# Working Line GSD male vs. female?



## rlwolf (Feb 18, 2008)

<span style='font-family: Verdana'>Hello all, I was hoping to get some clarification on this particular subject. I just hope I put it in the right section.









Dogs have been a constant presence in my life for the last 25+ years, and it wasn't until I was getting my first GSD from working lines that I came across the opinion that one was actually more fit for family life than the other.

For every other dog that I've owned in the past it was never more than personal preference as to whether to get a male or a female. I personally have owned an even amount of both, but for one reason or another leaned toward getting a male dog.

However when speaking with the breeder of my current dog, when I told him that the pup would be a part of my family (although its just the two of us, we are family), he suggested a female rather than a male. Trusting his knowledge and judgment of his own dogs, I agreed. I have no regrets in that respect, she has become the best dog I have ever owned, and I am very happy with her. However I always assumed that was just his dogs. 

Now though, it seems that everywhere I look at true working line GSDs, if you are not looking for a real worker/competitor, it's highly recommended to get a female.

So please help me understand, how can they be so different? How can a well balanced GSD with solid nerves and good temperament not be suitable for a family type life only because it happens to be male?

I understand that some dogs if left unaltered can become a little too much to handle for the average person, however if neutered shouldn't the dog be okay.

Here's the thing, aside from curiosity, the reason I'm asking is that sometime in the next two or three years I would like to add another dog to my home. It's been my experience in life, and by reading, that if you have more than one dog in the home, one of each sex is your best bet to eliminate dominance issues. Especially two females, it seems, are hard to keep civil.

Any and all opinions are appreciated thank you!</span>


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## scannergirl (Feb 17, 2008)

I've read that there is very little difference in the sexes overall, but that in general males tend to maybe be a bit more aggressive, and females a bit more protective. So if that were true I guess it makes sense that males would be better for work and females better for family pets. But I think to generalize can lead you astray, and that you should pick an individual, not a sex. I was all set to get a male dog for my family but Lucy came and sat on my feet (literally) and let me know I was NOT driving home without her








And I think you are right to be looking towards a male for your second dog. That's what I would do.


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## wolfstraum (May 2, 2003)

If you have a female, yes, I would definitely suggest a male. Even in nice working litters, there should be males who can function as a companion dog...my Schh3 male is a companion dog and always has been! You don't want the most dominant or highest drive male in the litter, but even those pups can function in a home environment if managed, exercised and trained.

Lee


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## Catu (Sep 6, 2007)

I don't think thay are so different or than to have a male is not recommended for a family lifestyle, nor I think your breeder sugested that, but in my experience females tend to be more close to their families, even more protective, and maybe because of that the breeder tought than a female would fit better with wath you were looking at the moment. But that doesn't mean a male can't be a perfect family member and if you already have a female you are right, a male would be better as a next dog.

And about the general thinking you have encountered recently it could have more to do with the purpose of the dog (people who search for a working line GSD usually want to train them) than with the breed. Females have their own peeves, but dominant males can have a stronger tendency to defy the autorithy of their handlers, so specially if you are new on training many breeders recommend a female as a first dog.

In this part of the world nobody neuters a male without a medical reason and they are as good family members as any other dogs. In my personal opinion a stable well bred dog wont have issues with or without testicles and while neutering is a solution for many behavioural problems to be intact is never the cause of them.


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## MaggieRoseLee (Aug 17, 2001)

I have 2 female GSD's at the house (and a female Lab) and they all get along just fine. 

BUT I worked closely with the breeders of both (dogs are 8 yrs and 4 yrs) to make sure they wouldn't have dog aggressive tendencies, and then I have trained and socialized the heck out of both to assure this. So I KNEW when I got my 'new puppy' (who is not 4) that my older GSD wouldn't be a problem with the new dog. And I did the same training and vigilance for the new puppy and the dogs all do well together. (you'll be shocked to hear the Lab wasn't even a real concern, even if she was a 'she').

And I LOVE girldogs and will try to always have them! A bit smaller (at least they are supposed to be) and I just prefer their personalities over the males.


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## jesusica (Jan 13, 2006)

There's no reason a well matched working line male can't thrive in a companion home that provides proper stimulation. I'm more than happy with my 9 month old whose primary function is to be my cuddlebug pet. As far as I'm concerned, schutzhund is just our sidegig, something we do together no different than a companion dog that goes camping with the family (hey, mine does that too!). 

And I'll fully admit I am more than partial towards males. I just don't particularly care for females. I'm kind of the same way with humans, go figure.


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## Ocean (May 3, 2004)

Get a male since you already have a femme.
And as wolfstraum said, do not get the most dominant male in the litter but ask for the one that is the most people oriented.
Neutering might not make a difference. Never has in my experience.
Actually, Becca, you already answered your questions, and I agree with your answers to your questions


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## G-burg (Nov 10, 2002)

> Quote:There's no reason a well matched working line male can't thrive in a companion home that provides proper stimulation.


