# Female vs Male



## KITTIEG

We were informed last night that male GSD are more "people" protective 
vs
Female GSD are more "property" protective.

She stated that's why police dogs are male. 
I thought it was because of a bitch goes into heat & who wants to mess w/ that every 6 mo.

I was taught females are more protective due to the maternal instincts.

But we usually had males because the folks didn't want to mess w/ heat-puppies. (In their day they didn't spay dogs)

We're new the the GS breed. So, what's you opinion?


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## allieg

I'm interested in hearing from the more educated people about this as well. I plan on a male next time because I already have 2 females and am concerned about adding another.


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## Josiebear

I don't think it's gender. I think it's how their personality are. Although i wouldn't know because i've never had a male GSD .


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## onyx'girl

I believe it is the dogs temperament that determines it, not so much the sex of the dog. I have two females who are both "on" and although very loving to the family they are not like my male who doesn't react to visitors and is extremely cuddly.
He would rather assess the situation before reacting(granted he hasn't hit maturity yet) where both females have always acted first, think later.
Could be the genetics or the sex, I tend to think it is the genetics. With stating that, I do believe females are more proactive for the reason you posted above, the "momma bear" instilled in them.


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## DJEtzel

I've never had a female, so I wouldn't really know, but I do know that my male is very people protective, and has been since 4 months. Any wrestling, yelling, running around and he gets on edge and starts whining, barking, and jumping on whomever is doing said things.


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## codmaster

Josiebear said:


> I don't think it's gender. I think it's how their personality are. Although i wouldn't know because i've never had a male GSD .


Gender is not an absolute indicator. just more likely that male and female will be likely to get along. Not that 2 males or two females won't get along just that they are more likely to squabble. I had 2 females for about three years together with the older one abou 3 years older than the puppy. they got along great as the older one was a dominant one and the younger one was pretty agreeable . they only had one fight in the time together and that was my fault for trying to do "fetch" with a real bone. The young one got it first and the older one didn't think that was right so jumped on the younger one and off they went.

I was much younger, stronger and stupider then and just waded in and grabbed both by the scruff of the neck and yelled and shook - stopped the fight! only time they argued.

Anyway, 2 of either sex CAN get along but with my druthers I would have one of each (BUT only if they were nuetered.


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## Lucy Dog

I'll tell you my male cavalier king charles spaniel is by far more protective of anything than my female german shepherd. Good thing because there's nothing more intimidating than a cavalier king charles spaniel.

The only thing my gsd is protective of is the pillows in the house when i'm chasing after her trying to get them back, but thats not really protection.


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## IllinoisNative

KITTIEG said:


> We were informed last night that male GSD are more "people" protective
> vs
> Female GSD are more "property" protective.


I've heard/read/experienced the opposite. Males tend to be more location protective...marking, barking, etc. Females are more pack protective. Don't mess with their people. Males are goofier.



> She stated that's why police dogs are male.


From what I've heard from the police offices I know, males are more intimidating with their barking and usually have better "bite." But I've had more than one Shutzshund person tell me that they recommend males for the beginners because females are more serious and less forgiving of mistakes. They don't have as strong of a grip as males, but they are more serious and easier to focus. Males cafn also be slower to mature.

Now, there are exceptions to every rule, but that's what I've been told. I've always had females. It wasn't until seven years ago that I got my first male. My dad actually asked me why the heck I would want a male...they mark, they roam, harder to train, etc.:laugh:

I ended up LOVING the males. My boys are mama's boys.:wub: They love me in a way my females never did. I realize every dog is an individual but my males don't mark, roam, they are easy to train and they love me. But they are VERY location protective and my females weren't as much.

But despite all that, I'd go for temperment. I personally want a ball motivated dog who is people focused. Most breeders can help you select the puppy that would be best suited to your needs.


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## ChristenHolden

I have found both genders equaly protetive in all breeds that I've had. But have always prefered males for the other reasons. The heats acedental pups. I think males are easier to deal with. And cheaper to have altered as well. But if you wanna see a momma bear try and take my girl from me. I jus got to watch her close cuz I do not want any German Shar Peis or German Pits. Who would want a opps litter like that  lol ugly pups.


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## EJQ

Well, this question comes and goes and then it goes and comes. It is a very good question when considering bringing a dog to your home. 

For what it is worth here is my opinion. 


