Male v.s. Female

I actually don't really agree with many of that article's reasons.  That's WAY over simplified.  Yes, gender matters, but it totally depends on the breed of dog, the purpose for the dog, the dog's lines, and the temperament of the current dog. 

I disagree with many of the points made in that letter. I have found my males to be much easier to train than my females. By the same token, I have known others who find females easier to train. In the people I've talked to, it seems to be an even split. Neither of my females is anywhere close to passive. Out of my four dogs, I have two affectionate ~ one is female one is male, and two not so affectionate ~ one is female, one is male. In the past I have had affectionate males more than the females. I don't at all agree with the comments about how males vs females urinate. I have a female who will urinate multiple times while on a walk - it's called marking, and the females do mark. I have males who are quite good at bladder control and who will only pee once while out for a walk. With some breeds (especially the breeds I have owned, it is true that there is less risk of aggression in dogs of opposite sex, in breeds not prone to DA, I don't know how relevant that would be. And my male corgi, who is DA has bitten 2 females and has never bitten a male. I would say that if you prefer the females, and if your dog is not aggressive with other females, then talk to the breeder to be sure you get a puppy who will be OK with a female and enjoy!!

Dial up rarely lets me access these sites, so I can't read the article.  However, in my experience, females can be brutal to one another.  A dog dog fight is more about posturing, the girls are fighting to the death.  I've had multiple females before...will never do it again, yet I have FIVE males and not the first problem with them.  If there is a tussle, it's very easily stopped with  a single word.  With females it often involved MY blood.

Liesje

Yes, gender matters, but it totally depends on the breed of dog, the purpose for the dog, the dog's lines, and the temperament of the current dog. 

YYYep big time. Impossible to generalize outside of "the breed tends to be x way when male vs female"...expounding further is waaay too general.

I don't like testicles in my house because I have intact girls and the drama isn't worth it. Otherwise I actually prefer boys...in Beagles they tend to more boldness and spark than the girls, IME. There's also a bit less shedding because they don't do the hormonal sheds. That's it. In Akitas I preferred males because you KNEW what would set them off aggro wise....females? esoteric reasons and you never really could predict them...I didn't care for female Akitas much at all, personally.

Leo's? Cleo is my first but from what I read either sex brings something to the table worth having!

 

I don't agree with this article!! Too generalized and it seems to be leaning toward females are better than males, which IMO is not true. Maggie is not affectionate whatsoever, and she is very independent, stubborn, hard to train. Teddi on the other hand is loving, eager to please, and listens to all his commands at any time.  

I do think females will fight with each other if you bring another into the home but I'm sure that's the same for putting two males into a household. At the same time I think you must know your dog to know whether a male or female would be good for her. I knew Maggie didn't like many females from seeing her interactions at dog parks. Females tended to annoy her (but Maggie is a huge tomboy so that doesn't suprirse me) She much prefered the males to play with, and I figured bringing a male puppy into the home would be great for us and her.  

I agree the article is over simplified. Cons for female is they cost more to fix? That really shouldn't be a concern if you are getting a dog. If you can't afford to fix it you shouldn't get one.

When we brought in Cheza we went through whether to get a male or a female. We decided to go with a female since we already had a male at home. We didn't want to run into same sex agressive behavior. If we get another dog it will probably be another male so we have male-female-male.

I have 2 friends that are having trouble with same sex agression. One had 2 male GSDs. When one got old and arthritic, the younger one decided to step up and try to take him out. They played musical dogs (one upstairs, one downstairs) for 3 years until the older dog recently passed.

Another friend has a 4 year old female and recently brought in a 1 year old female and they are having a lot of trouble. She is bringing in trainers to try to help with the problem. If that doesn't work she will have to rehome the younger dog. Both dogs have been injured in the fights they have had.

ETA: Salem was actually a lot easier tp train then Cheza. We had him completely potty-trained by 3 months. Cheza we are still working on. Cheza is also a lot more independent and testing. Salem just wants to please.

