| Many people believe that female dogs make better pets. Most calls for pet dogs have someone wanting a "sweet little girl". They don't think that a female will display alpha behaviors like 'humping' and/or 'marking their territory'. A lot of people believe that females are more docile and attentive and do not participate in fighting over dominance. This could not be farther from the truth! In the dog pack makeup, the females usually rule the roost. It will usually be the females who compete to maintain and/or alter pecking order in the pack. Female dogs, as a result, generally are more independent, stubborn, and territorial than their male counterparts. As a general rule, females are much more intent upon exercising their dominance by participating in such alpha behaviors as 'humping'. Most fights will usually break out between 2 females. Males, on the other hand, are usually more affectionate, exuberant, attentive, and more demanding of your affection and attention. Males become very attached to their people, and tend to be more outgoing, more accepting of other pets, less moody, and tend to take quicker to children. Males, as a general rule, are also less likely to exhibit unwanted behaviors such as snapping and growling as they get older. Females have a tendency to become less tolerant and more snippy as they age. Male dogs are easily motivated by food (go figure!!) and praise, and are so eager to please their people that training them is easy. Conversely, males are more easily distracted during training because of their playful nature. It seems that, no matter what his age, he is more likely to act silly and more puppy-like, always wanting to play games. Males tend to be fun loving until the day they leave this world. Females, on the other hand, tend to become more reserved, dignified, less playful, and more moody as they age. Neutered males rarely exhibit secondary sexual behavior such as 'humping' or 'marking', once the testosterone levels recede after neutering. If a male is neutered before the age of 5 months, they usually will never raise their leg to urinate. It also is worth noting that, in general, it costs about half as much to have a male neutered as a female spayed. If you are not planning on breeding your female, spaying is a necessity in order to keep your furniture, carpets, etc. from being soiled when she goes in heat twice a year, or getting away from you during her season and becoming pregnant by a wandering male. These are all things you need to consider before choosing which gender is the right one for your family. In the end it will come down to personal preference. And, in my opinion, male or female, a schnauzer makes the perfect pet for any family!! |
| MALE OR FEMALE WHICH IS BETTER FOR OUR FAMILY? |
