Part 14 in our puppy search series over on The Happy Puppy Site. Should I chose a male or a female puppy Which do you prefer?
Well I have to say boy as I know no different ,I'll be interested to see what members who have had both sexes say...but then I guess every dog is so unique ...... From a purely emotional point I will never be able to have another yellow boy after Dexter ....it would have to be a black girl x
My previous Labs have been girls, both yellow. Both very easy to train, affectionate with great temperaments. The only boy I've had was an Italian Spinone - very intelligent and easy to train; the problem was putting the training into practice. As he was a big boy and very strong this did cause a few problems and I ended up in few bushes on walks with him. When we decided we were getting another puppy following my move to France there was never any doubt in my mind that my puppy was going to be a Labrador and a girl.
Had two boys .when we looking for new puppy it just had to be a girl had such a good relationship with Clyde I could never have another black boy and Its only on colour for us Black so it had to be Black Girl ....Along came Ziva 6 weeks ago and she is the hardest little devil ever lol she very Independent,head strong but willing to please when she doing her training ..she has her moments when out on lead she sits then lies down on ground we not going any further I'm quite happy watching the world go by from here lol lol and If you tug on lead she really doesn't like it but getting there with her . Actually starting to like her now lol lol
Boys. All the family dogs have been boys. Can't imagine getting a girl. Plus, when it comes to Labs, I like the chunky boy looks. Girls are lovely, though but I think I'll always have boys.
I have a boy & two girls. Each of them is different & requires different approach. Barney is the easiest dog to train you can imagine - it sometimes feels like he was reading my mind Shelby was quite challenging to train - much more independent than Barney but she grew up to be really lovely & eager to please girl. It's hard to say much about Ellie as she's only 19 weeks old - like for now she seems to be in between: a bit more challenging than Barney but much less than her mum . I think that mixture of genders is the best but obviously at least one has to be desexed - in my house it's Barney who is castrated.
I have one of each and they're very, very different, but I can't say that has anything at all to do with their genders. Shadow (boy) is super cuddly and willing to please - he loves learning and is a Very Good Boy (pats on head). Willow(girl) is a lot more independent, which makes it special when she wants a cuddle. She's a lot more distracted by her environment and could be seen as being a lot more challenging/headstrong, but I like to think of it as confidence. When we visited a trainer, she described Shadow as being a "Thinker" and Willow as being a "Doer".
I have Cooper, yellow/white male, 75 pounds, almost 15 months old.....my very first dog! Had asked the breeder for a female (because figured she would weigh less when mature) but I was sixth on the list and there were six puppies! I got the last one and it was a male! Now that I have him couldn't imagine anything different!!! And am too old to be getting another puppy anytime soon! They are a delight and a lot of work!
I waited a year for Juno with her breeder because I wanted a girl. The litter before Juno's was 9 puppies - 2 girls and 7 boys and yes I was number 3 on the list for a girl and could have had 2nd choice on one of the boys . Juno was well worth the wait though
Our next one will be black....but as for sex, I'm not sure! I've had boys so far, mainly because the whole desexing issue is a bit easier with a boy (simpler procedure etc). I couldn't rule out a little black girl though If I had my heart set on a particular litter and only a black girl was available then we would probably go for the girl. Definitely black though.
My mum only had boys, and my first dog of my own (when I was a kid) was a boy. It's strange, I think dogs are boys...I'm always sort of, well, surprised that they come in girls...silly...
I have always had girls for 25 years and now have two boys, think boys are easier, would never have another girl.
Boys here too, for much the same reason as Rachel with the desexing. I've had three boy dogs now, if I get another will likely be a boy!
I have to have boys. I'm not sure why. And for some reason I have it in my head that boys are sweeter, more attached to their momma's. I just find boys snugglier
I'd only ever had boys, and never thought I'd get a girl. Actually, I was looking for a chunky male black lab, but the only pup available from any litter that came into consideration was a small working line girl... and she really truly is lovely! On the whole, easier to train than the boys - and the big difference is that there is never any testosterone-generated squaring up to other dogs. That is a huge plus for me. Also, she doesn't ever run away (I always had to keep a strict eye on the boys if there was a bitch in heat around). The only down sides to having a bitch that I can see are the seasons, and also it does seem to me that boys are more physically affectionate and cuddly. I would have a boy again, but since I don't neuter my dogs automatically, it would be a problem when Poppy came on heat, so next puppy will likely also be a girl.
One thing about the 'boys being more attached than girls' - I don't think that's necessarily true, but I do think that girls can be a bit more aloof in their demeanor. Also, I always knew that if the chips were down, my boys would stand up to protect me, and I never thought that would happen with Poppy - always thought she'd run a mile if I were ever attacked. Not that I would really expect a dog of mine to act as bodyguard; it's just that I always thought boys would be more protective than girl dogs. But a couple of weeks ago I had a visitor to the house, who tripped over the front step and fell towards me - I put my arm out and she kind of fell onto my arm. Poppy clearly thought she was doing something bad to me, and caused a heck of a ruckus - barking, growling, hackles up, pushing between us. Now I think she would actually also come to my aid if necessary. Bless her little heart; I do love her!
It's interesting how many people are saying the boys are more affectionate. It's certainly the case here, but when it comes to their parents, their mum, Ruby, is the cuddly one and Jake, their dad, is more aloof. I guess there are exceptions to every rule
Ah, bless the lovely Poppy. Charlie would never protect me - he is a total whimp. He is not nervous, and as keen as mustard to interact with other dogs and people but the slightest hint of any trouble, and he legs it. Which means I don't have the squaring up to other dogs thing at all. He just doesn't do it. He'll stand his ground when he feels he has no other choice but if he is able to do so he just leaves.
