# Male or female Working Line GSD



## MikeC35 (Jul 31, 2014)

Hello,
I'm getting a pup from a good working litter this spring and I currently have my request in for a female. I chose female originally because I like the smaller size but reading through the forums I notice most people chose males. I've also read females are 'sharper' does this make them difficult to live with ?
is one gender better than the other for schutzhund or as a family companion ?

I know this topic has been discussed but just wondering mostly if the 'sharper' female working GSD are hard to live with.

I've had several dogs before but this will be my first working line GSD

thanks


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## Hineni7 (Nov 8, 2014)

I think alot of people choose males because they don't like to deal with the heat cycles of a female... But, personally speaking only, I love having females... They are fiercely loyal (males too) to their families and can become very one person oriented.. I've owned both, and enjoy both... Females do tend to be more about the people (although I've had makes that way as well) and males more about the property (not saying that males aren't into people)... 
Be sure to post pics when you get your puppy


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

Get what you want. I chose a male because I have a house full of females. He's first a pet, second a sport dog. The higher level competitors go with males because they are stronger. 

I don't think females are "sharper", just different than males.


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## GatorDog (Aug 17, 2011)

I've had both. I love my female, even with the heat cycles.


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## mycobraracr (Dec 4, 2011)

It all comes down to the individual dog. I've seen some really strong males and some really strong females. I've seen some really weak males and some really weak females. A lot of people don't like dealing with heat cycles and all the joys that come with that so they go for males. Also as a generality, males are larger so the perception is that they are more intimidating/scary. As for sharpness, again comes down to the individual dog and the lines it brings.


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## Hineni7 (Nov 8, 2014)

My female is larger and tough as nails! Yet she's extremely loving, smart, loyal, family oriented... I've had males similarly, so I agree, it is definitely a dog by dog situation. Although, in general, males would be larger and of course no heat cycle  My heart dog (3yrs gone  ) was male and I had him after 3 females... Then another male, and now a female and a male. I do think males take perimeter patrol a bit more seriously, although my females did do and currently do a perimeter check - but she is more apt to check back with me, and Akivah is more focused on who/what was on the property overnight...


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## MikeC35 (Jul 31, 2014)

Thanks for all the replies and advice. I've never owned a female before and people have told me that they bark more and are much more protective, sometimes over protective if anyone comes near the house. A K9 police officer told me he couldnt live with his female because of that. 
I guess its dog specific, your replies are reassuring !!


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## Hineni7 (Nov 8, 2014)

Huh... I certainly haven't found that at all... Mine have always been discerning, but also well socialized and trained... The only aggressive dog I had that required a lot of watching was a male, and he was a bit goofy and stuuuubbbbooorrrnnnn, lol. He was not dangerously aggressive, but 70lb of Shepherd being anything but immediately responsive can be dangerous haha... Sure look forward to pix of whatever gender you choose  

God bless, 
Misty


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## MikeC35 (Jul 31, 2014)

Thanks Misty, i think it was just that comment i heard that made me second guess myself.


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## Hineni7 (Nov 8, 2014)

Sure  understand hesitancy when getting a new breed, especially one like a GSD that has drive, loyalty, athleticism, power and strength that could cause issues if not properly channeled... Let your breeder know exactly what you want out of your new addition... If you want to do IPO, SAR, agility, long hikes, family dog but low key, etc. Let them know how much intensity (drive) you think you want (describe to them what who as a routine, interests etc-it will help them determine the best dog for you).. If a male is better suited to you from the litter chosen, be open to their suggestions as they see the pups continually and should know their bloodlines well enough to see how a pup is likely to turn out. Disposition /personality is hugely important, more than gender if not breeding... But if a female has all you're looking for, Yay! I don't think you will go wrong


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## scarfish (Apr 9, 2013)

i'm sures it's a lot the individual dogs but i'll share the major differences between my female and male. both have 1 working line parent and 1 show line parent.

julie is way more protective of us, the car, and the house would prolly bite a burglar. rambo would prolly want to play with them. she has to be crated when having guests over out of fear of aggression while he has to be told to stop jumping on them trying to play.

while both are equally as smart julie is more headstrong and some days just wants to do julie and will ignore commands more often.

while jax is right that males are stronger julie would be much better at flyball, agility or anything involing speed. she's smaller and sleeker and his goofy body would never be able to catch her.


