Choosing a pet dog: male or female?

If you have decided that you need a dog, that’s great, but the question still remains: what gender will your pet be? Definitely say who is better - male or female, is simply impossible, because what is considered an advantage for one owner may seem like a disadvantage for another. Dog handlers have discovered a certain pattern: the breeders of male dogs that are larger and more impressive are most often women, even regardless of who will then train their pet. But men prefer females, believing that they are more faithful and devoted companions.

photo: Who is better - a male or a female?

For the most part, what captivates people in male dogs is their courage, endurance and dedication, but at the same time they are more independent and even stubborn, so they should be raised by a person with a strong character. For a male dog, the place he occupies in the hierarchical ladder of your family is very important; he will strive to dominate. Bitches, as a rule, are calmer and friendlier, they adapt more easily to new living conditions, and they have a significantly higher level of intellectual and emotional perception. However, females can sometimes be lazy and do not have as impressive an appearance as males.

Also, when choosing a dog, it is worth remembering about physiology. Bitches have a certain advantage because they can produce their own kind. Many people buy female dogs because they hope to get offspring from them and sell puppies in the future. Every six months, owners of bitches will have to deal with estrus, the duration of which varies from 20 to 25 days. During this period, dogs become unpredictable, so in order to avoid unwanted mating, they must be strictly kept on a leash and not allowed out of the house. You need to take your dog for walks more often - 3-4 times a day, but their duration is reduced to 15-20 minutes.

Males also cause their owners a lot of problems - since they are not limited to periods of heat, they can run away unnoticed in search of adventure, and such dogs need to be walked longer, since they tend to mark their territory. As for the cost of a puppy, the price for a female dog can be several times higher than for a male dog, since there is a high probability of getting purebred offspring from her.

Advantages of purchasing male dogs:

There is no danger of the sudden appearance of puppies, the owners are freed from problems with estrus and they do not have to walk their pet on a short leash and with a stick: what if someone comes up, and they do not have to purchase all sorts of devices like special dog panties and pads;
You and your pet will be able to attend all exhibitions and other events as planned - there are generally much more male dogs at social events, because their owners do not have to cancel everything due to estrus, pregnancy and recovery periods;
Breed standards are mainly written for males, they are larger and more representative;
Some trainers believe that males are better guards and companions than females, although opinions differ.

Flaws:

Males are less attached to their owners, at the first opportunity they can run away after the female they like, so there are two ways to solve this problem - walk the pet only on a leash or train it well;
Males are more stubborn and require a serious approach to education. They may feel a desire to dominate, so a person with a strong character should handle the dog;
The duration of walks with male dogs increases due to the characteristics of their physiology. Males simply cannot empty their bladder quickly - it takes them 40-45 minutes to do this. Another unpleasant feature is the marks, with their help they indicate their territory;
The smell from males is stronger than from females;
During walks, such dogs may show unexpected aggression towards other males;
The probability of obtaining the status of a stud dog is very low, there are too many competitors. In addition, in order to be mated, the pet must regularly win at exhibitions and demonstrate excellent qualities;
If you are not going to arrange regular matings for a male dog, it would be better to castrate him - this way you will reduce the risk of cancer and prostatitis.

It’s decided: the dog goes into the house!

Let's assume that all family members are sure: they need to go to a kennel or club for a purebred shepherd.

We have our own home, with plans to build an enclosure in the future, but at first the puppy will live at home, in warmth, love and comfort. They have already allocated him a small sofa, purchased feeding utensils and drinking bowls. However, who should you choose, a male or a female shepherd dog?

Experts recommend using common sense rather than intuition. And not even the advice of relatives. It is important to remember: the pet will become a new member of the family and how the household members take care of it will make it feel cheerful and healthy.

And if you decide to buy 2 dogs of both sexes at once, how do the bitch and the male get along? When puppies grow up together from a young age, everything is fine.