I think just the opposite - IMO the males are protective of their territory where as the females are very protective of their pack members. That's not to say that a lot can depend upon the individual temperament.
I have had several K-9 police officer friends over the years and most of them preferred males because the difference in size.
I also have many friends that are involved in Schutzhund. By FAR the most aggressive bite work that I personally have ever seen is by a female that is owned by my friends Karen & Charlie.
As far as multiple dogs are concerned, we have always had at least two intact females. At present we have grandma B'EL, mama ARA, and granddaughter/daughter BB. They are like maniacs at play time but they get along quite well. This is where individual temperaments can come into play.
Hope this helps - stick around - there are a lot of knowledgeable folks on the board and as you might guess we are always ready talk about our experiences.


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## Andy-jr.

I agree with EJQ on males are more of the "this is my house don't come near it" and females look after the family. I have had a female GSD and currently have my second male GSD. I will say that my males are completly different in terms of temperament, my first male could care less about anyone coming in the house or around the kids. My female on the other hand would kill anyone that came in house and moved to quick toward one of the kids. My current male even though he is still a pup (8 months) is showing the signs of protecting his house. So to answer your question I would say it all depends on the dogs temperament. The only way to know what your dog will be like is to find a good breeder that knows their dogs. If I were to go out today and get another dog it would be a male.


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## JKlatsky

What I have heard and observed is that females are sharper. They seem to alert faster and generally have a lower defense threshold. Males seem to be slower, but more willing to stick out the fight. Not to say that the girls can't be tough, but you can't seem to beat up on them forever. Sooner or later they get to a point wheree they are like "forget this!". I've heard female handlers argue that this is an indication that they're a little smarter.  My female was more alert to her environment at an earlier age than my males. I would say from dogs I've known that females are way more likely to bite than the males with less provocation. 

I also recall reading on Leerburg once that a male/female team is the best for home protection because the female will alert, get the male going, and the male will wade in and hang on. 

Of course like others have said, in the end it's the individual dog you end up with.


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## DJEtzel

codmaster said:


> Gender is not an absolute indicator. just more likely that male and female will be likely to get along. Not that 2 males or two females won't get along just that they are more likely to squabble. I had 2 females for about three years together with the older one abou 3 years older than the puppy. they got along great as the older one was a dominant one and the younger one was pretty agreeable . they only had one fight in the time together and that was my fault for trying to do "fetch" with a real bone. The young one got it first and the older one didn't think that was right so jumped on the younger one and off they went.
> 
> I was much younger, stronger and stupider then and just waded in and grabbed both by the scruff of the neck and yelled and shook - stopped the fight! only time they argued.
> 
> Anyway, 2 of either sex CAN get along but with my druthers I would have one of each (BUT only if they were nuetered.


 This has NOTHING to do with what the OP asked..


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## doggiedad

i think the protective thing depends on
the dog whether it's male or female and how you
raise/train the dog.


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## veeds35

I have a 14 mo old female and a 4 month old male and at this point my female seems more seriouse and alert to everything going on and even at a young age she was like that were as my male seems to just want to be cuddle and loved and played with it doesnt matter who it is he just wants the attention, Bella was never like that with strangers, Legend is still a baby though so only time will tell but comparing him to bella at the same age he deffinatly seems a lot more laid back than her.


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## Mrs.K

HAHAHA... maybe somebody should tell my female to start protecting the property instead of ME! But than again... I AM HER PROPERTY LOL.


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## StarryNite

My Lou is female and she is WAY more people protective than property. I don't think she gives a dang about property, just us


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## mjbgsd

Personally I prefer the males, I seem to connect with them more. I guess it's more of a 'you have to see it to believe it' kind of thing, meaning once you've owned both sexes then you'll probably end up with your own prefered sex. But my males are two different temperaments. Cody will protect his property and people. Akbar could care less about the property but will protect his people, he's mostly though mr doofster. My girl will protect the property if there's something in it for her, lol. 
I don't see why having a female in heat is such a big deal, sure they bleed but it's not that bad. We just put a doggy britch on Isa and there you go.  She pretty much kept herself clean. 
I noticed with females though, they are more "people" friendly, like the majority are fine with people petting them while the males are mostly more reserved and just stand there. As puppies, I noticed the males are real doofsters and SLOW at maturity they also are real buttheads when they get to that state. Isa never went through the butthead stage, she was a real lady.