Exactly!

My male functions just fine... Does great with the kids and the other dogs.. I got him when he was 2yrs. old.

The biggest difference I see in the sexes... The females are WAY smarter then the males..


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## debbiebrown (Apr 13, 2002)

i actually prefer males, thats mostly what i have always had. i got my first female 2 years ago. i still prefer males! females can be very stubborn and independant, or at least thats what i have experienced. i think both sexes can be equal in the "smarts dept"
all depends on the lines, training, etc.
if you have a female i would definitely get a male. things go much smoother.

debbie


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## big_dog7777 (Apr 6, 2004)

I have a working line male and female that train in SchH and live in my home predominantly un-crated. My 4 year old male does just fine in the house, and this is a very excitable, quite civil dog when challenged that was primarily kenneled and crated for the first 3.5 years of his life. Would I recommend that a first time owner who is a little on the meek side get a dog like him? NO. But, if you know how to handle a dog then you should not have any issues unless you get an extreme (drive, hardness, dominant, etc.) dog. On the field, the difference is night and day. I like training both, but the methodology and tools used to train them are very different. The female is much more sensitive to everything. Not a bad thing, just different. My male is much harder and more serious on the field, some of which is due to age (male is 4 female is 16 months). Personally I'm tickled with both, who are extremely affectionate in the home.


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## Chris Wild (Dec 14, 2001)

> Originally Posted By: RLWolf
> 
> So please help me understand, how can they be so different? How can a well balanced GSD with solid nerves and good temperament not be suitable for a family type life only because it happens to be male?


It can. Gender has no bearing on a dog's ability to be a good family pet. Males are as capable of this as females. 

One thing to mention though regarding working line pups, and this coming from a breeder's perspetive, is that litters typically come with a range of puppies. Some more suited to be top working/sport prospectes, some more suited to active pets, and some in the middle. Personality wise, a higher percentage of the pups in the work/sport category are often male, and a higher percentage in the pet category are often female. Of course that's not a hard and fast rule and there are many exceptions. But many of the traits that are sought out for working homes, but can be problematic for some companion homes, like higher levels of hardness, dominance, aggression, territoriality are more common in males.

I know when people contact us looking for a companion pup that they don't plan to work, I always plant the seed of considering a female. I know our dogs and our bloodlines and what we've gotten in previous litters and the vast majority of pups who have been best suited to active pet homes, as opposed to working/sport homes, that we've had in the past have been female. Most of the males have been more dog than even an experienced, active pet owner is really going to want. 


Only twice have we been in the situation where we refunded a person's deposit because we didn't feel there was a good match for the in the litter. In both cases, it was someone wanting a male for a family pet, and we didn't feel any of the males were a good match for their goals and experience level, and they wouldn't consider a female. Not that a male couldn't have worked out in that situation, but my opinion as breeder and as someone who wants to make the best possible match of pup to owner wouldn't have considered them the best choice.


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## G-burg (Nov 10, 2002)

> Quote:The female is much more sensitive to everything. Not a bad thing, just different. My male is much harder and more serious on the field, some of which is due to age


Now see.. Mine are the complete opposite! My female is the one who is harder and more serious on the field!


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## TRITON (May 10, 2005)

> Quote:The females are WAY smarter then the males..


Well, Yeah! lol!

Honestly, it comes down to a personal preference as far as sex. Then it's more about the temperament of the dog that best fit's your family-regardless of the sex


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## CWhite (Dec 8, 2004)

Hi,

This is a good topic. 

As most of you know I have a female who I am just tickled with. 

I would like my next dog to be a female , but because (as I've been told) of the issues that arise between two females, I am going to get a male. 

So, I hope sometime next year if all goes well we'll ad one to our brood.


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## big_dog7777 (Apr 6, 2004)

> Originally Posted By: G-burg Now see.. Mine are the complete opposite! My female is the one who is harder and more serious on the field!


From what I've seen and heard, that is not the norm. You have a special girl there! How is she in the house during everyday life?


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## big_dog7777 (Apr 6, 2004)

> Originally Posted By: G-burg
> The biggest difference I see in the sexes... The females are WAY smarter then the males..


I don't know if it's actual intelligence level, but the females sure seem to "think" more about things where males seem to just react from my experiences.


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## CWhite (Dec 8, 2004)

> Originally Posted By: ZeusGSD
> 
> 
> > Originally Posted By: G-burg
> ...


Seems this is the case with HUMANS, too.


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## G-burg (Nov 10, 2002)

> Quote: How is she in the house during everyday life?


John-

Chaos rolls with the flow.. She settles nicely, has never been destructive.. She will at times throw her ball (or whatever toy she has) in your lap or at your feet pushing you to play with her.. 

She has a really nice on/off switch..

Is that what you wanted to know? Or was there something specific?










