Male vs female

[Jody Neeley]

We will be getting our pick of the litter in a few months. We are so excited! I Know all the breeders say that there isn't a huge difference between male and female puppies once they are fixed. But, is there? Just curious to hear some personal views on this topic and what you would suggest. Obviously a lot more goes into a pick than just the gender, I just want to know as much as I can in advance. Thank you!

[Helga, Nimbus, Sierra, Clooney]

I am interested in the answer (s) to that, too. I picked my first because I had a male before and knew how to deal with one.

Now I am waiting for my 2nd puppy who was born about 2 weeks ago.

I don't know whether I should get another male, or a female this time.

I heard that it's better not to have 2 of the same sex because of dominance issues. But does that also go for doodles? Most doodles I know are very subordinate, so it might not be a problem.

You are lucky that you can just pick any. We have to choose male or female before we get to pick the puppy.

[Marilyn and Sherlock]

Someone wrote once, females jump up and down crying "love me, love me, love me......males look at their humans crying, "I love you,  I love you, I love you".......  I have always preferred males.... they are more affectionate, less territorial and just generally more carefree and fun loving..... I have had both and like males best.... I find females aren't called bitches because someone just liked the sound of the word....

[Deb's Yarrow and Schatzi]

Interesting. I find females to be affectionate but more independent. The male in our predominantly female household has always been very needy and up close and too personal with company.

[Helga, Nimbus, Sierra, Clooney]

That sounds rather harsh. I know some VERY affectionate females, including my neighbor's lab. However, I think that females tend to be more nervous, pee when excited etc. But then again, all of these things could just be the traits of one particular dog that just happens to be female.

[Gretchen Nastrom]

We had pick of the litter with Preston and chose him because his hair was more curly like a poodle and probably wouldn't shed as much (he doesn't shed at all).  Some of his litter mates had more wavy hair, and the breeder thought they would have more of a golden retriever coat.  We also looked at the shape of the pups' heads and decided we liked the poodle characteristics.  The last thing we did was hold 3 of them together and then talked about their personalities with the breeder.  Of the 3, Preston was described as the most cuddly of the bunch, so that helped us make our decision.

 

I've only ever had male dogs growing up, but my brother has a female goldendoodle who is very sweet and loving.  She tends to be more dominant around Preston, but she does put up with a lot of his puppy antics before she gets irritated and puts him in his place.  I'm sure it will be a tough choice because they are all so cute!  Good luck!

[Missy]

ahh! the gender debate.  I was obsessed with this topic when picking our pup.  I was asked by my breeder what personality traits I was looking for in a pup.  We wanted laid back character, one to go with the flow. We travel alot and needed a pup to quickly adjust to new situations.  She suggested we look at males for this reason. Not that they are not challenging, but more selective in what they challenge.  I then talked with several (7) different owners from this breeder and polled them on male vs female traits. A couple had both female and male doods and admitted that the females were more leaders than their males. (ie: when anyone walked by the house, the female was the only one at the window barking or watching, the male not interested) I did not want male, but changed my mind after these discussions. I have been pleased and no regrets at all!

So, i would suggest you ponder what you want personality wise, and then see if you can talk with previous owners from your breeder. I do think traits are passed genetically and it is important to talk with owners from same breeder you get your pup from. Ideally, would be owners from same mating pair you are choosing.

If your breeder has playdate for you at about 5-6 weeks, GO!  Personalities are showing at this age. It's hard to take it all in, but I can look back at this playdate and see similar traits in my 1.5 year old as he had then. I observed how this male interacted with his litter mates and mother. He wanted to sleep by himself, not in a pile.  He was ready to eat, but when mother left, other pups stood barking for her to come back to pen, but our male, just layed back down. Our Teddy is easy going, laid back and ok to be in the crate by himself. When he wants to play, and I am busy, he just lays (pouting) there waiting for me.  I am thankful for my breeder in guiding me thru the process. I asked lots and lots of questions!! But hey, it's a big investment and you got to know what you are getting!!

I know what you are going thru and just remember to get some sleep before bringing pup home. Those first three months home are so critical in training so that life is survivable!

[Cindy and Olive (Ollie)]

Check out (google) the Volhard temperament testing, it will give you some ideas on what to ask/look for. Perhaps your breeder does some type of temperament testing...

[Abigail *George & Juno*]

We have two females, our first is a bit over 9 months old. She has what most of you are describing as the "male" personality. VERY loving, cuddly, laid back, maybe because we gave her a boy name. ;) she would do anything to please, even at 9 months (a very teenage/trying age). Our second, is just under 4 months old. She is a DRAMA QUEEN. Very ruff and tumble with other dogs and playing, screams bloody murder if you brush her and she's not in the mood, or the tables are turned with other puppies during playtime. They are both EXTREMELY smart. George (our older, sweety) does things because she knows she's supposed to and wants to please you, Juno (our newest, queen) doesn't hear you and is just too curious for her own good. She can be very sweet as well, but she'll turn on that mischievous side in a split second. We call her our sour patch kid, or "crash" depending on her latest behavior. She truly is a good puppy, she's just a puppy. All of this only takes training and patience.

As for the barking, we have only one dog that barks. :)


In conclusion, I would choose the temperment you want...and not worry about the gender. We've done that both times and we're very happy with our two ladies. :)

[Jolene, Sassparilla & Josie]

I've had both males and females and I was more basic in my selection. Boys lift legs to pee (i know not always but most of the time), girls don't. Boys are generally larger while the females are smaller (my Sassparilla just meet her brother this past weekend from the same litter and he was 40#s more (beautiful but a big boy). In my experience males get more aroused (even though they are neutered) than the girl's and last belly rubs! Yes the girls are generally more high strung but raising an adhd child we like the energy. We love the mix; play hard / cuddle hard! And I like that females are more reactive to their surroundings, I'm a single parent and we spend a lot of time out and about camping and traveling, when a big dog barks in most cases it's intimidating. Either gender you will love to pieces.

[Deb's Yarrow and Schatzi]

This is usable advice.

[Michele Kiss]

Our breeder told us because of the temperament they breed for, there is typically little difference. That said, we chose male because 1) I have felt like most males I've had/known have been more chill and snuggly, whereas the females were more aloof, and 2) We have an older female call and I hoped that a boy would cause fewer issues than bringing a girl dog in to the house. We also intentionally chose the most "chill" little boy when we met the pups. Definitely get your breeder's help deciding / confirming. (E.g. If you meet the pups it's possible one could seem chill because he/she went nutso thirty minutes ago and now he's napping! So make sure that the breeder says that what you see reflects their personality.) Best call IMHO is to choose based on personality and what you want and put aside gender. I think as long as the personality matches you'll be really happy. 

[Leslie, Yogi & Maci Bear]

We wanted a male, so we got Yogi first and he is the sweetest dog ever. Next dog we decided to get a female as we heard the opposite sex might get along better. Maci is still young, not quite 4 months yet. She is very cuddly, prob more so than Yogi, but she is also more opinionated and will probably be the alpha.
I don't really think there is much difference at the end of the day.
Number one thing to base your decision on is temperament, temperament!