I pretty much disagree with everything in the article

Pros for Female Dogs:

1. It has been stated that female dogs are easier to train than males.

2. Female dogs tend to be more passive.

3. It has been said that female dogs are more affectionate and make better companions, but, to be honest, the jury is out on that one. We believe that all dogs treated kindly and compassionately in return will give you unconditional love.

4. Yes, it's a fact, a female dog can hold her urine longer than a male dog and some can wait as long as ten to twelve hours if necessary. In a household where no one is home during the day, this is important information in deciding whether to get a female or a male.

5. And, when you and your furry-female companion finally get to go on that much need walk, she will most likely empty her bladder all at once. A male dog takes longer to relive himself because they go in little spurts here and there, especially in the cold.

Cons: for Female Dogs.

1. It is more expensive to spay a female than to neuter a male.

Pros: for Male Dogs:

1. Male dogs may be better watch dogs as they are often more dominant and self-confident.


These are very broad generalizations; every dog is different and both can be great pets.

Another consideration is the sex of the dog you have at home. Most people think it is best to choose a dog of the opposite sex to add to your household. This will decrease the chance of aggression. 

1.  I think that the training thing goes back to weather a male dog is fixed or not. An unneutered male will be harder to train if there are unneutered males/females in the vicinity. However, a fixed male is just as easy to train as a female imo. I think what matters most in trainability is breed.

2. I don't agree that females are more passive. In fact, I don't believe that they are passive at all. Females, in my experience, pay much more attention to status than males do and are quite willing to make their opinions known with other dogs/females around.

3. I think that is a terrible generalization and again something that is based on breed more than sex. My female husky is not very affectionate while my male and female aussies are both very affectionate.

4. I disagree with this as well. I know many male dogs with bladders of steel.

5.  My female husky does not go bathroom all at once while my male will go all at once.

Cons for female - there's so many more than just is what is listed:

ovarian cancer

likely to squabble over things more than males: males will live and let live while females will scrap it out.

heat

Male dogs:

All of the male (fixed) dogs that I know are not domineering. They are pretty passive in fact and will let things go and back off if given the signal.
 

Finally when selecting a 2nd pet, I think that the most important thing is to consider the dog you already have. 

I disagree with much of the article, including the following. In fact, in my limited experience, a male dog is easier to train, more passive and more affectionate.

1. It has been stated that female dogs are easier to train than males.

2. Female dogs tend to be more passive.

3. It has been said that female dogs are more affectionate and make better companions, but, to be honest, the jury is out on that one. We believe that all dogs treated kindly and compassionately in return will give you unconditional love.

I also disagree with this:

Male dogs may be better watch dogs as they are often more dominant and self-confident. 

If I had one gender in my home, I'd get the other gender as a first choice.  But it all comes down to the dog, the breed and the individual personality. I would take my dog to meet the new prospect if possible. 

And if the testicles aren't dropped, that neuter can cost just as much or more than a spay.  

Congratulations!  

Thank you so much for responding! I've been beating my head against the wall about this because before we pick our pup this summer I want to make sure I've thought out EVERYTHING.

I'm going to edit my Original Post with "Kayla" traits and maybe you guys can help me decide which gender to get? Because honestly I have no idea what's best for her... I thought a female but now I'm having doubts because I do constantly hear about same sex agression :o(

We are going down to Westport tonight to visit the breeder. I'm bringing Kayla this time so she can help analyze our best fit... wish me luck!

Pomeranian <3

Thank you so much for responding! I've been beating my head against the wall about this because before we pick our pup this summer I want to make sure I've thought out EVERYTHING.

