Male Vs Female Goldendoodle

[Tara]

We just put a deposit down on a F1 Goldendoodle puppy for the Spring. Once the puppies are born, we have to decide between a male or a female, and then when we go pick up the puppy, we have a choice between the puppies of that gender. We are torn between the two. I have two young children, one on the autism spectrum. I have heard the males are more intuitive of the child's needs and can be more affectionate. I wasn't sure if this is true.  It is a tough decision but I want to choose the right dog for our family. Temperament is key. Any opinions would be appreciated as this is a tough decision!

[Adina P]

Congratulations on your upcoming puppy!

Honestly I don't think it matters which gender you get.  There are service dogs and therapy dogs of both genders so that is pretty good evidence that either can be intuitive.  My husband's late border collie was a female and she was a total mind reader. 

I think if you have a good breeder who knows dogs, s/he should be able to guide you based on what temperament/family requirements you've shared already.  Most good breeders don't assign puppies until they are several weeks old so temperament and personality have shined through a bit.  I didn't pick Rosco (9 y.o. labradoodle) until he was 7 weeks old and my breeder did temperament testing. 

[Lynda Kamrath]

That is great that you are getting a goldendoodle.  I think they are the greatest dogs.  I don't know of any great differences between the sexes.  The breeder may be able to guide you to the right dog for your family.

[Joyce (Casey & Cody's mom)]

I totally agree with the other posts. I have more experience with males than with females - but must say that if properly trained and given loads of love and affection, either sex can be a super companion. My males have always been super affectionate and very intelligent. The only problem that I've had with females is that they tend to have a bit more "alpha" personality than my males have. If you only have one dog, this probably wouldn't be a problem at all. I think you wouldn't go wrong with either but would rely on your breeder to help you decide. She/he should have a really good insight into the individual personalities of the pups. I don't know if you are getting a standard or a mini, but must remember that as they grow, pups are like toddlers and can be a bit rambunctious. They can be taught to not jump or be pushy, but you may have a few incidents before they really learn. That doesn't make them a bad dog. Best of luck - doodles can give you hours and hours of love and laughter.

[Laurie, Wally & Charlotte]

I have one of each, and I must say that while their personalities are dissimilar, they are both intuitive and affectionate. My sister-in-law, however, is a dog trainer and breeder, and she most definitely prefers male dogs as pets, saying that "Just like people, girls can be girls!"

[Paige and Leo]

I have a special needs child and when we were looking to get a puppy the breeder based puppies on temperament.  She helped guide us and listened to our needs as a family.  As the puppies were older (7 weeks 8 weeks) she had a pretty good picture of which ones would be a good fit.  We picked a boy and it has been a wonderful match.  I do believe it is personality/temperament of the puppy.  I do keep in touch with Leo's sister and she is a very different personality than Leo.   Leo is  medium size he is almost 2 and is 30 lbs.  Congratulations on getting a puppy!

[Leslie, Yogi & Maci Bear]

I have one of each. I really don't think the sex makes one bit of difference. It's more of the individual temperment
instead of whether they are male or female. Good luck and enjoy your new puppy.

[Jessica, Loki and Moose]

I don't think gender matters as far as temperament goes. I have two male doodles and originally wanted one boy and one girl. I was 7th pick for my first and 1st for my second. Both times the breeder had guided me/chosen for me boy puppies so I ended up with two boys and could not have been happier. A good friend of mine has two female dogs and they are fantastic as well. I also grew up with all female dogs and loved them. If you haven't already, maybe write down (in order of importance) a list of the top 5-10 traits you would want in your dog for your child's needs? It might help to keep you "on track" when you see a bunch of super cute puppies crawling all over you. I made my "wish list" and gave it to my breeder who in turn used that to pick out my boys and it seemed to work out great for me! Good luck and congrats!

[Tara]

A wishlist is a good idea.  I think I will do that!

[Gracie, Jade, & Barkley]

I have two female doodles and a male schnoodle. With my 3, the male is the one that follows me everywhere and would lay by my side all the time if he could. I don't know if it is because he's a male or his temperament. My breeder claims that males do indeed seek out people more so than females as females are more independent.
My youngest puppy also follows me everywhere, but she still goes off on her own. For instance, right now both of my females are lying on the floor in different areas. The male is laying beside me and if we had Velcro he would be attached - that's how close he is.
How soon after the puppies are born do you have to decide?

[Tara]

I believe once the puppies are born, the breeder will call me.  At that time I have to choose either a male or female.  Then when I go to pick up the puppy, I will have the choice of puppies from the gender I chose. 

[Leslie, Yogi & Maci Bear]

I guess if you are high on the wait list, I would choose the sex that has the most pups. More choices:-)
Our girl is like a pocket pal, very affectionate. But my boy is extremely affectionate too, almost always near us or on our laps.. He just isn't in our pockets. You can't go wrong with either sex. Just pick for the temperment. Even if you choose off of looks when they are very young, they change :-). Temperment is key!