Choosing between a male and female dog can be a big decision! Are you thinking of getting a dog and are not sure if you should choose a male or female? Understanding the differences can help you choose the right dog for you.
In this article we explore differences such as temperament, behaviour, and in some breeds, size to help you understand the nuances between male and female dogs and ultimately choose the best fit for your lifestyle.
What's the difference between male and female dogs?
While every dog has their own unique personality, there are some common differences between male and female dogs. These differences mainly come down to how their hormones and reproductive systems influence them, which can lead to variations in both appearance and behaviour. Let's take a closer look.
Temperament
The best way to understand a dog's temperament is to spend time with them and observe their individual behaviours. This means that once you have chosen your ideal breed, visit people who own these dogs and spend time with adults of the breed – both male and female. By doing this, you can get a better sense of their personality, differences between the sexes, and whether they would be a good fit for your lifestyle.
Be aware that if you visit a breeder, most of their dogs will be intact and not neutered – which can make some personality and behaviour differences so try and meet some pet dogs of the breed as well. While individual observation is key, there can be some temperament differences between male and female dogs that can also be helpful to consider.
Male Dog Temperament
They are often described as more playful, energetic, and sometimes more prone to boisterousness especially as adolescents. Male puppies often retain a puppyish energy for longer, being more goofy, energetic, and eager to play. They may be more affectionate, seeking more attention and physical contact from their owners. If kept entire, they may be more likely to wander and explore, driven by their instinct to seek out potential mates or chase bitches in season. Some may be more likely to territory mark and so may need some extra toilet training and vigilance to ensure they don’t lift a leg on furniture. As they go through puberty and adolescence, they can be more challenging, be keen to explore further from their owner, and more prone to ‘selective deafness’!
Female Dog Temperament
Female dogs are often considered to be more gentle, affectionate, and easier to train. They tend to be less challenging and rebellious during their adolescence and may be more attentive to their owners. Females may be more likely to display nurturing instincts but also be a little more independent. If kept entire, they will have reproductive cycles with ebbing and flowing hormones that may alter their behaviour.
However, these differences between the sexes are variable between breeds, types and individuals – and neutering will generally make them less pronounced.
Behaviour
Just like with temperament, a dog's behaviour can differ depending on their sex, though it's important to remember that every breed and individual is different and so these are tendencies, not absolutes. Here's a breakdown:
Behaviours More Commonly Associated with Male Dogs:
- Marking: Lifting their leg on objects or surfaces to ‘mark’ them with urine.
- Mounting: Where a dog humps another dog, person, or object. This however isn’t always a sexually driven behaviour, and female puppies will often do this too.
- More Distracted: Particularly during adolescence or when there are other interesting sights, smells, or dogs around.
- Reactive towards other male (especially entire) dogs.
- Roaming/escapology: Most common in entire males as they go on the search for a mate or pursue a bitch in season.
Behaviours More Commonly Associated with Female Dogs:
- Nurturing: Particularly if they've had puppies.
- Greater Trainability: Many find female dogs less distracted than males, and as a result be more attentive and responsive to training.
- Less Likely to Initiate Conflict: While females can certainly be aggressive, they are sometimes perceived as less likely to initiate conflict when out and about than males and better able to deflect potentially aggressive situations.
- Less likely to roam.
- More variations of behaviour within their hormonal cycle.
Size
In general, male dogs tend to be larger and heavier than female dogs of the same breed. This is due to hormonal differences, with testosterone promoting more muscle growth and bone development in males (if not neutered before they are fully mture).
Other key differences to consider in terms of size are:
- Head Size: Male dogs often have larger heads than female dogs, with a wider skull and a more prominent brow ridge.
- Features: Female dogs may have more delicate features, such as a narrower muzzle and a more refined bone structure.
Hormones
Male Hormones in Dogs
- Primary Hormone: Testosterone, produced mainly in the testicles.
- Effects: Testosterone in male dogs influences the development of male sexual characteristics (e.g., larger size, muscle mass), certain behaviours (e.g., marking territory, roaming, mounting), and may be linked to increased aggression in some individuals.
- Hormonal Changes: Levels peak during adolescence before settling and remaining relatively consistent after reaching maturity and will decline slightly with age.
Female Hormones in Dogs
- Primary Hormones: Oestrogen and progesterone, produced in the ovaries.
- Effects: Oestrogen and progesterone in female dogs govern the development of female sexual characteristics, regulate the oestrous cycle (seasons/heat cycle), can influence certain behaviours (such as nesting, maternal instincts), and Will likely fluxuate during their cycle. A female dog during her season can be more nervous, more irritable, or even more affectionate or clingy.
- Hormonal Changes: Cyclic fluctuations associated with the oestrous cycle with levels declining after spaying.
Anatomy
Reproductive considerations are a significant factor in choosing between a male and female dog. Intact females experience heat cycles twice a year (although some breeds may only come into season once a year), and during this time will attract male dogs, creating a potentially inconvenient situation for the dog owner. Spaying eliminates this issue, but it's a surgical procedure with associated costs and potential risks. Similarly, unneutered males are driven by instinct to seek females in heat. Neutering can help with this, though this procedure also carries costs and risks. Furthermore, unspayed females are susceptible to reproductive health problems like mammary tumours and uterine infections, while unneutered males may face increased risks of prostate problems and testicular cancer.
These health concerns, along with the financial and procedural implications of spaying or neutering, often play a role in prospective owners' decision-making process.
How to choose the perfect dog, female or male, for your lifestyle?
There are factors that will heavily influence what kind of dog is a good fit for you. While one of those is sex, the breed of the dog you choose is far more important. While a male might be more active and more challenging during adolescence, and a female might be less distracted and more able to focus on you, the differences will usually be fairly small. A highly active dog breed is going to be highly active whether male or female, while a laid-back dog breed is going to be pretty chill whether a boy or a girl. If you plan to neuter your dog, these differences will probably be less apparent anyway.
However, all breeds and types are different. In some breeds, there is a huge difference between the sexes – with males being much bigger, much stronger and much more challenging – especially through adolescence. In other breeds, the differences are slight. This should form part of your decision-making process when you consider getting a puppy – and which puppy from a litter you should choose.
Most people however do have a preference. Spend time with adults of the breed and decide if you are more drawn to the females or the males.
Also consider any other dogs you have in the family. Multi-dog households are often more harmonious the more different the individual dogs are – and so often getting a puppy the opposite sex from your existing dog can help create stronger canine friendships.
Conclusion
Choosing between a male or female dog is an important decision, and hopefully, this article has shed light on the key differences to consider. While generalisations about temperament, behaviour, and size can be helpful, it's crucial to remember that every dog is an individual. Hormones play a role in shaping certain tendencies, but a dog's personality is heavily influenced by environment, breed, upbringing, training, and socialisation. Whether you choose a male or female dog, the most important factor is finding a dog whose personality complements yours and who you can welcome into your life as a loving and cherished member of your family.
