Pick #2 of the litter - Should I keep my choice open as far as a male or female?

[Michael Colosimo]

First I want to thank you for all the replies I have received to my newbie questions. I have about 6 weeks left to decide on a puppy from a litter that I have put a deposit on. I have the 2nd pick of the litter and was definitely considering male pup all the way. I have no interest in breeding but I guess is there an argument to picking 2nd best pup in the litter regardless of it's sex? I do have 3 children 5, 9 and 10. Can't wait for your input!!

 

[Vikinggirl]

That's a tough question. I love both and have had other breeds of dogs in the past and they were female. I had a Bichon, and I had a Jack Russell. I now have 2 Bullies, one of each sex. I had wanted a EB for over ten years, and had always said that if I ever got one, I wanted a male and I was going to call him Bulldozer. My hubby fell in love with her sister, and He said he couldn't leave her behind, do we brought both home. Now I could never choose one over the other, they are both sweet, loveable, both love to cuddle, and I love them both. When getting two they say it's better to get one male and one female, since two females can be jealous of each other, and two males can be aggressive to each other. Some people think a female will bond more with a male human, and a male dog will bond more with a female human. I don't know if that's always true or not? Every dog is different in personality, and I think males are easier to train as females can be high strung, and are sometimes more stubborn than the males, but again every dog is different and each has its own personality. I think you have to see the puppies and observe them and see which one you gravitate to, and sometimes the puppy will choose you.

 

[Vikinggirl]

That's a tough question. I love both and have had other breeds of dogs in the past and they were female. I had a Bichon, and I had a Jack Russell. I now have 2 Bullies, one of each sex. I had wanted a EB for over ten years, and had always said that if I ever got one, I wanted a male and I was going to call him Bulldozer. My hubby fell in love with her sister, and He said he couldn't leave her behind, do we brought both home. Now I could never choose one over the other, they are both sweet, loveable, both love to cuddle, and I love them both. When getting two they say it's better to get one male and one female, since two females can be jealous of each other, and two males can be aggressive to each other. Some people think a female will bond more with a male human, and a male dog will bond more with a female human. I don't know if that's always true or not? Every dog is different in personality, and I think males are easier to train as females can be high strung, and are sometimes more stubborn than the males, but again every dog is different and each has its own personality. I think you have to see the puppies and observe them and see which one you gravitate to, and sometimes the puppy will choose you.


[h=1]

Choosing a Male or a Female Dog: What is the Difference?[/h]
You may have felt that choosing a breed was the biggest decision you had to make before getting a dog. But now that you have made that choice, you are now faced with a more basic decision: do you want a male dog, or a female?

There is an old saying that has circulated for a long time among dog aficionados: “If you want a good dog, get a male. If you want a great dog, get a female and cross your fingers.” One thing that must be taken into account when evaluating a saying like this or the differences that may or may not exist between male and female dogs, is the role played by cultural stereotypes. If men or women have certain concepts about each other, they may have a tendency to project them onto animals in a way that is not entirely appropriate. Of course, those stereotypes may not be appropriate when applied to the opposite sex in humans, either. But anyway, this tendency does have to be taken into account whenever you are evaluating statements that supposedly delineate the differences between male and female dogs.

One further caveat needs to be given, and that is that when we speak of the differences that may really exist between male and female dogs, it must be understood that these are generalities. While a male or female dog may be more likely to possess a certain characteristic or behavioral trait, this does not mean these generalities apply in every case. There is one thing that all dog breeders and trainers agree on, and that is that the personality differences between individual dogs are definitely greater than that which may exist between the sexes.

With all of that out of the way, let’s look at some differences that appear to exist, generally speaking, between male and female dogs.
[h=3]Temperament [/h]Male dogs tend to be more demanding of attention, affectionate, frisk, and focused on human beings than female dogs, who generally are more independent and inconsistent in their focus on their human companions. Females can be every bit as loving but after awhile they may prefer to go off on their own, whereas males are likely to accept as much pampering and attention as their human companions are willing to give them.

