Pets & Animals >
Dogs (Other)
Get a Widget for this title
RSS FeedDo male or female dogs make better pets?
Results so far:
| Male | 37% | 50 votes | Total: 135 votes | |
| Female | 63% | 85 votes |
Male
Write now
Print
Invite a writer™
Add to FavoritesWhether or not a male or a female dog makes a better pet will depend partly on the personality of the dog. But I have had dozens of dogs over the years, have spent a great deal of time with them, love cuddling them, playing with them and talking to them, and on balance I would say that if I were picking just one dog and choosing one for loyalty, love and friendship, it would be a male.
Why? The males seem to bond with their owner or master better, they are prepared to let that person take the lead, train them, be with them and are always happy to return for more. They are less likely to misbehave and more likely to want to stay with you. A male dog tends to melt into their owner or master rather than thinking for them self, whereas a bitch can often be more independent, more separate to their owner, and more likely to come to the owner when it suits them, such as when they are hungry. Males accept what is going on without question, they allow you to cuddle them and stroke them to your heart's content, a female is more likely to jump up and go to look at something or play in the middle of it. Males are more passive, more followers and females are more leaders and free willed.
They both make wonderful pets and there will be one here and there that does not conform with this generality, so I would never advise anyone to rush out and grab a male dog assuming it is guaranteed to be a loyal loving pet. You might just end up with one of those who is less loving than a typical female. But if you are choosing a pet for love, cuddles and obedience it is generally believed a male is better for those purposes.
Females are quite territorial too, they might completely ignore you for hours and then decide they wish to sit on your lap, and growl and spark off at any other dog that comes near you. That is their way of saying 'get lost, this person belongs to me and only me'. Males are so laid back about these things, they do not care if another dog comes near you, they are happy to play with them or cuddle them regardless.
I always believe that unless you are taking your dogs out for lots of long walks and spending a lot of time with it you need to have at least two dogs together, so that you do not have one dog on its own being isolated, lonely and bored. So why not have a male and a female? I have a great pair that live with me, they are a male and female, brother and sister, Parsley and Strawberry. They are as different as chalk and cheese, and that is how I like it.
Learn more about this author, Carmel Brulez.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.
Female
I have a sweet, lovable, energetic and well-behaved dachshund-chihuahua mix. But when people hear she's part dachshund, or part chihuahua, they are often reminded of their own bad experiences with those breeds, and immediately dislike my dog without even meeting her. One factor that I have found that seems to account for such a contrast in behaviors and experiences is gender. Following are some examples I've seen or heard personally, to support my case.
Males and females alike tend to be very playful when they are younger, but I think there is a different as they age. My grandparents had female dachshunds when I was growing up, and I have very fond memories of going to visit them and play with the dogs. They were very easy-going, I never was afraid of them for even a second, and they liked to lick and jump and run. So I used to be very surprised when people told me how much they dislike dachshunds. One friend was bitten by a dachshund at a young age, scarring him for life. That bad dog happened to be a male. Males seem more aggressive when they play, jumping up and going after noses or voicing intimidating growls.
Perhaps an even more obvious difference is what I'll call the yappy factor. My sister lives next door to two dachshunds, both male, and they are always yapping and howling away for no apparent reason. They get really vocal when there is another dog or a person around. My dog, Carly, on the other hand, will often whimper very quietly when she gets excited, and only barks when someone knocks on the door or when she temporarily winds up in barking contests with other dogs. For the first several months I had her, she barely made any noise, so when I first heard her bark, I was glad to know she was able to. Many friends tell me horror stories of annoying, yappy little dachshunds or chihuahuas, all of which turned out to be male.
Female dogs also tend to be more maternal, for obvious reasons. Even if you do not plan to breed, this maternal instinct is helpful when introducing a new member of the family, whether it be a puppy, adult dog or a baby. A young puppy will follow in the footsteps of the older dog, and the maternal dog will bathe and protect the puppy. Likewise, many female dogs develop protective habits for newborn babies.
It is entirely possible that many of these dogs, good and bad, are products of their environment and upbringing. The yapping male dachshunds my sister has to put up with, for example, are regularly left outside, so they are not getting the same amount of attention as my dog gets from cuddling with me on the couch watching TV. Likewise, the dog that bit my friend may have come from an abusive home or may have disliked children because of the way children tend to annoy and hurt small dogs.
These are specific observations I've made, and of course I'm sure there are exceptions to the general principles I've discussed. Just because a dog is a female doesn't mean she will have the same wonderful qualities that I've seen in female dogs. Rather, we can see from these examples that it is not really fair to judge a dog by its breed, as there are other factors that play into its behaviors, like gender and upbringing.
Learn more about this author, Laura Lee Winger.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
