# Why are there more female GSDs in rescues thatn males?



## cowgirlteach (Mar 17, 2012)

This may be a silly question, but I have noticed a significant trend in the male:female GSD ratio in different rescue organizations. The female population is usually way larger than the male population.

I was wondering if this had to do with more females being given up due to some problem (behavior or otherwise). Or maybe males are just adopted out more quickly? 

I didn't notice until I was specifically looking for a male (since I currently have a female) to avoid same sex aggression.

What do you all think?


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## Emoore (Oct 9, 2002)

I've been in rescue a long time, and males get adopted much more quickly than females. Most people adopting a GSD want a *big* dog, and males are bigger than females. 

At my rescue, a young, large male had a list of people waiting to meet and adopt him by the time he'd finished his 1 month at his foster home. A female of the same age would usually take 3 months to adopt out.


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## Remo (Sep 8, 2004)

Our web site does not have ALL of the available dogs listed. But according to our internal data base, we have 25 females and 25 males. 

We have one 11 year old, four 10 year olds, four 9 year olds, and two 8 year olds. A wide range of younger ages too!

We are getting ready to take in an old guy who is blind and mostly deaf - I imagine that he will be in foster for quite a while!


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## Stella's Mom (Mar 8, 2011)

I have a female GSD and all the other GSD owners that I know through Shutuzhund always say the females are more difficult than their male counterparts. Maybe that is why. I don't know, but I love my girl although she is being "very difficult" right now barking at me while I have her in the office on a lead so she does not go and hound the folks working in my house.


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## Emoore (Oct 9, 2002)

Good Shepherd Rescue has 5 males and 14 females. Of course the numbers are over-skewed right now because of the puppy mill girls, but still, there are usually more females in the rescue than males.


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## JeanKBBMMMAAN (May 11, 2005)

Huh. Have not noticed that but that's the kind of thing that would not occur to me to look at - however, girls seem to go more quickly here. Could be a regional thing.


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## AddieGirl (May 10, 2011)

Could it have anything to do with breeding? Females are finished having litters or had pregnancy complications so are not wanted anymore? Just a thought. I noticed it too when searching for our latest addition (K-Bar). We wanted a male to go with Addie and found females all day long, but males were few and far between.


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## cowgirlteach (Mar 17, 2012)

I think the big dog theory makes some sense. Thanks for responding...it was mainly just a random question.

Maybe it is regional as well...we are in Colorado?

Oh well :wild:


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## Dlilly (May 24, 2011)

I've noticed that too.... I live in Georgia. From looking on Petfinder and other rescue websites, there were more females than males.


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## shepherdmom (Dec 24, 2011)

cowgirlteach said:


> This may be a silly question, but I have noticed a significant trend in the male:female GSD ratio in different rescue organizations. The female population is usually way larger than the male population.
> 
> I was wondering if this had to do with more females being given up due to some problem (behavior or otherwise). Or maybe males are just adopted out more quickly?
> 
> ...


When we were looking for a female GSD a while back we couldn't find that many. It was mostly males in the rescues and shelters. In fact we wound up with a male, lab/border collie instead of a GSD.


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## NewbieShepherdGirl (Jan 7, 2011)

I've noticed that with the rescue I got Sasha from. I figure it's a breed thing. I'll bet (though I have no first hand knowledge to back it up) if you were looking for a toy poodle people would be adopting the girls more quickly. I think when people think B.A, which is one of the reasons (not always the main reason) that people choose this breed, they thing male dogs will be more like that. From a personal experience standpoint, I would argue they're wrong. Tick my princess girl off and she's less like a princess and more like Cujo lol! She'll tell you for sure that you're out of line; I don't think someone seriously intent on hurting me would know or care that she was a female if they heard that growl. 

On another personal note. I much prefer boys to girls. It has been my experience that boys are more lovey and goofy than girls. Not that Sasha doesn't have her moments of both, but overall the boys just seem to mesh better with me. So maybe that has something to do with it. Girls, to me, are just much more serious. If I ever wanted to do schutzhund, I might be more inclined to go with a girl. If I just want someone to cuddle with, it seems the boys are much more inclined to be like, "LOVE ME!!!!!!!!!" 

Just my experience.


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## Kerivan (Apr 27, 2012)

I found the opposite! We had been looking in rescues for a female companion to our male & all the females either already had applications or they didn't get along well with kids or other animals. I found several gorgeous males available though with all the right characteristics, but we already have two boys in the house & didn't want to bring in a 3rd since they were both recently neutered & still have a little aggression towards other males (not all males, just certain ones). We put of our search since I don't think I can handle a newborn & a new dog at the same time, but then our neighbors found the sweetest, lifeless pup on the side of the road, nursed her back to health & gave her to us. Funny how things happen like that :wub:


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## Sunflowers (Feb 17, 2012)

Because they are bitchier.
Sorry, could not resist


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## Anitsisqua (Mar 25, 2012)

Sunflowers said:


> Because they are bitchier.
> Sorry, could not resist


:thumbup:

And hey, I hope that turns out to be the case in a few years when I'm ready for another dog. I'll probably get a female so that there's harmony in the pack.


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## wildwolf60 (Apr 13, 2001)

I found that there were more females available when we were looking for our male a couple years ago. Possible Murphy's Law, whenever you want something specific, the opposite is available! But our boy was worth waiting for, perfect match for us I think...


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## Pepper311 (Sep 11, 2011)

I always thought female dogs of any breed tend to get picked up faster then males.


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