Male or female?

[BaconAndAvocado]

We've just received some forms from the breeder we have chosen asking us which colour Lab (black or brown)'and which sex we would prefer.

Regarding the colour, apart from DH who likes the chocolate Browns, the rest of the family don't mind either.

What are the major differences/considerations between owning a male and female Labrador?

I have a male dog (not a lab) but I think it's important to consider how you feel about managing seasons and the potential for phantom pregnancies versus castration given that it is advised to wait until they are fully grown to do so.

I've got both and male is much more laid back but that could just be his personality!

Bitey apart from the obvious, what does a castration involve. Recovery time etc.

Ive had both, my bitch was very calm and quiet but more independent and male is very loving but much more excitable and boisterous.

OP i would worry about castrations as most vets now don’t automatically recommend them, in fact my vet says to only consider it if your dog has very anti social tendencies as it can cause agression/ anxiety and the cancers more linked to it are less treatable.

I think it's more down to genetics and individual personlalities than sex tbh.
Pros and cons to both.. boys mark every where they walk and potentially indoors. My brother has a male and bth him weekly cos he always manged to drip pee on his own legs !
I have a girl, so due to size was recommended to have a few seasons before spaying... last one was a nightmare so she is being spayed next month (she's 18m) but if she hadn't got so anxious with it we would have waited as the actual season itself was no big deal.

My girl is uber affectionate and daft but can also be quite bossy...but so was her mum so I think that's mostly genetic!

We have a spayed bitch and she is a perfect dog. I've had a male dog before and my main reason for wanting a bitch this time, is the sniffing and leg cocking that males tend to do.

With the females and "seasons", do,you just clear up after her and is there a lot of blood?

As you can see I'm a real novice!

If you want a bitch, best to have her spayed.

It is really very much personal preference, I think boys are better... easier going, but other people say the exact opposite

With labs, boys are a fair bit bigger (not all breeds have a big size difference)

“With the females and "seasons", do,you just clear up after her and is there a lot of blood?”

That is individual dog dependant, some are pretty clean, some bleed everywhere.

I have one of each; black labs, not related. Male is very cuddly,very friendly, very typical of a lab; female is very sweet but a bit less needy & more stand offish. Female was a rescue though and had a hard start.
I would have either again, but males can be subject to more dog aggression, especially when they are young and hormonal. In our case the male is the more stubborn and more likely to go scavenging too.

I didn't realise the male Labs were bigger.

We don't have to stipulate a sex or colour and I'm wonderzing if we should just leave it to fate?

The breeder said that not specifying a colour would potentially speed up the process which might otherwise take 18 months!

I’d choose black. Chocolate labs aren’t as desirable, can’t remember if it’s temperament.

Seasons.. dog dependent.. I'm first time owner and tbh if I hadn't been googling it, I might not have noticed until she was seriously fertile (about mid way through ) as my girl kept herself so clean..there was no mess to speak of, just the odd drip if she stood up after a long nap!

Only thing about black labs, is I've noticed that some dogs are wary of them (and other all black large dogs) I've seen it over and over on walks..apparently it's because they are harder for other dogs to 'read' from distance!

I’m on a preliminary waiting list.... I’ve left it as, I have preferences over sex or colour - but as I’ve no intentions of showing or breeding, because I’m more fussed about the breeder, I’ll take the first available puppy.

tabula I think we feel the same.

Being a complete novice I wasn't sure if there were any major differences.

I'll return the forms tomorrow.....