Female versus Male
When looking at dogs and toying with the idea of other breeds...
...I seem to "gravitate" towards males. Unless I'm personally interested in breeding (i.e. Malinois & Shikoku)...I look into getting males so that the breeder I acquired said breed from could use him as stud for their kennel's breeding program. I figure, if I'm going to do all sorts of training and titling on the dog anyways...someone should get some puppies out of that dog! lol.
However, if males seem more dominant in the competive world of said sport/venue, I start graviting towards females because I feel that more females should be titled and to the highest degree/level!
When looking for a dog...what is your motivation for gender?
...I seem to "gravitate" towards males. Unless I'm personally interested in breeding (i.e. Malinois & Shikoku)...I look into getting males so that the breeder I acquired said breed from could use him as stud for their kennel's breeding program. I figure, if I'm going to do all sorts of training and titling on the dog anyways...someone should get some puppies out of that dog! lol.
However, if males seem more dominant in the competive world of said sport/venue, I start graviting towards females because I feel that more females should be titled and to the highest degree/level!
When looking for a dog...what is your motivation for gender?
Comments
I think I basically agree with Chrys. I've found myself drawn to both male and female dogs of various breeds. It ultimately comes down to the individual temperament of the dog.
I will say that visually, especially when it comes to the NK, I tend to prefer males. There's something about their proportions and stockier build that I tend to gravitate to. When it comes to choosing a dog to spend my time with, sex is of less of a concern though.
You only get 2 options to choose from =p...but it is always fun to think about and ponder. Within my choosen breeds, I find myself not caring so much about female or male...I'd be happy with either...if the dog is good, the dog IS good! This goes for ANY breed, but when I start looking at more "off-breed" dogs I find myself pre-selecting a gender for that particular breed and then searching and searching and searching until I find the quality I'm looking that matches my "pre-selection".
When I thought about this, I found it kinda of interesting...
But, when you start to filter the selection through the "role" filter, my opinion starts to change. For example, I would rather have a male/female pair for guarding. So if I was selecting a guardian to work with another guardian I would choose one of the opposite sex (female in this example) even if I prefer a male. Also, if I was looking for a dog to hike with, I would probably lean toward a female over a male due to them being less likely to roam. These are the types of things that come first for me...
But for sure, if there were no "role" or social concerns then I would pick a male. Which is strange, since females tend to bond better with me than males. :oT
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IE: A male is a lot easier to keep intact than a female would be, I think. I also hear empty heats are hard on females so it's better to spay them early if they're not being bred...but then the idea of how early is too early comes into play...it's kind of stressing me out haha
Tho, most of the animals I've owned in my lifetime have been males. From the iguana, to birds, to Snake, to Rabbit. Most of the friends & co-workers I get on well with are guys too...lol
But, that said, I've met some really awesome female doggies. [ I will always be forever trying to convince Brad & Jen to send me Ahi
That said, I prefer males, but I've come to realize my major preference for males comes from the fact that they tend to be easier to "maintain." [ talking about the spay thing here again ]
I guess it doesn't really matter, so long as the dog / bitch has a temperament that suits you & your lifestyle
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Also, this isn't really a reason but...I can list about 100 names I'd like to give to my male pups, but we can only come up with 2 for a female LOL I guess I like boy names more than girl names haha ~
"I have heard that people who do dog sports run males more often because females in heat aren't allowed at many events, (or they can go last, I guess?)..."
- In the dog sports that I've been involved with, the females are allowed to trial during their heat cycle but they must go last. And I often find for those who would like to keep their dogs intact that the whole bleeding process (though "short") is a bit too much for most people to deal with. Then there's a possibility of some feminine (sp?) doggie odor
"and females also take time out having puppies and recovering from having puppies, which gives males more days they can work & more training time. Males' breeding duties never take them out of the action."
- I guess it might depend on the breeder and that kennel's breeding schedule/lifestyle (how many litters they want out of the female = how much actual "off-time" the dog will require). I suppose most require "time off" for pregnancy and whelping. I believe that *most* breeders/owners/handlers would start going back to their regular training schedule as soon as Mama has finished her 8th week of raising the pups. Some breeders continue to work (and even trial if not against "the rules") their females through pregnancy until the female hits a certain *peak point* in the pregnancy and requires rest and preparation for whelping (kinda like humans working their jobs through most of their pregnancy until they get closer to giving birth and need to relax). Other breeders might even take Mama out for training or trials as soon as the 5th week or so...though this is not as commonly practice I don't think.
"Does that seem to bear out, Corina? That it's not that the females can't or aren't appreciated, its just that the training, travel and performance load is more profitably invested in running and titling a male?"
- It looks as if you have a pretty good idea of it
anyway, I don't know that I have a really good reason for my preference....it's probably more based on the dogs I've had.
I'm leaning towards the females as much as I lean towards the males. A lot more factors are considered to figure out which way I'll fall.
I still prefer males over females. But if a female puppy came up that had the temperment and personality I was looking for I would highly consider and probably take the female over the male pup.
As far as preference I hold fast to my preference for female dogs. In my experience I have found them to be the more dynamic and bold personalities. As far as toughness goes, my female shikoku is likely the toughest. But that said my dogs all rely on each other. Each one has things that make them nervous and I find the others will compensate for the dog who is nervous. If on the rare occasion, all are nervous they turn to me. I enjoy adult male dogs. Young males are tiresome to me. I find this all to be true of humans as well. Young men tend to bore me with their displays and behavior. I prefer the reserved confidence of adult men. I am more tolerant of young females. In general I guess I prefer adults of all species.
I must say, tough dogs outside of working dogs are just silly to me. To me what makes an owner seem formidable, and impressive is their desire to love and protect their animals. When a big strong dog feels safe and at peace with their owner that, to me, says that that owner is strong and confident and has earned their dogs respect. Considering a chihuahua can crush bones in a human hand, we as a species tend to forget that dogs CHOOSE to listen to us, and CHOOSE to be our companions. So my belief is the sweeter the dog the stronger the owner.