And your right when you say females seem to "think" more...


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## big_dog7777 (Apr 6, 2004)

That's exactly what I was wondering. Sounds like you got a good one!


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## big_dog7777 (Apr 6, 2004)

> Originally Posted By: Carolyn
> Seems this is the case with HUMANS, too.


Yes, until you add emotion into the equasion. Then all bets are off.


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## jesusica (Jan 13, 2006)

> Originally Posted By: ZeusGSD
> 
> 
> > Originally Posted By: Carolyn
> ...


That's called hormones.


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## Timber1 (May 19, 2007)

If I added another dog for you it would be a male. I do a bit of reacue and my non-neutered male adjusts to the female rescue dogs more quickly.

On my end, it will be a female, spayed.


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## rlwolf (Feb 18, 2008)

It seems that the general consensus matches up with my original thoughts on the matter, and that it shouldn't make that much of a difference, provided that the dog comes from good solid genes. Thank you for all your input


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## wolfstraum (May 2, 2003)

I have had 3 females together with only minor squabbles due to a youngster (16 months) being full of her self. Two are intact, mother daughter and one older spayed female. I have another female who I do not trust with the girls, as she is much more dominant and has been in 2 very bad fights with her mother (the older spayed female). Females CAN live together as long as the owner is very strong in personality and respected and none are overly fractious! I have had 2 to 3 females together for almost 9 years - Alice,Kelsey, Kyra, - Alice Kyra Csabre (as a pup) and then Kyra Basha Furious/Fhazer - Basha is the least dog reactive dog I have ever had, and seems to pass this on to her pups as they may bounce around a bit but there is no dog aggression or fighting from any of them I have had.

If I had Danger at home, I could integrate another male pup or youngster without issues. But I would NOT try a second male with my present male - even though he is fine with any of the females and is routinely loose with the older ones.....I will work the youngster in with him after she is a bit less rambunctious...he does NOT tolerate young dogs doing the submissive face licking and after a few months of being crated in the same room as the youngster, he will be fine. 

Even though the rule of thumb is opposite sexes in a 2 dog household, it really boils down to the individual dogs - and the owners personality and ability to manage them.

Lee


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## G-burg (Nov 10, 2002)

> Quote:Even though the rule of thumb is opposite sexes in a 2 dog household, it really boils down to the individual dogs - and the owners personality and ability to manage them.


I have to agree 100% with Lee..


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## wolfstraum (May 2, 2003)

LOL Thanks G-burg! 

Ah - what I meant to say above - the Basha pups can be "reactive" in barking at strange dogs if on lead, but are NOT dog aggressive, they are rambunctious from what I see - they want to play - (both) my 16 month old can be obnoxious, jumping on and mounting the older females, but not aggressively....they can run in a field at the farm I go to with the older dogs and play fine. The male I had, Falcon, was the same way.

Lee


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## lcht2 (Jan 8, 2008)

> Originally Posted By: G-burg
> 
> 
> > Quote: How is she in the house during everyday life?
> ...



ok..not argueing but if females are so smart then why do u see more males being trained, for working, sports etc etc?? i mean all of the police dogs i've ever saw were males, i see more males being trained for gaurding, PPD etc. or was there some sarcasim in that statement??




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## wolfstraum (May 2, 2003)

Males are bigger, heavier and dont come in heat.

Men tend to be a bit "macho" - like many Latins will NOT ride a mare or gelded male...they MUST have a stallion! Most K9 officers WANT that K9 to be a big tough male!

Lee


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## big_dog7777 (Apr 6, 2004)

> Originally Posted By: WolfstraumMales are bigger, heavier and dont come in heat.


In addition, males are harder. More males possess fight drive as well. These are generalizations, there are plenty of capable females out there, but from what I've seen and been told the percentages favor males.

Add in the fact that high level sport dogs are bred resulting in a female being out of commission for an extended period of time. Lee has discussed this at great length in other posts.


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## Chris Wild (Dec 14, 2001)

All the reasons stated for why most police and high level competition dogs are male: 
Larger, stronger and more scary looking.
A higher percentage of males vs females possess higher levels of hardness and aggression.
No heat cycles, and the handler doesn't have to choose between breeding and work/sport. A male can breed in the morning and then go back to work that afternoon. Breeding a female means she's out of commission for half the year, and any female who is truly worthy of top competition or being a street dog is probably going to be bred, and should be bred.
And the macho factor does play a BIG role, though I see this attitude more amongst police officers than sport people. They "need" a male because it feeds their egos more, and of course would never, ever consider neutering it.


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## k9sarneko (Jan 31, 2007)

We have much of the macho thing even with SAR. Male handlers tend to get male dogs. I myself have always loved male dogs until I started working them. For me, my girls are more eager to please, less distracted than the males. Thats not to say that I am against owning male dogs (we have 3) but I think that for SAR work I will stick to my females.


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