now will pay off in future.
What kind of a schedule do you have them on? When Cole and Ember were young, they were on a fairly strict schedule. I stayed out with them when they were playing in the yard (and they
still managed to pull apart the arbor vitae and dig holes
) and when we came in, they knew it was time for naps. If you need to enforce that with a little quiet time in the crates, go ahead. A frozen Kong is a great way to keep them quiet for a little while. Extra training sessions can be fun for both of you--I trained them to sit and stay first, then would call one over to do some other command while the other sat and watched, then make the first go back and call over the second. It takes a bit, and an extra pair of hands is useful when you're first getting them used to watching instead of playing, but when things get out of hand, I still use this to calm down over-excited play.
Some dogs are more prone to fetching than others. Some of ours, like Cass, love to fetch. Some, like Ridge, totally ignore any thrown toys. And some are in between. If you work at it, you can teach the different steps--"go get it", "pick it up", "come", "give"...but I've noticed that the ones that learn that way don't seem to enjoy the game as much. So now I just toss the Kongs, take them from the ones that fetch, and pick up the others to toss again as I come upon where my non-fetchers have dropped them. It's good exercise for both me
and the dogs.
Unfortunately, at this age they need a lot of your time. They entertain each other, but you've already noticed that they also get into lots of mischief together. And they'll likely hit their 'rebellious phases' at the same time, too... So grab hold of your patience with both hands and continue to be consistent. Be prepared to spend a little more time with them until they finally begin to mature.
Hard as it is to believe, you're going to miss this stage when it's over.
And in a few years, you'll have forgotten all about the frustration.
Oh, and btw, if anyone comes to you later and says, "Wanna adopt 3 more? If you bring them home all at once, it'll be easier for you," don't believe them.
Yep, after surviving two rambunctious puppies in the house at the same time, I fell for this one, too. And doubling an adult pack from 3 to 6 all at once also turns out to be a difficult venture.
(But we survived.
)