Girls vs Boys

[Grab]

I prefer males. For no real reason, I suppose, although (while I've never had an issue) I'd like to stack the odds in my favor in avoiding bitch fights. If I am able to choose, and both dogs would fit into my household, I'd probably pick the male. But I'd not turn down a female if it were the perfect dog I was looking for.

I'd choose individual dog over their reproductive organs, but I do enjoy my boys

This does not apply to Goose, who is perfect in every way, lol.

A vet I work with is so anti boy dog (she thinks they all pee and hump, even though she's never had a male..) that she's having a really hard time finding a dog right now because everything available is a male and she won't entertain that thought.

 

[kaykay21]

i always thought i prefered boy dogs as the toy poodle i had growing up was a boy and just one of the best dogs ever but with jayson SSA i can only get females now laika being my first my gosh she is the most loveable dog ever. so for me now it just depends on the situation and the dog

 

[JacksonsMom]

Definitely boys. No idea why per say. Always connected better with them. I have no intention of seeking out a girl dog. If the right one came along, sure. But I'm not ever actively seeking a girl. I even have all boy names picked out.

 

[Laurelin]

Summer is the most sucky push button wants to be everyone's best friend dog ever. She has no edge really at all. Just wants to please and be loved. I've never had a male that was as needy. Beau has a lot more edge than Summer. Of course Mia is the stereotypical bitch. Mia is pretty sharp.

I prefer dogs with a bit of an edge to their temperament.

 

[Hillside]

I prefer males, but if my dogs "age out" the way they should, next dog will be a female because I only keep opposite gender pairs. Not totally to prevent same sex aggression, but mainly because I would feel guilty saying "Who's my girl/boy" when I had two...:rofl1:

 

[noludoru]

I prefer females. Always have and always will.

I'm not sure how much it varies between breeds or not. But I know my male Dobermans have ruined me for likely ever wanting to try a male dog of another breed, just in case. And there does seem to be a theme of male dogs being overly in love with their people in general regardless of breed, and I think that's what I don't like more than anything. Of course I want a dog who loves me and wants to do stuff with me, but I don't like the neediness/affection craving temperaments that most male dogs I know have.

This.

Middie is obsessed. Most of the time I love it, this month I'm feeling a little annoyed. If I have my door closed at night (I wont wait for him if he doesn't come in when I say "come inside, we're going to bed") he will sleep pressed up against the door on the floor, even if my roommate calls him into her room and invites him to bed.

Next dog will ideally be a velcro dog, but hopefully one that is a little less obsessed. Middie goes through clingy and BATSHIT clingy stages. . . he's in one of the latter right now.

 

[JustaLilBitaLuck]

Right now, my female is extremely clingy, and my male is more independent. But the female dog we had growing up was fairly independent as well - she was content to be doing her own thing. I guess I haven't lived with enough dogs to have a preference for male/female temperaments, or to have really noticed a pattern. My foster dogs were only here for a couple weeks/months, so I wouldn't judge their "true" temperament on that.

However, I have had an easier time housetraining my female fosters than my males, AND I like females for the non-leg-lifting aspect. However, I also think it would be annoying to consider heat schedules for competing with an intact female.

So I don't know. I guess at this point I would choose individual dog over sex.

 

[~Dixie's_Mom~]

I've almost always had girls. So I really don't know... I'm planning on my next dog being a male. I originally wanted a male when we got Violet but we ended up picking her. Male dogs sound better for me (cuddly, more laid back) but I mean... I love dogs and I've always had girls pretty much. So its not like girls aren't a good fit for me. I just want to see how a boy dog would fit me.

 

[Locke]

I find I click better with boy dogs, but wouldn't pass up a dog based on sex alone. Really depends on the individual dog, but if there was ever a situation where there were two dogs that fit what I was looking for, one male, the other female, I would pick male.

 

[CrazyDogLady]

I bond faster and stronger with female dogs, however I love love love the needy-ness of the males I've owned. My current dog is female, and my next one will be as well. The dog after that will be male. I even have both registered names and call names picked out lol

 

[Dizzy]

Errrrrrrm. Fred is my first male.

I don't think theres a whole heap of difference between him and Bodhi. She's a goon, loves people, plays constantly if you let her. She is my shadow, and you don't notice her... Fred is more in your face, but I think that's more of an age thing. He's 10 months! I'm sure she was the same.... She's finally matured....! Only took her 7 yrs.

She is dog reactive sometimes outside the house, but don't think that's a sex thing.

Fred doesn't hump or mark (yet..............).

They're both snuggle bugs, I think that's how they're raised, we are tactile.

Bodhi is more go go go people focussed, Fred is a bit more about pleasing himself,but again don't think that's down to gender. He's much more interested in other dogs than she is... Muuuuch. But she has never cared about dogs, always people. Or toys.

Fred pees on himself and has massive balls....gross.

I don't see a huge void.

I think you'd have to get 2 same age same breed dogs to compare.

 

[GipsyQueen]

I prefer girls - but I've only ever had girls... so I meh.

 

[*blackrose]

I prefer male dogs (almost all of my fosters have been intact males and I adored them all), but definitely wouldn't turn down a female just because if gender. When I picked Chloe out, for example, I didn't even know if she were male or female until I had claimed her as mine. Then I was like, "Hmmmm...I should probably see if she's a girl or boy."

