Male or female?

[michaelundinaeichhorn]

I always prefered and still prefer females, also for working.
It is true that they don´t fight that often and if they do often harder but this is a question of sozialisation and TRAINING and very much oft the timing and training abilities of the owner.
They are better in reaching their goals in the end but they try it by charming the owner not so often by trying to bully him. And the showing of and urin marking is something that is getting on my nerves in males, females often work more concentrated.
I always found that the constellation of a single woman and a male dog is often difficult because they build up a kind of packleader couple, what gives the male duties that are more difficult to controle by a woman, like territorial aggression against other males, which is a duty of the highest ranking male.

I think it is simply a question of personal taste and abilties of the owner.

Ina

[Gaga]

I think it is simply a question of personal taste and abilties of the owner.

That's true Ina

Elentia - "everybody knows" that "females are easier to handle". But I'm not sure :P
All my life I had only females (mix, GSD), I was dreaming about a male. I have it at last Cheitan is 5,5 years old, he is my first wolfdog and I was surprised many times The urin marking it's nothing Many situations of our life. But after some years I decided- no more females. In the first two years the male is a big challenge, he feels like "macho" and you have to show him who is a leader (I don't accept the theory of dominance)- leader of the pack. But if you agree-you have really good comrade. Though other males on the working place, he can work really good, because he does it with you! he mustn't go and fight with other males

Ina wrote very good: "everything is a question of sozialisation and TRAINING", but I saw females and males in the same situations and my opinion is that male is ..better? (ha ha ..for me) .. OK .. easier
OF course- if you feel really good prepared for wolfdog ;P
(I didn't hear about attack of wolfdog -female on her owner, I hear many times about the attack of males, but it's another question, not: male or female)

[Rona]

I'm sure I'd never be able to handle a male physically. Chey is a good boy now, but I remember seeing Gaga lifting a 40+ kg youngster when she was explaining him who the pack leader was.

However strong my girl is, I can still manage her on a plain collar without any "devices"(even when she sees her beloved Bernese in the street. )

[Gaga]

Right, I forgot- male is for people mentally strong (not brutal, just strong, controlled, consistent)- then you doesn't need any devices. I'm, so for me it's no problem

[Rona]

Originally Posted by Gaga

Right, I forgot- male is for people mentally strong (not brutal, just strong, controlled, consistent)- then you doesn't need any devices. I'm, so for me it's no problem

Exactly. But before they grow to understand who the leader is and that they need to obey in all circumstances, the owner needs to be physically strong too, if not for other reasons, than for their dog's safety. For some people it's much easier to teach the rules to a 27 kg dog than to 40 or more one.

When I see a dog wearing a spike or electric collar (which Lorka, just like Chey has never worn ), and the owner explains: "he pulled so strongly that I couldn't manage him" I alway wonder why he bought such a big and strong dog.

Well, I imagine when deciding whether to buy a male of female one should also take this purely practical aspect under consideration.

[saschia]

I as a breeder don't say that females are better for inexperienced owners as males. It always depends on the individual puppy. If the puppy is dominant, and tries to get whatever it wants by force, then I'll not give it to beginner, no matter if it is male or female. My first wolfdog was a dominant female and I had lot of work to do when we discussed our roles in the family. It wouldn't work with somebody not strong enough (both physically and mentally). I am sometimes surprised that it worked at all, as she was my first dog ever.

When a family with two small kids asked me to buy a male puppy, we had an agreement, that they would only get the male if he is not dominant (I had only one male), otherwise they will get the least dominant female. They had some experience already, but I wanted to be sure that the dog would not be dangerous to the kids. Fortunately Beren turned out to be a big sweet bear, so they are quite happy together.

(here are some pictures of Beren with the kids from last week show:
http://www.images.dogforum.sk/files/...s55a9whdbf.jpg
http://www.images.dogforum.sk/files/...kpkswnbbqh.jpg)

[Enid Black]

Uhm... I write in this topic even if after a month and a half. I am a Newbie and my partner and I decided to take a female. My partner would be strong enough to handle a big male, but I am quite small and surely physical strenght isn't one of my quality (while I am very stubborn and mentally strong). I had occasion, anyway, to observe a lot of wolfdogs together at a meeting last march. Males made a lot of noise, they barked at each other and were showing off a lot. Females were more quite. And the few dogs allowed inside the canteen were females (which I saw laying comfortably under the owner's chair not moving for the whole dinner, occasionally taking a caress from people but never food). Besides a lot of people told me that the females are sweeter to humans.

There were even a couple of puppies, two young females not even 3 months old. Well, they growled to the adult males O.O... I appreciated the sweetness of the adult males with the puppies.

Anyway we'll start with a female and then my partner desires a Male, so I think I'll have to train my muscles with the female in order to be ready to handle the male too (I work at home, I am the one who will take her out during the day) .

Anyway it depends a lot on the character of the dog. I just can say that other owners tried to scary me off but they failed ...

[Blitzen]

Thanks for your perspective on this Enid, I have found it is generally the same in German Shepherds (my breed for now). They too are generally more noisy to other dogs, especially when they mature. Having said that, my most loyal and obedient dog was a boy, but then he too like to put other males in their place . My female shepherd is very soft with other dogs, and doesn't have an aggressive bone in her body.

[lupis]

Originally Posted by michaelundinaeichhorn

I always prefered and still prefer females, also for working.

What work? You have different works and sport and sometimes female is better, sometimes male is better.

[michaelundinaeichhorn]

As I am not going in pulling heavy sledges for every work.

Ina