When it comes to choosing the gender of your new puppy, please listen to your breeder!

A good breeder watches the puppies, handles them and plays with them. Not all dogs are created equal; even in the same litter from the same mother and father. They all have different temperaments just like children in human families. Watching puppies, really watching them with one another, their parents, the other animals in the house and the human visitors who come into the home, a good breeder will be able to match a puppy with its new home.

Some people think that female dogs make better pets. This preference seems to be ingrained in these people. Maybe that’s because they had a female dog when they were kids. It seems that most people who call for a puppy prefer a female. They don't think sweet little girls display alpha behaviors like "marking" and/or "humping". They think females are more docile and attentive than males and do not fight for dominance over their littermates.

Any breeder will tell you that is simply not the case. In a dog pack, females generally rule the roost, determine the pecking order, and compete to maintain and/or alter that order. Females are more independent, stubborn, and territorial than males. Females are much more apt to exercise their dominance by participating in alpha behaviors too.

There is a reason people utilize the word bitch for a female dog in a negative way - and it refers directly to the behaviors exhibited by the females of the dog world. Most fights usually break out between two females.

On the other hand, males are often more affectionate, exuberant, attentive, and demanding of attention. They are very attached to their humans. They are more outgoing, more accepting of other pets, and take quicker to children. Most males are easily motivated by food and praise, and they are so eager to please that training them is easier.

Because males like to play more, they can be distracted by outside events during training. No matter what age they are, a male is more likely to act silly and more puppy-like. (Almost sounds like humans, doesn’t it?) Boys are more fun-loving until the day they die. Females tend to be more reserved or dignified as they age.

Before deciding on a male or female, give consideration to any other dogs or pets that may be in your house; determine what you want from your dog. Listen to your breeder.

Personally, I often recommend a male for a home with children, unless they are older. I do this because I find males to be more tolerant of small children, and more accommodating to their needs.