I grew up with a male and a female, and I think that is the best combination, as you get one of each! Then when we moved up to three dogs, we always had two females and a male. I like that scenario, too, as long as the females get along. I've had to deal with bitch fights with most of my childhood dogs (Rose and Loupie, then Rose and Chloe - with poor Rose NOT being the instigator), and I really have no desire to do that ever again.

I do know I wouldn't mind keeping a male dog intact, as long as marking/mounting weren't issues (my sister's puppy just turned six months and hasn't been neutered yet - marking isn't an issue, but he obsessively mounts EVERY dog he sees). I would NOT want to keep a female dog intact for longer than her first or second heat cycle. And I don't think I'm crazy enough to have both an intact male and an intact female in the same house. LOL

 

[skittledoo]

I definitely prefer females. Cricket is just way more focused and attentive to me than the boys and I've bonded with her more. My last female dog I bonded closely with as well.

I am hoping for my next dog to be an Ibizan bitch for. I wouldn't turn down the right male, but I definitely prefer female.

 

[k9krazee]

I think you'd have to get 2 same age same breed dogs to compare.

I had JRT siblings, male and female. (Micki died a few month ago, Mini is 11.5)

The male was much more cuddly and goofy and looooved everyone. He would also do anything you asked of him, no questions asked. The female has always been more of a one person dog, she bonded closely with my dad and has much more of a "what's in it for me?" attitude. She also was much quicker and easier to teach things too and is more serious in her work. It was neat to have male/female siblings...they were nothing alike.

At this point, I love Crossbone to death, but he definitely has issues with personal space, which I'm not sure if that's a male thing (My lab/beagle, Jack, has the same issue) or a Crossbone thing. He wants to be on top of us or in our face all the time. Which I love 90% of the time, but I don't think I could handle two of him

When we decide to get him a friend, It'll most likely depend on the individual dog but I'd really like to have a female. I like male/female combos or I could see myself with 2 males and a female. I never want to have two bitchy females together again.

 

[GatorDog]

I have one intact of each of the same breed, 3 years apart. My female is only 5 months old, but she is much more physically and mentally advanced than my male was at this age. She is more serious while my male is more goofy. They both constantly shadow me around the house, but my female is more cuddly than my male. I like having one of each because I can definitely see the differences, and I like them both for those differences. I like to have one of each and would have a hard time choosing again.

 

[speedydogs]

I don't think I have a clear preference one way or the other - right now I have an intact male, and intact female, and a recently altered female. There are definitely differences, but I enjoy those differences and don't think I could choose between them. My girls are definitely more serious and more independent than Newton is; I appreciated how much quicker they matured, but I also love Newton's goofiness, snuggliness, and greater enjoyment of physical play. Even though he's a bratty adolescent, in a lot of ways he is more straightforward than the girls. I don't think gender will ever be a deciding factor for me, unless there is worry about SSA or similar issues.

 

[RD]

I don't know if my next dog will be male or female. There are things I dislike about both boys AND girls. I think it'll be more of an individual dog thing than a gender thing. If I had my choice between two identical dogs of different genders, I'd probably choose a female because in my experience, they've been the more devoted, appropriately protective and handler-oriented.

In border collies? I really think the males are more stable, less moody and less sharp. I've never seen a male BC lose his temper the way I see females do so frequently.

Eve is a very loving and relatively soft dog, but she's quite sharp and gets snarkier with age. She's very easily frustrated and that combined with her tenacity means she won't give up, she'll just get more and more horrible to be around until she's removed from what is frustrating her.

It's not that my dog is unstable, but I have a full and thorough understanding of her and her limits, and her limit for BS is reached quite quickly.

I don't know how much of that has to do with the fact that she's a girl, but I know I've seen the exact same behavior patterns in my mom's female border collie and my friends' and clients' female border collies. I have not noticed these behavior patterns in the males, ever. However, I've also not noticed the same level of keenness and intuitive behavior that I observe in the quirky females.

 

[milos_mommy]

I don't really have a preference, but I've also only owned male dogs. I can't imagine I'd ever be looking for a dog of a specific sex UNLESS I was trying to avoid SSA, in which case, I'd not be flexible. But that's the only instance I'd be seeking one out over the other.

I hear all kinds of generalizations, but don't really find them to be true. Almost 100% of the dogs I handle and work with, however, are altered, so that may be a factor. I do see slightly differences in dog/dog interactions (males usually seem more clueless about dog-dog "manners", female spats are WAY scrappier, but there are many exceptions), but very little differences in their interactions with people.

 

[Torch]

I don't have a preference. I've noticed some similarities to the male/female stereotypes with some previous dogs I've owned, but right now our dogs are defying those stereotypes. My boy, Henry, is very serious and gentle and willing to please. He's cuddly to an extent but won't lay all over you unless you make him lol.

My parents' dog, Maggie, she is a nut. One of the most wild, happy, goofy dogs I've ever met. Henry and Maggie were both adopted as adults so we have no idea how they were raised. Futurepuppy is most likely going to be female, just because I like opposite sex pairings, and is a breed known for their cuddliness and proximity to their people. I love dogs you can rough house with, cuddle, pick up, etc. It took Henry some time to be comfortable with these types of handling, and he never lets strangers pick him up, touch his feet, etc.