For people who like cats, female dogs might make the better choice, since their personality traits can almost be described as cat-like, especially in comparison to male dogs. One thing that most dog trainers and other experienced parties agree on is that if you already have one dog, your next one should ideally be of the opposite sex, since dogs of the same sex are more likely to fight. This is especially true of females, however, because of the strength of their territorial instincts, so while it may be possible to bring two male dogs together it is much more difficult to have two females sharing the same space. Even though this female-female hostility has its roots in the reproductive instincts, even if you choose to have your female dogs spayed it will still be difficult for more than one to co-exist in the same household.
[h=3]Training[/h]It is widely believed that female dogs are easier to train because they are less easily distracted. Male dogs have a tendency to remain like goofy, playful kids their whole lives, and it can be hard to get them to focus on one thing for long.

It must be noted, however, that in the competitive world of dog shows and related events, when it comes time to hand out prizes and titles it is male dogs that have traditionally dominated. It is possible that male dogs may be more eager to please human beings and perhaps at the highest levels this helps them overcome the tendency to be more easily distracted. It is also possible that training female dogs for competition is too challenging for many because they are untrainable during the times when they are in heat. Also, male champions are more profitable for serious competitors because they can be bred out continuously, whereas female dogs can usually only have puppies once a year. Perhaps things would be quite different if spaying and neutering were the norm for competitive dogs, but of course this is not the case.
[h=3]Good with Children?[/h]Almost any dog can be a loving companion for a child. Nevertheless, some believe female dogs make a better choice for children because they may be more naturally nurturing and protective of young ones, even if they are from another species. Male dogs, on the other hand, may see children only as playmates and they may tend to get a little bit too frisky at times as a result.
[h=3]Costs for Alteration[/h]Here is one area where there is no generalization – it costs more to have a female spayed than it does to have a male neutered. If you are living on a budget, as most people are, this may not be an unimportant consideration.

However, where you have your dog spayed or neutered can make a difference in the cost. If you have it done at the local Humane Society, for example, in conjunction with an adoption, it could be possible to have a female spayed for less than it would cost to have a male neutered at a private clinic. Because spaying is a much more complicated procedure than neutering, there is more chance that something will go wrong, and even if it doesn’t the recovery time after the operation is longer.
[h=3]The Final Decision[/h]Unless you really want puppies born in your own home, there really is not that much difference between a male and a female dog. If you want a championship caliber dog that you can take to shows, history suggests a male dog might be the better choice, while the female might be better if you don’t want a dog that is slobbering over you every single second. And of course, if you already have a dog you should probably look for a second dog of the opposite sex. But truthfully, the choice should be based on the sense of connection you feel with an individual dog more than anything else.

 

[2BullyMama]

Gender really only plays a role if you already have one or the other, in my opinion . It is based on just a simple reason that chance are opposite gender get along easier. As for the pick... It depends on what you are looking for. Our first was a male by choice, but he was also last of the litter and was the bestest dog ever! Our second was female cause we already had a male... We had3rd pick but it did not matter as we both feel for Banks and she was not selected so in our eyes she was 1st pick . And with our current boy, we choose him at 5 weeks and he was still available so again, in our mind he was 1st pick ... Happy selection all around for us.

 

[harveyspecter]

Either one is a good choice, well it does not matter to me.

 

[Manydogs]

I have always had 4 or 5 dogs at a time,all my "grown up" life. That being a long time! Of all the dogs,I have had 2 males,one a rescue,one a tiny poodle. Both of them I had castrated. The two boys were good boys. All the girls were good girls. No fights. I never could understand why people say that females don't get along. My choice for you would be the one that you fall for the most!

 

[Michael Colosimo]

Thank you so much for taking the time to share all this great information with me. Totally appreciate it.!!!!

