Male dogs vs. female dogs

[Janie Grace]

Our breeder thinks that male dogs tend to be sweeter and more attached than female dogs. She had both, and adored them all, but in her (extensive) experience, her "boys" were just more lovey. What is your experience? I know a lot has to do with breed/temperament/a host of other factors, so this is a very unscientific poll. Regardless, I'm curious. If you have had both male and female dogs, who was sweeter?

[TheReader]

I voted no difference based on gender but our girls were both golden retrievers, which I think are pretty notoriously "lap dogs in anon lap dog sized body" while our male is a mutt of mostly undetermined breed.

 

I think it might only be a fair comparison to discuss male and female within the same breed.

[Corraleno]

My male dog is more cuddly and more needy, but my female is both smarter and sweeter. She's much more tuned into emotions and wants to make people feel better, whereas the male mostly wants people to make him feel better — he doesn't really care whether you're happy or miserable as long as you're rubbing his belly, lol. But I've also had a male dog who was very tuned in to emotions and not needy at all, so it probably has more to do with individual temperament.

[Liz CA]

We've had 3 females and 4 males over the years. One female (Jack Russell) should be discounted as she was raised by a another person and we inherited her later in her life. :) She was primarily concerned with catching rats and being nasty to the other dogs.

 

The males were cuddly to a point and very "concerned" with protection.

My females seemed to be cuddlier / always close by and also very concerned with protection.

 

This may be a breed issue as well:

2 females: 1 Neopolitan mastiff, 1 Boxer (not counting Jack Russell as she was neither :) )

4 males: Rottie/Lab mix, Rottie &? mix, Australian sheep dog, Cane Corso Mastiff

 

Overall very little, if any difference.

[Bluegoat]

I tend to maybe think the males as well.  Though, as an adult I've only had one male dog as my dh prefers female gun dogs.  So - he was a different breed which might account for the difference.

 

I used to keep pet rats when I was younger, and the males were more cuddly there as well.  The females seemed to just be more active.

[mellifera33]

Not sure about dogs, but I've always thought that male cats were friendlier than female cats.

[kewb]

I have always had male dogs. I have had relatives and friends with female dogs. I prefer male dogs. They do seem sweeter and more attached to me.

[Katy]

That's funny.  I've heard repeatedly that if you get the opposite gender dog they will be more bonded to you.  I've repeatedly seen that our family dogs seem more attached to those of the opposite gender in the home. I voted other.

[Melissa in Australia]

When dh was a bachelor he had a female dog that was completely attached to him and mad with jealousy when he married me

 

Ds17 has a male dog that is completely attached to him with a devotion that you only read about in books.

[Spy Car]

I've only had (intact) male dogs over the years. All super-affectionate and highly bonded. 

 

Bill

[ktgrok]

My male dog is more cuddly and more needy, but my female is both smarter and sweeter. She's much more tuned into emotions and wants to make people feel better, whereas the male mostly wants people to make him feel better — he doesn't really care whether you're happy or miserable as long as you're rubbing his belly, lol. But I've also had a male dog who was very tuned in to emotions and not needy at all, so it probably has more to do with individual temperament.

 

That's been my experience as well. 

[Mom22ns]

My male dog is more cuddly and more needy, but my female is both smarter and sweeter. She's much more tuned into emotions and wants to make people feel better, whereas the male mostly wants people to make him feel better — he doesn't really care whether you're happy or miserable as long as you're rubbing his belly, lol. But I've also had a male dog who was very tuned in to emotions and not needy at all, so it probably has more to do with individual temperament.

 

This describes my two pretty well.

 

I don't think it is a male/female thing, but rather a personality thing though. It maybe a little more common to find sweet and cuddly in males, but not significantly so in my experience.

[ktgrok]

Not sure about dogs, but I've always thought that male cats were friendlier than female cats.

 

I tend to prefer male cats and female dogs. That said, we currently only have male dogs and they are sweet. But I just feel closer bonds with female dogs for whatever reason. 

[Catwoman]

I haven't noticed a difference.

