Are female dogs easier than males?

[slinkyboo]

We have a five month old rescue pup. He is becoming extremely boisterous in the morning and quite hard to manage (even with a good walk first thing). Off lead hardly ever happens as if he sees another dog he is off...not even the best treat will get him back. After about 4pm he is like a different dog, though - so much calmer etc.
A friend commented today that their 4 month old pup was much easier 'because she's a bitch'. They were slightly 'smug' about it tbh. I thought there wasn't really any firm truth in that but now I'm wondering. DH wanted a bitch but we fell in love with this little boy pup at the rescue centre.
I just want to hear positive stories about people with calm, lovely male dogs I think!!

[Ephiny]

I have a calm, lovely male dog, can't take too much credit for him as he's a rescue and came to us 5 years old. But the most gentle, steady laid-back boy you can imagine, and beautifully behaved apart from the odd stubborn moment. We sometimes walk a neighbour's young GSD bitch - and oh she's stunningly beautiful and a really lovely girl, but a real handful: very vocal, pulls on the lead, can't be let off as she has no recall, goes mental with excitement at the sight of another dog, a squirrel, a ball...pretty much anything really. I'm glad to hand her back!


Just anecdote, of course, but I really think it depends on age and breed more than sex. And training/exercise of course. GSD girl mentioned undoubtedly doesn't get enough exercise, and has never really had the consistent training she needs.

[DejaWho]

Dog - wonderful, calm, friendly, gorgeous looking (the comment made recently was "he looks like he should be advertising sausages"), never ever puts a paw out of line.

Bitch - bonkers, bossy, stubborn as a mule, a little kleptomaniac with a shoe fetish, drama queen... typical woman in other words! Total antithesis of everything about her breed being laid back, easy going, calm - she's beyond bonkers.

Incidentally the cats we've owned have also fallen into the pattern of toms being much much easier than queens - the Feline Empress of the Universe is also a right stroppy little madam.

[slinkyboo]

So looks like it's totally down to the individual dog rather than sex. Some bonkers some models of the canine community

[chickchickchicken]

dog 1 female 14yrs old
dog 2 male 6yrs old
dog3 male 4yrs old

dog2 is a bouncy, clumsy, energetic fool. dogs 1 and 3 are calm and quiet

[fruitshootsandheaves]

I have a border collie bitch too. Quite high strung and unpredictable with other dogs, (normally bites them but sometimes loves them!)
I have a male springer spaniel, unneutered who is very energetic but completely uninterested (uninterested? disinterested? whatever ) in other dogs or people, unless they happen to be covered in tennis balls then he'd probably get quite excited.
I have found my male dogs easier than my female dogs. With the exception of my male sheltie cross who was rather a PITA for 14 years but lovely when he went deaf and stopped barking!

[MadAboutHotChoc]

I have a bitch and a dog,both are rescues. The bitch is bossy and not great with other dogs, but she is very clever. The dog is devoted, docile and easy going (he was neutered at 6 months old) but rather dopey.

[silentcatastrophe]

We have 2 dogs and a bitch. All are fabulous. The bitch keeps the order in the house and the boys are just boys really. They do boy things like play football and bashing each other while the bitch plays with dolls and cooks. The boys are similar in lots of ways, but that's probably because they are the same sort of breed. The bitch is the same sort of breed too. Six & half a dozen. Our bitch is v scheming and can now open the door of the fridge. She's about 12, and must have been practicing for some time.

[WoodRose]

I have border collies. There is a saying that male collies want to be your mate, whilst female collies think they are your mother. Certainly, our male collie is very gentle, docile and compliant. We have had 2 female collies and both have been/ are quite bossy little madams.

[DooinMeCleanin]

I have two bitches and one dog. The dog is a pain in the arse and can be nasty when the mood takes him. The two bitches are literally dream dogs.

My Dad has two dogs and a bitch. The two dogs are so laid back they barely move and are perfect with the dc. The bitch is snappy, dog aggressive and a bit slow on the uptake when it comes to training. She's also very, very, very bouncy. She is the same breed as my bitch (Whippet) - but the polar opposite of her character wise. Breed counts for something but the vast majority of it is down to the individual dog and their upbringing/training.

[slinkyboo]

Definitely separated at birth, Kings...(sorry, just seen your post!)

Ours has started to look at us in utter bewilderment when we say basic commands...ones that he did perfectly a few weeks ago. 'Sit' for example. Either we have the most dumb dog on the planet or he has hit the dreaded ADOLESCENCE....

