Today's post on Susan Garrett's blog was about preferences for either male or female dogs. I'm not the best person to give an opinion seeing that I've only ever had two dogs, but I found it interesting to read all the comments and thought that I'd give me own experience.
Keep in mind that Mika was spayed at 7 months and Wall-e is intact.
Mika is not "moody," but she does have different moods. Sometimes she'll be in my favourite mood -- happy, cheerful, with her smile that I love, perking up when I look at her, following me around eagerly -- and sometimes she'll wander around aimlessly. She's not always cheerful like Wall-e is, although she can almost always go into a cheerful mood when I give her "Ready" cue (which means that it's time to train). A lot of people who commented on Susan's blog said that their males were more attached to them than their females, but that's not the case at all with Mika...she's very attached to me. Hard to say if she's more attached to me than Wall-e, but she shows it differently. She'll snuggle up beside me and we'll lie together on the couch or bed, she'll come up to me for attention and pets, and she actually stresses if I give attention to Wall-e and not to her. Wall-e prefers to keep his distance and likes his own space, although he loves it when I give him attention. (Although only verbal attention in his case, unlike Mika, who loves both verbal and physical attention.)
I do agree (with the blog) that my female is more sensitive than my male. Mika is very soft and sensitive, always wants to do the right thing, and worries easily. while Wall-e is slightly sensitive but not at all soft. Although I am completely positive in all my training with both my dogs, I don't have to worry as much with Wall-e. If a mistake is made, he can take re-do's without any loss in enthusiasm, although the only time I've ever done re-do's with Wall-e is with weave training (which, by the way, is going VERY well!).
So which do I prefer, boys or girls? I don't think I can really say right now because I haven't had enough experience (and it's hard to compare because my dogs are completely different breeds), but I'm sure that I'll develop an opinion in the future!
~Nat
Good post Nat - mom can't really voice an opinion either since I am the only dog that she has ever had (other than family dogs when she was growing up). But in her experience the boy dogs have been fun and smart and loyal and the girl dogs have been independent and harder to train.
ReplyDeleteHi Nat,
ReplyDeleteI also read Susan Garrett's post. I do think that males in one breed are different from males in another breed- which she didn't talk about. She only talked about males vs. females. I don't think shelties fit the description she gave of boys- for example- my boys would NEVER push their way through (she called it "rammy"). My Rott/Shep. mix is a male and he ALWAYS pushes his way where ever he wants to go. Some of my female shelties are pushy too. My females are more likely to knock a bar in agility than the boys that I have trained in agility (we are talking shelties again). I think that male shelties are sweeter than female shelties and want to please more than female shelties do. I also think it is a "breed thing". My .02
Cadie
I use to perfer male dogs. Im not sure if I even new why. But now I have 2 males and 2 females. ( one of each is a chihuahua and one of each is a sheltie). I really dont think it matters male or female. They are all loving. Miley isnt a cuddler but has gotten better the older she gets. I like them all and really now have no preference. I dont think my females are moody and they always seem happy to me. Diana
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