[TravelingChris]

I have had both male and female cats and dogs.  All of them were attached to me.  The cats were always attached to both dh and me.  The two females who liked dh were a lab and a bloodhound.  The cocker spaniel didn't really bond to him.  The male dogs didn't bond to him except the very old intact English bulldog.  My poodle/terrier mix, my poodle, and now my poodle/corgi mix are all just my dogs.  All were male.  Now both dogs and cats didn't really bond with the kids that much until they were older.  My current cat (a female) likes me or my daughter (her actual owner) if she is home but really prefers males if they are around = even visitor males.

[wonderchica]

I think it's personality. My female poodle mix is highly attached to me and extremely sweet and affectionate. She's never met anyone she doesn't love, and she demonstrates that love enthusiastically.

[GoodGrief]

We've had both genders, mixed breeds, who were neutered/spayed quite early on. Two sets of male/female littermates, which made for an interesting comparison. Our males were less intelligent than the females, and a bit simpler in their desires, lol.

 

Now we have a 8 month old unneutered Great Dane (he will be fixed when he stops growing.) It's our first experience with this breed and with an adolescent intact male. He loves his people, is social with other dogs, but does like to dominate our little home pack (we still have two 11 year old dogs.) I wouldn't say he is super smart. Kind of a big lug.

[sassenach]

Our breeder thinks that male dogs tend to be sweeter and more attached than female dogs. She had both, and adored them all, but in her (extensive) experience, her "boys" were just more lovey. What is your experience? I know a lot has to do with breed/temperament/a host of other factors, so this is a very unscientific poll. Regardless, I'm curious. If you have had both male and female dogs, who was sweeter?

Our male lab is obsessed with us. No creature has ever loved its people more than that dog loves us.

 

That said, I think it's more breed specific than gender. Or maybe it's a gender/breed combo.

[gaillardia]

When I was a teen and young adult I had a male neutered dog. He loved me but he didn't care for a lot of other people. He would snuggle up to me. Then i got a husband. He liked my dh ok. Then I got a baby. He didn't like the baby. He especially didn't like my one brother. This dog was allowed on the bed, a mid-size poodle.

We had a female mixed lab puppy, had her for 9 years. She was affectionate to the whole family, my siblings, some friends, but had a great distrust for most strangers that were strangers to the family.

Now we have a female mixed breed shepherding dog. She is so so on being affectionate. She loves dh but she knows I don't like to be licked. She really picks on dh but otherwise isn't affectionate. Very playful, loud, quick to correct the cat, she will snuggle at the feet on the floor when resting at night in the living room. 

 

I think it is breed specific, handling and training, and environmental conditions that dictate the affections of a dog....and treats, did you give them a treat? lol

 

[Ali in OR]

I'm going to say breed makes a difference here. I seem to have fair number of friends, family, and aquaintances with Havanese dogs, and the males are wonderful while the females tend to be stand-offish (is that a word?). We have a lab, and my experience with labs is that both genders love people and bond to them. We've only had females, so my only experience with males is meeting other people's dogs, but they seem just as affectionate as our females.

[Guest]

No difference for me and my mutts over the years.

 

If it's a breeder, I'd think there's something about her line and the digs she chooses to bring in for it, ykwim?

[1GirlTwinBoys]

Our male lab is obsessed with us. No creature has ever loved its people more than that dog loves us.

 

 

This is how our male German Shepherd is with us.  We have 3 acres with an electric horse fence around the entire property.  When we leave, he will sit and watch EVERY car that drives by waiting for us.  All he cares about is being with us.

[Reefgazer]

I voted other.  Female dogs are more attached to their owners in a protective sense, but male dogs are sweeter.

[Ewe Mama]

I'm solely comparing my female morkie to my male morkie, so apples to apples. My female was my best friend in a doggie body. We loved each other with devotion. When she died I thought I would never stop crying.

 

My male morkie is an independent, mischievous little cuss. He's not terribly cuddly, not needy. Takes a few pets and wanders off to knock over the waste baskets, squeeze through my fence and chase geese, trample my bedding with muddy footprints, pee on the mat when he thinks I'm not looking, grabbing my leg and humping it every time I get out of bed in the morning,.....the list goes on and on. He's a character and I like him well enough, but when he's gone, I won't miss him with that whole body ache and sense of loss that I felt for my female.

 

We have three other female dogs right now, and I must admit to preferring each of them in her own way to the male, even the despicable chihuahua ranks slightly higher in my affections. I never thought I'd admit that one.