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## JakodaCD OA (May 14, 2000)

also think it depends on the dog. I have had two females and the rest were males, I found my males to be doofier, biddable, slow to mature, easy trainers, they were aloof and easy to live with/train/play with.

My females, faster to mature, higher energy, easy trainers, bore quickly, very bonded to me, much more serious dogs. 

All my dogs would let an axe murderer in my house but also be at first, checking them out, my males would have no problem letting someone steal my car, my females, no way a stranger could open a door without getting a whole lotta dog on them.

I found with MY females, much more protective/guardy of "me" where my males would go with the flow. 

I think you should write down your 'wants and don't wants', and allow your breeder to choose which puppie(s) would be suitable for what you want/your lifestyle..


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## Shade (Feb 20, 2012)

I personally prefer males over females, I find there's much less drama with the males. But in Delgado's litter if I had to pick another dog I would have gone with his sister, she was fantastic and I bonded with her over the rest of the boys.


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## Nigel (Jul 10, 2012)

Every dog is different, but in my house, both males are far more vocal than either of my females


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## scarfish (Apr 9, 2013)

Nigel said:


> Every dog is different, but in my house, both males are far more vocal than either of my females


+1, my male is way more vocal than my female. it's not even close. he even makes more vocalization even he's sleeping than she does while awake.


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## Steve Strom (Oct 26, 2013)

Now that I've been able to see different male and female littermates over a little time, the one thing I notice consistently is the females do seem to mature sooner and the males stay goofy longer. I've always gone with male dogs, because I wanted to avoid sensitive. Then I ended up with a sensitive male. Good for my wife, but I hated it.


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## glowingtoadfly (Feb 28, 2014)

My female is the friendly, outgoing one, while Grim is more protective and has to be crated when guests come over.


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## sabletable (Nov 5, 2014)

I've been debating this exact thing but will be going with a male after a lot of back and forth. Mostly it's because of my living situation. I live in a (pet friendly) apartment block and to me, it's easier for me to control an intact male than an intact female. I'm not planning on getting my boy altered for years, if at all. I'm not confident enough as a pet owner to be able to assure myself 100% responsibility with an intact female. With a male I have a much better idea of what I'm working with.


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## Athena'sMom (Jan 9, 2014)

My females are much more affectionate and clingy! My male is more aloof with everyone but me. He is very vocal and is stubborn. Females are easier to train in my experience. My first choice will always be a female.


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## middleofnowhere (Dec 20, 2000)

I'm at wl bitch nos 2 & 3 right now. Haven't got a clue about there difficulty in comparison to a male.


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## ILGHAUS (Nov 25, 2002)

When my kids were growing up it was about 50-50 between males and females. The first dog that I bought just for me was a male and he became my true heart dog. With things in my life now, I will continue with a male first because I have no desire to go through any more heat cycles until mature enough for a spay and I prefer a larger stronger male to be used as a Mobility SD.


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## Snapdragon (Jul 1, 2014)

In my experience the males tend to stay goofy and immature much longer than the girls do. It depends on the dog of course, but that's been my experience. I prefer males because they tend to be more laid back and marshmallowy, while the girls tend to be more serious and on edge in a way, and they tend to be more protective than the males, which contradicts what a lot of people assume. I think it probably has to do with maternal instinct somehow. That's just a guess on my part. Nothing is wrong with either one, I think it just depends on what you are looking for.


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## Augustine (Nov 22, 2014)

I've got a female, and we recently started interacting a lot with the few other GSD owners in this area. (both full bred and a couple of mixes)

Most of the females - Butter included - are SUPER protective of their family/pack. Mine is a horrible guard/watch dog but she's still very attentive. She'll happily bound up to strangers, but if someone comes up to *us* she'll enter her 'mother hen' mode and watch them like a hawk, making sure they're not hurting or bothering us. She's not at all aggressive, though. Just very watchful.

