SO SHOULD I GET A MALE OR FEMALE?

This is usually a question we first ask ourselves when thinking of obtaining a puppy or even an adult dog for a pet. Here are just a few of my thoughts pertaining to this question. Many people, right away, think that a female dog makes a better pet, especially a house pet. While I love my female dogs that I have now or in past years, both male and female dogs have pros and cons. Males, of course, are known for lifting their leg to urinate and mark their territory. However, if you get your male dog neutered between the ages of about 4 to six months, this usually helps the problem quite a bit. Of course, there are exceptions to every rule. Actually, some vets prefer to wait even longer than 6 months of age to neuter so that the dog’s urinary system has a little more time to mature and may end up with fewer urinary tract problems in the future. Some say that if your male dog has already matured and/or mated that neutering may or may not help with lifting their legs. Every dog is different. Males are not the only creatures who like to mark their territory. Sometimes I have seen mature females also practice this habit. Females, of course, have their heat cycles, which are likely to be very messy. They can get blood all over the floors, rugs, furniture, and in their kennel which is more work for the pet owner. Most everyone should get their pets spayed/neutered unless they are planning on breeding their dogs, which is another whole story in itself. Besides being messy, a female dog in heat is impossible to contain and control from attracting males. Her scent can be smelled by male dogs for blocks or even miles away in some cases. If you have male and female dogs in your household it can be very difficult to keep the two apart. A female must never be left alone during this time unless great care has been taken to protect her. I have even heard of dogs mating thru fences. Also, females also go thru mood swings which can make them sweet one day and cranky and aloof another. Males usually go thru these mood swings at a much less degree. That’s one reason that males are sometimes known to make such loving pets. Of course, females are very loving and thrive on affection, too, but sometimes I think a male dog is actually more sweet loving.