 

[raghu]

[MENTION=1350]michael[/MENTION]

If you are going to neuter or spay your pup, sex should not matter.

If you are interested in breeding, then females are going to require more attention from your end.
Every 6-7 months is the heat cycle; lasts 21-25 days.
Then there is pregnancy and litters. Males are easier in this respect.

Cheers,
Raghu

 

[natski282]

I have now 5 dogs , We always had females as there was always less strife we found on which would be the dominate like it seems males go thru for us .
That said we saved a male Cane Corso not problems as he was the only Male at the time worked out good , so you know we have 2 female Bullies , 1 female Siberian husky ,the Cane Corso and then we made the mistake of introducing 1 more male a Malamute lab mix , he needed a home or was going to be shot so I took him in . They all are wonderful animals truly .
BUT the last male to come in has been trying as now the two males are in a struggle to see who is boss , what that equals is spraying in the house by both males , fights , rare but challenges to Me being the alpha male of the group or pack ( that is not tolerated by Me or I loose control of them all ). I would do it again to be honest as the last Male Dakota was in a very bad situation but it sure comes with headaches .
Think if you know you are only going to for sure get one dog either sex is ok , but in My experience with more then one I would go female and if there is a next one stick too female again

 

[NewEnglandBully]

Hi Michael, so excited to see your new pup!!
We also had 2nd pick - but knew we wanted a male (we have four, five including me, females in this house lol).
I don't think it really matters, when you get there and meet them, you'll probably find that one of the pups just gravitates to you.
Good luck, post pics when you get him/her!!

 

[brutus77]

Hi Michael, If you are going to spay or neuter, it doesn't matter. I always had female dogs growing up so that is the trend I followed with the labs I got UNTIL that fateful day I got a bully. My first bully Brutus is a boy (and the absolute love of my life) and then we rescued Frankie (my second love) also a boy. I feel, In my opinion, that the boys are very very loving and loyal. Now could the difference I see be that it is the breed that is loving and loyal? Absolutely, so I say go with who captures your heart. I can't wait to see pics.

 

[Michael Colosimo]

Hi Michael, so excited to see your new pup!!
We also had 2nd pick - but knew we wanted a male (we have four, five including me, females in this house lol).
I don't think it really matters, when you get there and meet them, you'll probably find that one of the pups just gravitates to you.
Good luck, post pics when you get him/her!!

Laurie - Thanks for replying!I appreciate it. Will post a pic when the big day comes.

 

[Michael Colosimo]

Hi Michael, If you are going to spay or neuter, it doesn't matter. I always had female dogs growing up so that is the trend I followed with the labs I got UNTIL that fateful day I got a bully. My first bully Brutus is a boy (and the absolute love of my life) and then we rescued Frankie (my second love) also a boy. I feel, In my opinion, that the boys are very very loving and loyal. Now could the difference I see be that it is the breed that is loving and loyal? Absolutely, so I say go with who captures your heart. I can't wait to see pics.

Thank you so much for taking time to reply! Definitely will post pics when we pick up the boy.

- - - Updated - - -

[MENTION=1350]michael[/MENTION]

If you are going to neuter or spay your pup, sex should not matter.

If you are interested in breeding, then females are going to require more attention from your end.
Every 6-7 months is the heat cycle; lasts 21-25 days.
Then there is pregnancy and litters. Males are easier in this respect.

Cheers,
Raghu

Thank you! Appreciate your input.

- - - Updated - - -

I have always had 4 or 5 dogs at a time,all my "grown up" life. That being a long time! Of all the dogs,I have had 2 males,one a rescue,one a tiny poodle. Both of them I had castrated. The two boys were good boys. All the girls were good girls. No fights. I never could understand why people say that females don't get along. My choice for you would be the one that you fall for the most!

Thank you Lynn!

 

[Michael Colosimo]

Thank you so much for taking the time to share all this great information with me. Totally appreciate it.!!!!