Like most of the others have mentioned, a lot of the male GSDs around here are more protective of their owner's homes/property, but we do have one male that lives in town that's the complete opposite; all he cares about is his owner.

Similarly, we have a female GSD/wolf mix a little further into town who is extremely protective of her property and is an excellent guard dog.

So it seems like the 'female = pack-oriented/watch dog' and 'male = property-oriented/guard dog' thing is fair generalization, but it's not always 100% accurate as there are a lot of dogs that break the stereotype.


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## gsdsteve (Apr 24, 2010)

As u read these posts it becomes clear that it depends on the individual dog. Tell the breeder what u want and he will try to pick out the right pup for u be it male or female.


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## MaggieRoseLee (Aug 17, 2001)

GIRL DOGS RULE!!!

I think male dogs are easier and female dogs need a smarter/better handler


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## Sabis mom (Mar 20, 2014)

MaggieRoseLee said:


> GIRL DOGS RULE!!!
> 
> I think male dogs are easier and female dogs need a smarter/better handler


 
I'm not very smart, and not as experienced as others but I had 2 male partners before Sabs. Both the boys were much more biddable, and very territorial. Sabs was fond of making judgement calls and far less concerned about anything but me. 
At home Sabi would let people walk into the house and do anything, _as long as I was gone._ When I was home she alerted the second they crossed the property line.


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## glowingtoadfly (Feb 28, 2014)

Grim is not actually protective, I should say fearful.


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## qbchottu (Jul 10, 2011)

All else equal - I would go with a female if it's your first working line. Tend to be easier to handle imo


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## martemchik (Nov 23, 2010)

Females are in general more sensitive to their handlers and will be easier to handle. This also means you can't go overboard and a female will sort of "take things personally" if you correct at the wrong time or if there is some confusion in the training. I've noticed that males tend to be a bit more forgiving which also causes them to be harder to handle because they sometimes won't care about certain things.

This also has a lot to do with drive and hardness of the particular dog. I like handling both my dogs, and understanding the differences in the two of them (due to genetics and also gender) is really fun.


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## David Taggart (Nov 25, 2012)

As a working dog? The *first puppy that was born * in the litter of not more than five (you can easily find info why), from a breeder who is a dog trainer as well in that or other field. If you are a male, it is better if your breeder was a male, if you are a lady - the breeder should be of your sex. And, the sex of your working GSD doesn't really matter.


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## Steve Strom (Oct 26, 2013)

David Taggart said:


> As a working dog? The *first puppy that was born * in the litter of not more than five (you can easily find info why), from a breeder who is a dog trainer as well in that or other field. If you are a male, it is better if your breeder was a male, if you are a lady - the breeder should be of your sex. And, the sex of your working GSD doesn't really matter.


Any chance you could elaborate on this breeder thought? In a manner a coherent person could follow?


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## David Taggart (Nov 25, 2012)

> Any chance you could elaborate on this breeder thought?


It is very difficult. As difficult as getting a right dog for a certain job. In fact, even getting the first puppy is difficult, normally, the first ones are sold a long time before mating. My words were for professional people, not sure about coherent.


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## Steve Strom (Oct 26, 2013)

Ahh, professionals. Nevermind.


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## MikeC35 (Jul 31, 2014)

David Taggart said:


> As a working dog? The *first puppy that was born * in the litter of not more than five (you can easily find info why), from a breeder who is a dog trainer as well in that or other field. If you are a male, it is better if your breeder was a male, if you are a lady - the breeder should be of your sex. And, the sex of your working GSD doesn't really matter.


Sorry David you lost me a bit on this one. 

Thanks again everyone else for the replies, Im going to take my breeders recommendation and go with a female, unless when the pups are on the ground they think they have a male that would be better for us


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