There is quite a debate whether a male or female is easier to own; I own both and I see no reason for debate. There are no references for anything I say here and, if there were, you would not need to be here. If you have read most of my site and pretty much believe my opinion then all I need to say is, "The general opinion that one gender is easier to train is a myth." Do you believe me? I am pretty sure one or two of you don't so I will continue. Each dog is special and each is different in their own wonderful way. There are some distinct differences between the sexes and most of them are disgustingly obvious while others are given more or less attention than is deserved.

In my years of breeding I have come to learn that females are the most preferred when buyers decide they want a puppy. Many of the reasons include: a possible desire to breed "just once", a belief that females make more money if intended for breeding, females are naturally calmer, need only be trained once, are better with children, females shed less, are more affectionate, are never aggressive, more likely to obey... For the most part all of this is generally false or very selfish.

Males are usually pegged as defiant, aggressive by nature, hyper, unable to generate the same income as a female if intended for breeding, less likely to train well, must be trained again at puberty... The sad part is that there is not much that many people have to say about males. I find this sad, because my boy is the light of my life and many of the males he has sired definitely deserve more praise than they are currently getting. As for the list, it is vaguely true on one count and completely false on all others. Yes, males do gain a tendency to mark when they hit puberty and, yes, this will require a brief retraining session. Not all males will do this and I have noticed that neutered males can be less likely to develop this habit, though it is not something to depend upon. As for the amount of money to be made with a male... I find this, again, a selfish reason to buy a pet. Since I cannot stop anyone from thinking whichever way they choose, I can say that a male can be bred twice a month for up to it's tenth year, maybe later, where a female can only produce, at most, twice a year and only until they are eight. You do the math.

Now, if you are like most buyers, you are looking for a pet. This being the case, do not let the gender of the puppy stop you from finding the puppy you belong with and whom belongs with you. If choosing a puppy from the heart, not because they are cute or to spare them their present situation, your puppy will strive to please you. I, as I am sure you, have heard friends or acquaintances who have sworn they had constant trouble with their previous male or female. It is possible for there to be other reasons, but mainly the reason for their past problem stems from an unwise choice, a lack of determination and firm hand to properly discipline the other dog, purchasing from someone who had improperly trained the dog making training for the new owner more difficult or all of the above.

I am sure at least one person reading this will think I am trying to make my rejected males easier to sell. I admit, the numerous phones calls from people determined upon a certain gender without reason and without prior experience bother me. I will also admit that I never have to sell my dogs. The right homes always find me and always at the right time for both the owner and the dog. Before you get angry with me I want to say that I have a very high respect for your feelings. I encourage all to be led by your instincts as this is your only help in purchasing and raising your dog. Just be aware that rejecting a puppy based on gender will limit your probability of finding the right dog. If you are breeding, planning on breeding or really uncomfortable with one gender there is no question which one to choose. If you are looking for a pet, the best advice I can give you is to go to the breeder you are meeting with an open mind. Take the time to love and cuddle all the puppies and if you feel close to one of them and really feel a bond, that is the puppy for you. If not, move onto another breeder and another litter.

So what about all the hype? I cannot tell you where all the misnomers come from or why they are now believed as fact. Once, I too thought I would never want anything but a female. Especially after my husband brought home a male LhasaPoo from the pet store when I was 4 months pregnant with my first child. I was corrected when I found Toto. The first thing to understand is that gender does not determine your dog's personality or ability to be trained. It is your dog's personality that determines your dog's personality. It is your ability to stay firm and constant in your praise and punishment that determines how quickly and easily your dog will train. Gender has nothing to do with it.

I have owned many dogs and many breeds in my life; both male and female. I remember an Irish Setter we had who was very gentle and very calm. I spoke with my mother recently about him and she recalled the many visitors to our home who assumed this dog was female. He was male and he was very young at the time we had him. I have several females in my home that differ as night and day in personality. Autumn is very hyper and playful and sometimes aggressive in her play. Belle and Annie have always been laid back, even as puppies. They do play, but their play is calmer and not as vigorous. Toto was the easiest dog for me to train. It was more obvious when he tried to eliminate in the house and was therefore easier to stop and take outside. Even now Autumn will eliminate in the house before I can notice she might. Belle was also very easy to train as she only wanted to please me and she seemed to catch on to the idea very quickly. One of my friends have a male they are having a miserable time training. He seems to find every weakness they have and he exploits it to the fullest. My point, is there is no trend here. I have owned hyper males and females and calm males and females. I have had dogs that train slower and those who train quickly.

I have also noticed that when I have trouble training a dog it is when I have not been able to devote the energy to upholding my own rules or have decided an old rule is really not necessary. How well your dog trains depends on you and the home he originally came from. If you are not firm or if the previous owner/breeder was not using proper training habits, you are in for a workout. It has nothing to do with gender. If you are not firm with your dog, your dog will not train. Some personalities require more rules or stronger terms than others, but believe me, it is personality alone to blame.

Some things you may have heard are true. Females, for the most part, need only be trained in your home once and males twice. Females will come into puberty without much change in their eliminating habits, but this is only mostly true. I have had a few females who, I believed, were trained and then one day they chose to disobey all previous training and had to be retrained. I have also owned females that marked territory. I have owned males who never lifted their legs to mark and never had to have the second training lesson. Okay, you might be thinking that most males will start to mark while most females won't. Understand, if you have trained your male well the first time around, it will only require and extra day or two to retrain him not to mark the furniture or walls. If trained well from the start, your dog will understand any additional training very quickly. Also, remember that at the time your male has reached puberty you should still be crate training him and should still have a close eye on him when he is out of his crate. If you are watching him you will catch him before he has the chance to mark and the problem will be solved before it becomes a problem.

It is you and only you that will know when you have found the right puppy. If you were thinking female, be aware that you may fall in love with a male before you have enough time to walk away. If nothing more than to make you smile I can tell you about a young girl who bought one of my puppies a few years back. She was determined upon a female, but I only had males in the litter. She was also very determined upon having one of Belle's puppies so she came to see the litter anyway. I had four males crawling around her and within minutes she was cuddling a little boy and forgetting that he was a boy. Despite her hopes of pink bows, collars and beds she wanted that little boy. She then asked how I thought about dressing a boy in pink. I told her that the color of the puppy's accessories would not change the puppy, regardless of Hollywood's joke in "Legally Blonde Red, White & Blue". She brought him back for a visit a few months later and he was decked out in pink and well loved and adored. Don't let what you have heard keep you from your companion. The right dog, male or female, will have a personality to match your own.