Choosing Your Puppy: Boy vs Girl

[SoSa]

Hello Everyone.

I am new to Doodle Kisses. So glad I found this site. We will soon be the owner of an F1b Goldendoodle. The puppies are 2 weeks old today. We get to bring him or her home in February. At week four, we'll get to choose our doodle. We get second choice out of nine. I have been getting mixed reviews on which sex to choose. We were initially planning on a girl, but have decided on a boy. Some have cautioned against males due to leg lifting/territory marking. Others have cautioned against females for other reasons. I'm curious about the choices you all have made. Any insight would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks much. :-)

[Karen Glassman]

I'm curious to hear what others have to say about Boy vs Girl. We're getting the last pup of the litter. I requested a girl, but as each day goes by... I realize I don't want to give up the pup if it happens to be one of the boys that's left.

[F, Calla & Luca]

I have one of each. Luca didn't ever lift his leg or mark until he was at least two or more. He only does it occasionally on walks so it's not a problem. I see lots of small differences with my two that I attribute more to temperament or personality. They are both wonderful dogs who only get better with age, currently they are 5 and 6.

[Mike Gruenke]

I've heard all the "things" as to not buy a boy or girl. I think most of these are because of one certain dog that a person has had that makes them "stereotype" all males or females into one group. I own a male 4year old F5 or 6 Labradoodle, Bentley, and a 3year old female F1b Goldendoodle, Porsche, (pronounced porsha). In some ways these two break the mold in so many areas that I've heard, it isn't even funny.

I've heard from people: Always get a female because they are less likely to wander away and stay closer to home. When Porsche can figure out how to get out of our 1/2 acre fenced enclosure behind our house, she will. She will go visit every dog she can find within 2 miles of our house. Bentley doesn't go outside the gates even when they are left open unless I tell him he can, or if he knows we are going somewhere and then it's straight to the car or truck.

Both of my dogs were/are easy to train so the old saying, "A female is easier to train.", is just a myth.

Does Bentley run around and mark his yard? Yes, so does Porsche. They are dogs, and that's what dogs do. They both know not to do it in the house and we've never had a problem with that. When a male or female is neutered it takes the sex drive marking out of the equation.

I've heard males are more protective of thier owners. Both of our's will bark when someone comes into the driveway, but truthfully, I think they would gladly show a thief where everything is kept as long as the thief pets and plays with them for awhile. It's called socializing them. Niether act scared of new people and niether act as though they want to attack.

I really don't think it matters whether it's a male or female, as it's all in the training and the personality of the owner. If you have a hyper personality, or if your household has young hyper children, so will your dog. If you do not get your dog decent enough exercise this will compound the problem also. If you are laid back and take a calm quiet approach to most problems, especially when training your young dog, your dog will take on that same personality. BUT, the dog does need to get out and exercise.

Are you going to have a perfect dog from the day you purchase and bring it home? That is up to you.

You can not make a wrong decision and I've never met a Labradoodle or Goldendoodle that I didn't like. I wish I could say that for all thier owners.

[Sue, Murphy and Bella ()*o*()]

I agree with Mike on so many points. I also have a male and a female, goldendoodles, 6yrs old and 4 1/2 yrs old. They are just two different dogs, but I think it would be impossible to say it is due to their sexes. The type of dogs they are all stems from their inate personalities and traits, the training and love put into them and the home envirorment they live in. 

My male didn't lift  his leg for his first 2-3 years, and I actually thought he never would and congratulated him when he finally "arrived" at being a full grown male dog. I just always expected that he would lift his leg because that's what dogs do, and never saw anything bad about it. As long as he's not lifting it on someone persons leg, I'm ok with that. 

Probably for every good or bad thing you hear someone say about a male dog or a female dog, there are thousands of people who will tell you that their male or female never did or does that "thing".  You just cant go wrong with getting a doodle and following your breeders advice as to the type of personality she sees in her pups. 

Personality trumps sex every time in my book. Good luck and let us know what you decide.

[Emily, Bentley, & Maserati]

I just wanted to say we have a Bentley, Porsche (pronounced the same way) and a Maserati! Nice names! :) 

[Cheryl and Finnegan]

I've had both and I don't think it makes a difference. I've heard some people don't want a female because they think it will burn the grass. Finn didn't raise his leg until he was 4, so don't bet on that.  I thought I wanted a girl but no regrets. My boy is the most loving, loyal, snuggle pup ever (I'll admit I'm biased). Life is good with him.  Boy or girl, it's temperament and health that rules.  Then the training is up to you :)

[Nicky, Riley & Boris]

I agree with you Cheryl it makes not a jot of difference. Health and temperament come first regardless of sex. Neither of my boys have lifted a leg yet...we are still waiting. Riley is a loveable smart rogue who loves his cuddles and Boris is a mama's boy who has to sleep and cuddle as close as possible and who follows his brother into whatever mischief is going. Lots of hard work will reap the rewards and it IS hard work but the rewards are well worth it.