[Kingsroadie]

Slinky - I think we have the same dog. Even the same age. He is exactly the same - runs off, won't recall if sees another dog, obsessed with other dogs etc. Still very excitable and jumps up when excited (despite constant training not to) Handful. But calms down after dinner and sleeps all evening/night. Have just posted on the "my dog runs off" thread! Will be getting ours chopped soon! Feel your pain

[cupcakesx2]

it all depends on the breed, i have a dogue de bordeaux bitch, who is a lovely dog, but slightly moosy and stroppy at times, i follow and support the charity regarding these dogs and they do say they boys as a rule are more loving and chilled out than the girls, certainly fits with mine. but would say its down to many factors, environment, breed, and pure luck with some! good luck with ur pup, and it sounds a little like my kids iq is better than urs sort of rubbish that some ppl just cant help but brag about! as for the hyper in the mornings.. enjoy it they dont live forever :)

[slinkyboo]

Higgle - at your bitch showing off with a potato!!
Thank you for these extra replies. They have made me feel much better! The lady at the rescue had said the same things really, when we were considering our pup but had 'wanted' a bitch. She said it was more about specific animals than sex...we have good friends with the maddest Cocker bitch ever - so there are no guarantees.
As for the mornings, I really like the frozen kong idea. What do you soak the kibble in and how long for? (water?)
Thank you again to all who posted

[higgle]

I've had three lovely calm loving male dogs ( 2 entire one neutered) and one nutty over energetic devious bitch, she even flirted outrageously with my boyfiends ( pre- marriage) coquettishly making eyes and showing how clever she was with a potato. She was the best though......

[Lizcat]

As a vet and from growing up with many, many dogs I can honestly say there are nutty dogs and bitches out their. My personal preference is for neutered male dogs.
But the single biggest factor that gives you a lovely calm dog is training. You may find your smug friends feel that as their bitch is so well behaved that they don't concentrate so much on the training and then suddenly have a nightmare dog at a year old - it happens way more often than you think.
My current canine is the mobile mop who can be as nutty as a fruitcake on a walk or playing the garden, but in the house or office at work he knows that calm behaviour is what is required. None of this is due to being a boy, but a factor of the hours of training I have put in so that he knows when nutty as a fruitcake is appropriate.

[clam]

I think it's entirely down to personal preference. I got irritated recently when a friend (who knew I'd chosen a male pup) managed to slip into the conversation that when she'd been choosing her dog, she only went to breeders who had bitches as she wouldn't have even countenanced a male. Yes, her dog is well-behaved, but then actually so is mine (bearing in mind he's 4.5 months old) but I think that's down to training in her case, not gender.

[minimu11]

Exercise first thing before he is fed then a short break so that he is not too hot and bothered and then feed him. Guaranteed sleepy calm puppy (for a while anyway!)

[Cheria]

My golden retriever was very boisterous and bouncy and slightly out of control from around 6 months to 18 months. Then he calmed down at about 2 and is now 2.5, calm when we need him to be and still bouncy but controllable out on a walk or in the garden.

He hasn't been castrated on vet's advice. Not because we want to breed (we don't, even though he is from a good line and people have asked us) but because the vet thought it wouldn't make much difference to his behaviour. I don't know if that was good advice, but his recall is excellent (as long as we have a treat for him) even when near bitches on heat (we have females in the gardens on both sides of the house). Vet had lots of other reasons too.

Anyway, all that to say he has calmed down, not to get into an argument on to castrate or not. From what I can tell famales are not necessarily easier than males.

[misschenko]

Frozen kongs work well for us, my lab tends to be hyper in the mornings so we started giving them from about 4 months. He used to have 2 small puppy ones, now has the big black extreme kong. He has 3rd of his daily kibble allowance for breakfast, soaked kibble stuffed into kong with small amount of peanut butter or cream cheese, frozen overnight. I make him sit and wait while I hide the kong and rest of kibble in the garden. It keeps him occupied for about half an hour, then he waits in the utility room till walk time.

[slinkyboo]

That looks good - I will have a look for it! I'll try anything. I do feel pretty dense but I honestly never knew pup would be so high-maintenance in the mornings

[slinkyboo]

BeerTricks- he is finished with a kong in 30 seconds. We have the puppy size kong tho and it doesn't fit much food...but the food (kibble) just falls out really. I've tried peanut butter but he rejected it completely!

[slinkyboo]

DBF I totally agree re recall - and since a hugely episode when pup ran off while at a lake, soaking wet and rubbing himself on other peoples towels and totally deaf to my calling him - DH has rigged up a 6m length of rope as a long-line lead which works a treat (I started a thread about the Lake Escape a few weeks ago and other posters suggested a long line)
Trouble is....with visitors we have to keep him on short lead or tied up as when children play he gets completely over excited and bounds about, frightening them or knocking them over I'm desperately hoping he just calms down as he gets older but sounds like he may not. Which worries me

[PersonalClown]

DBF- my Doodle does the bum wiggle too! You tell his mood from the speed of the tail wag and you KNOW he's happy when the butt goes too!!