Male or Female?? - Page 1

This is a question that everyone has such completely different answers to, I thought I would ask on here. My husband and I have always had female shepherds. He thinks females are less likely to wander and stick closer to home. Since I have never in my life owned a male, I needed some opinions on the differences between males and females. What are the differences in personality between the two, if any? Why is it that some people would only ever own males and some others, only females? Why do the males in a litter get spoken for first?

We have a 18 month old female shepherd now, and we were thinking about getting a second one and I want a male puppy. Husband not so sure about getting a male.
Your input would be greatly appreciated.

thanks

well.... one time my gate was somehow opened and my male dog stayed in the yard while my female dog took herself on a big trip.   So gender stereotypes aren't always accurate.  

Here are the general, usual differences between the genders...note that invididual dogs may not always act accordingly. 
Males are generally more affectionate and cuddly whereas female dogs like a nice, brief petting but don't usually cuddle.  
Male dogs are usually more distracted by smells than females (males are more territory-marking oriented than females...this can sometimes lead to the males seeming to be more stubborn)  
If you give a bad correction or accidentally hurt a dog, the males tend to forgive quickly and females tend to sulk, females are also more likely to hold a grudge.  
Females mentally mature faster
personally I think females have better focus and train faster, less likely to have stubborn moments than males  (heat cycles excluded) 
males tend to have a more impressive aura about them, they're usually more eyecatching and charismatic.  

I personally prefer female dogs, but I enjoy having the boys around too.  

I agree

If you give a bad correction or accidentally hurt a dog, the males tend to forgive quickly and females tend to sulk, females are also more likely to hold a grudge.  
Females mentally mature faster
personally I think females have better focus and train faster, less likely to have stubborn moments than males  (heat cycles excluded) 
males tend to have a more impressive aura about them, they're usually more eyecatching and charismatic.

To add

maturity thing is a biggy for me...at bigger size and at age of 2 they still have "duh" moments, days, weeks...and just when you think they learned something, they act like "huh?..what did u say?"...girls do mature and learn a lot quicker...and being used to that it is hard to remind yourself that he is still a puppy, large, dumb, clumsy, puppy....also boys have a LOT lower pain tolerance, simple task like cutting toe nails becomes a WWF match....

girls are the sh*t stirrers....thats 100% true in my house.

I prefer boys for the size, the calmness post 5 year mark...I prefer girls for quick thinking and fast learning....lets just say I would bring a male to deter people, i would bring a female to protect. :)
so i have both.....

My girl is the big cuddler, though my male can be affectionate too.

In the nearly 6 years I've had her, she has never been in or started a fight. Bozohead,OTOH, even though neutered....    Last year, at age 10, he took on an English mastiff, who at 18 mo. outweighed him by 80 lbs. Fortunately, the only damage done was to the owner, who got bitten on the leg by her own dog, when helping to break up the fight!

The mastiff was the instigator, of course. At 18 mo. and not neutered, he was thinking with his 'lower brain'. But you'd think a 10 year old dog would know better and just avoid him, wouldn't you?

He has his stubborn moments, and it was especially hard to teach him the 'down.' Being a guy , he just didn't like to be in a submissive position, I guess!

As for protection, he has the size and the loud bark to frighten people, but once a person has been let into the house, he will be offering them his favourite toy within minutes. My female is slower to warm up to someone, and more suspicious.

Take this for what its worth:

I have both and have had both. My current male is a super dog, slightly handler soft, LIVES to please me, a cuddle bug, tough when he needs to be,
tolerant of the kiddos. My one female is tough as nails, not so much a cuddle bug, lean mean working fool, handler hard (this girl is more like a mali),
super focus, toy drive out the wazoo but absolutely cannot settle in the house.

They both have their pluses and minuses, and I used to prefer females, but I am totally digging my male and my previous male Deuce. My next puppy
will also be a male.

Melissa

Depends on who will be handling it. 

CAUTION- GENERALIZATION about to be made....

Males are generally more apt to want to please a female hander IF THE DOG IS A STRONGER DOG. Strong dogs may challenge a same sex handler more. I always recommend females for men without a ton of experience and vice versa. 

However, if there is another dog in the home and the people don't wish to separate, that dog's temperament is of utmost importance when deciding which gender to get.

Personally, I prefer male shepherds;  in some other breeds though I prefer the females.  JMO

Also agree with Jenni above;  it is called cross-gender;  men with female dogs women with male dogs;  usually works best, however, both can work for either.  Depends on experience, breed, and some other factors or dynamics in the household.  Nan

There are lots of generalised points here;  just as there are with any
discussion of male or female gender traits in humans.   A couple of
the posts illustrate what for me has always been  an important
consideration:  that no matter what  "all males are / do" and what
"all girls "  generally are, and do, ... there will always be exceptions to
those 'rules'.   So for a start there is a need to remember that the
dog or bitch you decide to live with won't necessarily comply with
expectations - and we have to be prepared for that difference,
rather than just expect it to be true and then regret it when it isn't.

It is also essential to be aware that if you add an opposite sex dog
to your existing household, this may give you additional problems
to deal with along the way.  Usually one of each will get along fine,
 - better than, say, risking putting two bitches in one household -
but if they are both entire you'll need to think carefully about how
you are going to handle the possible complications of that, twice a
year or so for the next decade.

Having done the duty of reminding you of those considerations,
my personal preference,  FWIW,  has changed over the years.  I've
had the good fortune to handle and observe a lot of dogs, not all
GSDs, over about 40 years.  From my experiences of knowing these
quite well, I always thought that whenever I finally had an exclusive
"dog of my own"  I would choose to have a male.  In the event, circ-
umstances made a bitch available to me first.   I can only keep one
personal, wholly-owned pooch at a time, due to space & finance.  
After  10.5  years,  I next thought  "at last, I'll have a boy this time" - and
I did;   and 8.5 years down that track, [lovely as he is],  I think I might
prefer a female again.  (IF i get another dog at all, which I might not be
able to manage, mainly for health reasons).  So it really is up to you,
Eldee - no one of us can really either "tell you your heart";  or do more
than generally describe their own versions of what it is like to live with
males or females .   Best of luck, whichever you both decide on.

IMHO    Personally, (for a lot of the reasons Headhunter mentioned) I would go see the whole litter and spend time with them.  Then choose which one has the personality/temperament to fit your home and your expectations.  Talk to your breeder.  Explain to them about what you are looking for in a dog and your home life (this part is very important).  A good breeder will know their puppies and will be able to help guide you on which one will be the best for you.  Don't rush the selection.   

P.S.
when you see the right dog regardless of the gender you will know....