[Kaitee and Orwell]

Prior to my Orwell, I had a female yellow lab. I did not pick her out because she was a surprise from my parents when I was 7 years old, but I expressed that I wanted a female because I already had a baby brother. :P In her puppy hood, she was independent and could entertain herself. Once she got out of that, she followed everyone around and wouldn't be far from any one of us in the family. She was a sweet dog that was friendly towards other animals and dogs even if they didn't like her. And yes, she did burn the grass... but really, who cares in the long run? Grass vs. family member. Easy one for me. Also, there are supplements that can lessen those effects. 

The worst day of my life was the day she died. She was mostly my shadow after her puppy hood. It's difficult when you lose that. 

Then I got Orwell, my big boy. He is 5.5 months and already as big as my Bonny (in height anyway). I got to pick him out. I was third in line and overwhelmed because I had to pick out of nine puppies. Two were already taken, but I wasn't told which ones were taken when I went to go pick unless I asked. The breeder was my high school English teacher so everything was relaxed and I could take as much time as I wanted. Orwell proved to be an easy pick though, because he picked me over and over again in between his siblings interrupting us. Orwell has never lifted his leg and I know of dogs who never do. I love this boy just as much as I loved my girl which I honestly thought would not be possible. 

So, my advice is to be be open to everything and anything the pups will throw at you. Temperament and personality come first. Hopefully some little guy or girl will make it easy for you as Orwell made it easy for me. 

[Cyndi, The Boys & Callie]

We have three male doodles and they have never lifted their leg in the house.  Outside, it's a different story but never inside.  They are the most loving and cuddly dogs one could ever wish for.  We love them dearly.  My personal opinion is it depends on the dog and its individual personality.   You will find male and females who are less than personable and others which want nothing more than to please you in any way they can.  It's much like people, one sex is not hands down "better" more loving than the other.  Depends on the person. 

My humble opinion is to select the puppy whose personality most fits your needs/desires and you "click" with.  Do not focus on whether it's a male or female, it will only muddy the waters.   Good luck

 

[Linda, Charlie Brown and Beau]

I have two males.  Charlie did not learn to lift is leg until we had a bulldog visiting when Charlie was about two.  He was following the bulldog around the yard and it was lifting his leg on every tree, plant etc.  Within a day Charlie was lifting his leg right after the bulldog did to cover up his scent.  Charlie is 4 now.  Beau is 2 yr 3 mos and has never lifted his leg - he still squats like a girl puppy! LOL  Charlie has never made an attempt to life his leg indoors!  As far as choosing a boy or girl, I think it depends on the individual puppy.  I have several friends who have alpha females and they can be off the charts dominant!  Neither of mine are alphas, they are lovers and love everyone (people and dogs alike).  As far as training, again I think it depends on the puppy - some are easier to train than others.  Thinking back though, I may just be partial to boys since I have never had a female.  Looking forward to seeing photos of your new puppy!

[Wendy and Myla]

When we were going to get our puppy, we requested a girl for two reasons - the first was that we do a lot of camping in our RV.  We just didn't want a male dog constantly marking his territory every time we went somewhere different.  We had friends that had a male that never marked at home on their property but whenever they took him elsewhere, he did.  The second reason was that I wanted a standard F1 (because at that time I believed in "hybrid vigour") but I also wanted a dog that was under 60 pounds.  I figured my odds were better with a female instead of the male :)  Myla is 63 pounds and has been since she was a year old but I do not know what the weights are of the other puppies in that litter.  We did not get to pick our puppy, our breeder had them tested and decided which puppy went to which owner and I was skeptical of this at first but Myla is the perfect fit for us.  When we went to pick her up, all of the eleven puppies in the litter were still there and there is no way that I would have been able to pick between them!  They were all adorable - I'm really glad that the choice was made for us!  I agree with everyone else that health and personality are the most important factors - if you have to choose at four weeks it will probably be hard to tell the personality so hopefully the breeder is experienced and can help you along!  Have fun - this is such an exciting time!!!!  I lived on this website waiting for my puppy and I learned so much!  Post pictures when you go to choose - I love seeing puppy pictures!!!

[Laurie, Wally & Charlotte]

When we got Wally, we definitely wanted a boy, as we had heard so many positive stories about male dogs. My sister-in-law, who was a breeder and trainer (not of doodles), warned us against getting a female dog, because, "You know how girls are!" The breeder chose Wally for us, and he couldn't be more wonderful. When we decided to add a second dog, we wanted another boy, for all of the same reasons. We had first pick of the litter (after the breeder's choice), so we were confident that we would be able to select another perfect boy dog for our family. But mama dog gave birth to 8 beautiful puppies -- ALL GIRLS! So, with a lot of trepidation, we started talking about girls' names. We chose Charlotte, and contrary to many of the negative stereotypes that we feared, she, too, couldn't be more wonderful. So, the moral of the story is, if the parents have nice temperaments, then pick the puppy who best meets your personality requirements, regardless of his or her gender.