But if there is already an adult pet at home, he cannot always accept a newcomer. It all depends on the disposition and character, as well as the habits of the old-timer.

Advantages of owning bitches:

Bitches are considered calmer and more docile pets; they are attached to their owner and home;
It is believed that bitches have much higher intelligence, and they perceive the world around them emotionally differently;
These dogs are quite cunning, show unexpected ingenuity, and are not aggressive;
The breeding process is greatly simplified: it is enough for a dog to receive one show mark;
Walking with females is much more pleasant - they only need to sit down a couple of times, and the rest of the time they will play with the owner or just enjoy walking;
The opportunity to get wonderful puppies - additional sources of joy.

Flaws:

Bitches are less elegant and smaller in size than males;
Once every six months, females begin to go into heat - the smell intensifies, the dog may be capricious and not obey. Sometimes owners have to purchase special dog panties. In addition, at this time the pet must be carefully monitored in order to avoid uncontrolled mating;
Owners of bitches will sometimes have to miss shows and competitions due to estrus or pregnancy. Also, during estrus, joint hunting is not allowed;
Despite the fact that males are more aggressive, females fight most often, and often their fight ends in death.

However, the owners have their own opinion on this matter - after all, if you like the pet, the last thing you think about is possible problems and turn to statistics, because a dog is a joy and a source of kindness in your home.

What gender of dog do you prefer? Write your opinion in the comments!

WHO IS BETTER – MALE OR BITCH?

“Which is better to take - a male or a female?”

An eternal question for newbies. I want to share my experience with you, honestly and openly, so that you know what to be prepared for and not be disappointed in the future.

If such a question has been received, this indicates that you do not intend to engage in breeding yet, and you are interested in the dog only as a companion, friend and pet. Because potential breeders first purchase a bitch.

Let's start with the male. What's better than a male?

A male is always a representative of the breed! He is more beautiful in appearance than the female, better dressed and presentable.

A male dog sheds less often and does not “undress” as much during the seasonal shedding period.

A male dog expresses his love for his mistress (owner) more emotionally. He loves women more, although this is not a fact...

Simple-minded, not touchy, always at your feet or on your knees, devoted to the point of self-sacrifice.

Now about the unpleasant stuff. Actually, for me personally there is only one unpleasant moment in keeping a male dog - this, excuse me, is a marked tummy. The fur is long, and no matter how high he tries to raise his paw (sometimes he lifts it so vertically that it seems like he’s about to fall), droplets of urine still fall on the fur of his tummy. But, you can carefully trim the fur in problem areas, and if you wash your tummy at least once a week, your boy will always be neat and smell good. (You can also treat your tummy with Chris Christensen Ice on Ice Detangling Spray). There are also clean male dogs who take very good care of themselves and keep their tummies sterilely clean, but you don’t meet such a dog very often...

Second problem. In principle, this is a problem only for the lazy. There is an opinion that a male dog marks (raises his paw, if it’s not clear) all vertical objects in the house... I hear this often... But I immediately have a question, if the dog is not taken outside, where should it pee? Should I learn to go to the toilet? Any dog can be trained to do its business outside. You just need to spend time and effort on it. Yes, from four to eight or nine months, you need to take it outside very often. After sleep, after eating, every 3-4 hours... I agree, a few months will be hard, but for the remaining 15-20 years that (God willing) your pet will live with you, he will bring you only joy. Spitz are clean dogs, even fastidious ones. I watched as a three-week-old puppy was already trying to crawl off his mattress to pee next to him... well, he doesn’t always have time to crawl, but he’s already trying... so teaching a Spitz to be clean is not a problem, if only there was a desire.

There is one more point that I should warn you about. Even if you are walking without a leash, and your boy unquestioningly follows the command “come to me”, in the presence of a female dog in heat, or simply her “marks” on the grass, your boy may become uncontrollable. The basic instinct is that you can’t go against nature... you don’t need to be offended by it, just keep it in your armory.

Now about the bitch.

