which gender of dog is best to start with?

Hey everyone, I hope you are all doing well! This Summer (around July) my family and I will be getting a puppy. I am trying to decide weather a male or female puppy will be best to start off with. You see, we will be getting another puppy (adding up to 2 puppies) the next summer. I want to know which gender (male or female) will be more accepting of another dog/puppy at around a year old? Thanks for the help!
-Sophie

The sex of the dog shouldn't matter when adding a second dog, though it's recommended to get one of the opposite sex by most experts. Your biggest problem is most dogs are still puppies at a year old as far as mental development. It can take up to three years to fully raise a dog to where it's trustworthy and done making trouble. Your first dog will still be learning when you add another, so be prepared for the extra work that will bring.

Altered dogs have different personalities then unaltered dog. I'm going to assume you plan on having them fixed which will make them have more even temperaments and they aren't always thinking about reproducing.

I was always raised with male dogs, thinking they are the best..but, I have recently reached the conclusion it was because my parents did not want puppies. I think FEMALE dogs are the best. Males tend to run off doing their own thing and come when they please, where as both of my female dogs stick to my side and do exactly as they are told. They also seem far more eager to please than my males have ever been.

Just my point of view, but I'll never own another male dog.
Both of my girls are spayed. (English springer spaniel and blue heeler)

I do agree I only keep females, I have a pack of five. But some seem to enjoy the goofiness of males.

I think both can be perfect pets, but what is more important is socialization of the dogs with other dogs (and people) during the critical socialization time from about 8-14 weeks or so. Dogs can begin to be socialized one week after their first puppy shot. Sign up for puppy classes, have dog parties with friends, whatever way you can get your dog to have positive interactions with other dogs (be a little cautious with dog parks) will really help in the long run.

Spaying or neutering will also help. I will say I tend to prefer females, but mostly because I feel like males are more prone to marking (if I were to bring them into a friend's house or what not)

BlueSkiesGirl said:

Hey everyone, I hope you are all doing well! This Summer (around July) my family and I will be getting a puppy. I am trying to decide weather a male or female puppy will be best to start off with. You see, we will be getting another puppy (adding up to 2 puppies) the next summer. I want to know which gender (male or female) will be more accepting of another dog/puppy at around a year old? Thanks for the help!
-Sophie

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I've had both, female accepting a male pup and male accepting a male pup, though I've not had a male accepting a female pup. From what I can tell, it all depends on the temperament of the older dog as to how things go along. If they are well trained and fully socialized, it seems to work out just fine....but I've chosen certain traits in pups.

I think what might be more important is the personality of the new pup....is she or he a more dominant dog, an alpha type? Are you joining an alpha dog with an alpha dog or an alpha to a more submissive animal, or a submissive pup to an already alpha older dog? I think people have more problems joining dogs of different ages and even breeds when they are both alpha animals...leads to a lot of fighting later on and pretty soon they are keeping them separated to avoid fighting.

first, are you going through a breeder? if so, what breed are you looking at? if you go with a responsible breeder (the only kind that you should ever purchase from), they may be able to meet your preference for a particular gender but they will match you to the dog that best fits your personality and needs.

if you are going to get a rescue dog, is there a particular breed or mix of breeds that you plan to look for?

I much prefer males. In my breed, getting 2 puppies so close together is a recipe for disaster, especially if you aren't an incredibly experienced dog home. Even though they will be a year apart in age, littermate syndrome is one of the things you'll have to consider. blog.betternaturedogtraining.com/2013/07/18/littermate-syndrome/

the rule of thumb for adding a second dog is: first dog should be fully mature (for medium and large breeds that means at least 2-3 years old). first dog should be fully trained and have no bad habits that you plan to work on. have a plan in place in case, once both are fully grown, they don't like each other.

I think there may be a reason why female dogs are called "Bitches", lol. Just a joke. But I don't like to think there's anything significantly different based on gender. All pups are different. The important thing is to pick based on the individual not on a stereotype, because just like people not everyone is going to fit the rumours. I will say that I've talked with a lot of friends of friends over the years who have actually noticed their female dogs were usually least accepting of others and more wanting to be the only 'special' dog in the house. So that is maybe something to think about. But again all dogs are different and you really can't pin point any specific behaviour with absolute certainty.

Age also doesn't really matter but they are easier to train the younger they are, mostly so you can ensure they don't develop any bad habits. You just have to remember that dogs are still puppies until they're around 2-3 years old and decide whether or not you are up to the challenge of taking on another energetic mischievous puppy at the same time. Just be sure to remember to socialize your puppy well with other dogs and there should be no problems, but always have a backup plan in case the two dogs you do plan to get just so happen to not like each other so much. I think most organizations allow you to have a trial run, so make use of that.
The others have made good points as well.
Good luck on your puppy adventure!

My female is more peaceful around my animals, welcomes other dogs in more quickly and protects my kids at all cost. My male will lick u to death and cuddle tons but he is off on his own adventures with the drop of a squirrel. We have put in lots of training with both to show them our expectations.
My females just turned 3 and my male will be 3 this fall. Female is Austrailian Shepherd and male is a German Shepherd.

Thank you so much to everyone who answered my question(s). I really appreciate it!