I'm going to edit my Original Post with "Kayla" traits and maybe you guys can help me decide which gender to get? Because honestly I have no idea what's best for her... I thought a female but now I'm having doubts because I do constantly hear about same sex agression :o(

 

Make sure the breeder is aware of Kayla's traits.  Honestly, to me reputable breeders to the picking.  Now I am not familiar with Poms, but with GSDs, the breeders will do the picking unless you already have a relationship with that person and know the dogs well enough to pick. 

I prefer males to females...Maybe it's just the personalities of dogs I've owned though. My Lab female was very easy going, where Apollo, male/fixed, is (excuse me but me and fiancee always say this about him) more "balls to the wall" especially when playing fetch or swimming, lol. Also, my female wasn't very affectionate, and Apollo thinks he's a 102lb lap dog and is alwasy licking and snuggling. Apollo is more vocal than my female was though. He was 100% easier to train, too. Also, I noticed she used to "baby" her toys, where he'll rip them up. But I loved her more than anything, she passed 3 years ago at 13yrs old, from cancer.

Liesje

Make sure the breeder is aware of Kayla's traits.  Honestly, to me reputable breeders to the picking.  Now I am not familiar with Poms, but with GSDs, the breeders will do the picking unless you already have a relationship with that person and know the dogs well enough to pick. 

Yes, when we got our first Lab from a very reputable breeder (now owns the #2 Pointer in the world), she picked our first Lab from the litter for us, we didn't, and we didn't have any other dogs. The Lab she picked for us fit beautifully in with our family.

Kayla (female) Pomeranian born 02/01/07

This is my little princess. She goes everywhere with me, follows me, total momma's girl. I really don't know any point in time when she's not with me other than being a work.

I spoil her, but I don't spoil her rotten, haha. She displays dominant behavior (she knows she's the queen) but not agressive at all.

Our neighbor has a Male Eski-Poo that she plays with and she is VERY rough with him. He's probably twice her size now (in length & height) and she totally tries to dominate him. The first time I ever heard her bark was during play with him. She tries to HEARD him is honestly the best way to describe it.

I also rehomed a male Pomeranian who we have play dates with and she just seems so annoyed by him. He's always trying to hump her and chase her and she'll show her teeth and sometimes bark at him too (playful/annoyed sounding).

My Sheltie is a female (down in florida) and she's old (14yrs) and really wants nothing to do with any other dog. When she gave warning signs Kayla backed away and she would always just sit down next to her. She was so calm!

My girl friends Labby (beagle/lab) is a female who is more than twice her size and Kayla seems very annoyed during play with her and also tries to dominant.

Overall... I know one thing for sure is that Kayla needs to be in charge and will be in charge. She will be the "head" of the pack between the two dogs and if I get a PUPPY I figured it would be easy to teach.

I'm not sure... I don't know if she sways towards a certain gender more? I just think the puppy needs to know the "order" of the home and Kayla is "before" the new puppy. The whole hierarchy balance theory...

What sort of dominant behaviors does she display? When you say "she knows she's the queen", I suspect that it is because you are elevating her status in you spoiling of her. Not necessarily a bad thing, as long as there is no aggression, and as long as it's on your terms. Playing rough with another dog is fairly normal. Barking while playing rough is also normal. If you saw my dogs play, you'd think they were trying to kill each other ;). As for her being annoyed by the male Pom ~ well, I'd be pretty annoyed too is someone was constantly chasing and humping me. It's good that Kayla backed down from the older sheltie. It indicates that she can understand warning signals from other dogs and can display behaviors to diffuse the situation. If Kayla really needed to be in charge, I doubt she would have backed down so readily from the sheltie. The Labby that Kayla seems annoyed with ~ where are the dogs when they interact? Are they on neutral territory? In what ways does Kayla seem annoyed and trying to dominate? Dominance is dynamic. I have one dog who will display dominant behaviors when it comes to who sits near me, while another one displays dominance over the food, while another one displays dominance over where to sleep.

ETA ~ I think it's a very good idea to bring Kayla to the breeder's. That way the breeder can help you assess what is in the best interests of all.