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## LaRen616

DJEtzel said:


> I've never had a female, so I wouldn't really know, but I do know that my male is very people protective, and has been since 4 months. Any wrestling, yelling, running around and he gets on edge and starts whining, barking, and jumping on whomever is doing said things.


Exactly what my boy does. Also when my ex and I would start yelling at each other my GSD would pick up a toy and start thrashing it around.


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## JakodaCD OA

I totally agree it depends on the individual dog, not gender.

I have had the majority of males, one was territorial, the other two were always aware of what was going on, but I wouldn't say territorial. I love the males because mine anyhow, tended to be very velcro-y dogs, kinda doofy) and very biddable.

The two females I had/have, were/are more serious, not territorial, but more 'on alert', kind of hard to explain..Quicker learners, mature faster, more into "one" person type of dog. 

I totally think it depends on the individual dog itself,


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## GSDElsa

I think it's a case by case thing, but as a general rule it seems like people feel like females are quicker to mature, not as goofy, and actually more in tune to protecting their fam. 

But ultimately it just depends on the dog. Just like there are certain human traits you associate with being "male" and certain traits you associate with being "female."

This is my first female of any breed, and I think she's a lot more in-tune with us than any male I've been around. It's like she's psycho obsessed with our every move at every moment. The house and yard? Eh, she'll stare someone down through the window or bark when the doorbell rings, but isn't overly interested. Mom and Dad leave her sight, though? Better watch out!


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## Wolfiesmom

I have had both males and females in my life. I have owned 2 males, but my parents had females and one male. I find the males are easier to play with, and will go along with just about anything you want them to do. They are very goofy and fun loving. Then there's the obvious size difference. Females, in my experience, are more serious, sometimes aloof, and can get bitchy. I find them equally protective of home and their people.


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## Lilie

I've had both - and I really couldn't say if one was more people or property aggressive. I truly think it depends on the dog. In my opinion, females take life a bit more seriously then males do.


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## trish07

Maybe the gender have something to do (basic instinct), but I'm not sure....I think ot,s more about the personality.

I've saw females that were more agressive than males, and males that were more sweet than females...

The Grand-Mother of my dog was particulary strong, courageous, self-confident and agressive toward strangers (she won a lot of ScH competions). Our breeder told us she was the most powerful dog she ever had, even when she compares her to males.


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## arycrest

Speaking of GSDs only - while I personally find the males easier to live with, I've never noticed much, or any, difference between the sexes when it comes to protection of property, etc. Like someone else mentioned, it seems to be the individual dogs more than the sex of the dogs. I've only had four bitches and ten males so my experience is very limited.


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## Lola1969

My male is my first GSD ever and he is both people and property protective.


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## Anja1Blue

From my observations (I have a boy and a girl, same sex dogs are not for me - too much propensity for fights especially with females, and I happen to like the subtle differences between the sexes....) I can say that I agree with the above posters who say it has more to do with the temperament of the dog rather than the sex which will determine how they behave in relation to you and your property. I can think of a number of people I know with opposite sex GSD's and the only constant is that the female is dominant over the male in all groups. (But this isn't a given, other people might say differently.) I do think females mature faster, I think they are more serious overall, and I think they are sometimes harder to read than the males - what you see with a boy is essentially what you get: a girl might have another agenda you aren't aware of just yet. Girls can sometimes be drama queens - males can be more stoic. As far as which dog does better in the bite department, I wouldn't want either one latching on to me, and I have seen some very serious females on the field in top Schutzhund competition - our girl comes from the Jabina kennel in Denmark: John Jabina competes regularly at the International level and always with females. They hit that sleeve just fine.... 
________________________________________
Susan

Anja SchH3 GSD
Conor GSD
Blue BH WH T1 GSD - waiting at the Bridge


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## KITTIEG

Thanks for all the opinions. A lot of great experiences. Our girl is a adopted girl. She was 2 Dec. She still timid but has come a long way. This is her house & yard. She will give a "woof" when someone approaches. 
I don't need a dog to guard me, I'm armed, but I'm glad she'll alert me. The other night she heard a noise, my husband had accidently bump the wall while taking a shower. She sprang up & went in the direction where she heard the noise to investigate. A big step for a little girl who started out waiting to see who would jump her for moving.(at least that how she seemed to me.)


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