boy or girl? other advice please!

hello all!
i love this message board it is soooo helpful! i am getting a puppy shipoo in about two months. should i get a boy or a girl? i live in a nice sized apartment and plan to litter train. any suggestions? i've been reading posts for months now and would love suggeted reading for training and for gettng ready to have a puppy as a (big) part of my life.
thanks so much and all advice is appreciated!
(like my username?? i thought it was clever

 

Hi and welcome I think we all have that puppy love too

as for a boy or girl I really think it is your own preference. I have two boys and love them to death :love_y_t_much: I know people who have girls and feel the same way. Both of my boys go potty by squating Max occasionally will lift his leg though but not too often. Some say boys are more hyper but I am not sure I think it depends on the breed some girls are more hyper than boys. I am not sure if you said you planned on neutering or spaying but I think that is very significant in what you decide. My baby and monster will know more than me so I will leave the rest to them. LOL :0023:

 

Hello and welcome!!!

I'm very excited on your upcoming arrival! We've had our girls for almost 2 months now and I am STILL on cloud 9

I wrestled with the male/female thing for at least a month. From the research I've done as well as those I've spoken with, both male and female make loving pets!!! Of course, there are some differences that you'll read about (males marking their territory, being more aggressive and females being more independant and not as affectionate etc., but I think a lot of it has to do with the breed/mix and your puppy!).

My husband and I have two female shih-poos, Molly & Emma (they are littermates). They are extremely lovable, snuggly, funny, smart and have wonderful personalities (they also love to give kisses, kisses and more kisses!). They both have bonded really well with my husband and I and also each other.

Since this is my first time as a pet owner and we have two females, that's the only experience I have to share with you. There are other shih-poo owners on the board who have males and I KNOW they'll pop into this thread (ahem, MyBaby & Monster..).

As far as other tips etc., I have many web sites bookmarked at home that I can send to you tonight (I'm at work now..)

 

WELCOME itmustbepuppylove!!!

Congrats on getting your shih-poo in a couple of months...how exciting, be sure to post pics and tell us all about him/her when you bring him/her home! \/

As to your question, since you asked, I'm going to give you my honest opinion. If I had to choose, I would pick a male over a female. (Such a choice is evident since I have two male shih-poos myself. :wink: ) I definitely prefer the general male personality over that of the females. (In my experience with many dogs of all types - pure bred and mixed, I have to admit, I still prefer the males in most cases.)

However, that is definitely NOT to say that you wouldn't be happy with a female. I know many people who have female dogs, and they are absolutely thrilled with them! (I have met them, the dogs in which I speak of, and yes, they indeed are wonderful - no question there!)

(I probably should mention that there are some dog breeds that I feel as though a female would be a better choice than a male, but that's not relevant in this particular topic.)

Quite honestly, I think it all boils down to personal preference!!!

Read up on the general pros and cons of females and males, and see which you prefer!

*Be sure to neuter or spay your future shih-poo, not only for his/her sake, but also to prevent many problems from occurring!

Just my .02!

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I'm sure PooGirl will have some great sites to give you, but in addition, here are some sites that may be of interest to you:

http://www.doublejkennel.com/Why%20male ... emales.htm

http://www.mts.net/~mckay55/gender.html

http://www.angel-litemaltese.com/Male_vs_Female.htm

(I believe those sites are breed specific, but the information given is true for many other breeds as well.)

 

<<<< stepping up to the mike, since me and mybabyshih were summoned >>>>


Honestly, I don't have much else to say other than what mybabyshih already covered. I have a one year old male shihpoo and he's been awesome. He isn't agressive at all and he doesn't mark his territory like some say boys do, but then again he was neutered at 6 months. I hear the non-neutered boys are the ones that mark a lot. Also, as far as potty training.... he squats (like a girl) in the back yard and anywhere there isn't a tree.... but he'll lift his leg if there is a tree/pole/etc. I heard the same thing from several other friends who have boys. So, the litter training would work just fine with a boy.

and yes, great/clever nickname itmustbepuppylove!

 

Very true, neutering, in the vast majority of situations, will take care of those undesired behaviors/problems! My two neutered males will "mark their territory" sometimes, but it ONLY happens outside (during our walks). Believe it or not, females will also mark. Although they don't do it nearly as often as males usually, the marking issue is not just specific to males!

It's always best to spay or neuter early on (I prefer at 6 months). The longer you wait, the more likely undesired behaviors will begin to occur - male or female.

 

Hi WELCOME to the board. LOve the nick name. Happy choosing between a male and a female.