The greatest advantage of a bitch is that she can become a mother and give you several fluffy bundles of happiness. But, that’s if you want... and sooner or later you will definitely want to.

The bitch is clean, despite her long hair, very carefully fulfills her natural needs, remaining clean and tidy.

Puppies - bitches - have a charming pink belly, which, unfortunately, becomes overgrown with age.

By character - “bitch” in the full sense of the word. Smart (except maybe she doesn’t talk), cunning, “on her own mind,” she reads her owner like an open book. If you don’t know something about your dog well enough, then it knows everything about you, even what you didn’t even suspect about yourself. But, with all this, she remains devoted and faithful. He may not fully express his emotions and feelings for his owner, but he will never exchange him for anyone else!

Well, the main reason why they don’t want to take female dogs is that they are in heat. Yes, twice a year, three weeks you need to survive. Basically, nothing bad happens. Some people get scared, thinking it looks like a woman's menstruation. Yes, no, of course. Bitches, as a rule, are very neat, and the discharge is essentially minuscule, how much is that dog... 2 kg... And the period of heavy discharge, when drops may appear on the floor or on the bedding, is 7-10 days maximum. A bitch can take such good care of herself that an inexperienced owner will not even notice that his bitch has overflowed.

I call the period three to four weeks because during this time other males will be interested in your bitch on walks. Therefore, for a month you need to walk only on a leash, and, as far as possible, avoid approaching other dogs. And if some gentleman does find you, well, take the dog in your arms. This is not a Caucasian Shepherd dog, which, if there is nothing else left, has to be covered with itself.

The bitch sheds more often. Before estrus, it sheds its undercoat, and after estrus it gains it again. After the birth of puppies, the fur sheds completely, but quickly grows back.

If you are afraid of wool, get a Chihuahua. Although, I consider it my duty to warn you that if the fluff from a Spitz is concentrated in the corners of the room, on sofas and carpets, and can be easily collected with a vacuum cleaner, then small “needles” of wool from short-haired dogs settle forever in rugs and carpets, and there is no way to get them out No one has succeeded with vacuum cleaners until now.

After I have shared all the secrets with you, it is up to you to choose. But! I advise you not to worry too much about choosing “male or female”. I’ll tell you another “terrible secret”... All Spitz, without exception, have one common feature - to accumulate... yes, yes... if you have a girl, then very soon you will have another girl, and then definitely a boy. And if you take a boy first, then in another year you will want a girl, and another girl...

And in another year you will be writing advice for beginners on your nursery’s website. Good luck!

author Elena Bereza Pomeranian Spitz kennel “Elenhouse” /posting on other sites is prohibited/

And also, for comparison... Now I’m sitting at the computer, the dogs are sleeping. Bitches - who is where... who is on his favorite sofa, who is on my favorite sofa... And the males - all three are under my feet.

Such different tasks

Everyone knows that males and females perform completely different functions. This is due to the nature of pets. Noble male guards protect their possessions and masters; they are inquisitive, persistent and very fond of affection.

Bitches have slightly different tasks. They are called upon to give birth to and care for offspring. Ladies of all breeds are very smart and even resourceful to some extent.

The instinct of self-preservation and care for offspring is affected. If something happens not according to her, she will outwardly reconcile herself, but secretly she will still achieve her goal.

All of the above should be taken into account when choosing a pet of one gender or another. Of course, a lot depends on the breed.

Before getting a male or female, you should inquire about the characteristics of the species and habits.

For example, large dogs are always more sedate and reserved, noble. Small ones - mobile, naughty. But even here there are differences between females and males. Ladies are sensible, but males are spontaneous and uncontrollable.

It is important to remember one more point: a lot depends on the goals. When a dog is needed for sports, achieving high results at exhibitions or in specific work, it is advisable to give preference to a male.

If you need a loyal friend and companion, it is also worth purchasing a male representative. For breeding and for the soul, it is better to take a bitch.