Male vs Female

[annkie]

My last lab was a boy. He had a big humping issue. He was in love with my sofa to the point where I just quit trying to make him stop, covered the area and said "Here. This is your humping corner. Leave the rest alone." He also had an issue with humping anything fuzzy and new people (not all, but many). Someone had to really establish dominance over him in order to get him to stop humping their leg. I don't want to deal with that again.

So, we're in search of our next dog (a different breed) and I'm considering a female. I would like to know, from personal experience, about the real difference between females and males. I'm guessing breeds may have an influence in that. My main concern with a male is marking inside the house and humping. Does the gender really make a difference? Are there differences in personality between the genders too?

[JenC]

With the labs...When we had 1 boy, he only marked in the house if we went to a new house and some other dog had peed there. He did like to hump his bed, but that's it. Since Hudler, we don't really experience humping of pillows etc. but we have enough other dogs where they do hump each other from time to time. We also experienced some marking, but when you have 4 boys and some intact, it's a different dynamic.

My girls have tended to be "I'll love you when I am ready". The boys Velcro themselves to me and smother me with their love.

With the griff, she's pretty attached to me, but still very independent. I don't know if their boys are as in love with their owners as lab boys.

And definitely, EACH dog, no matter breed or sex has its own personality....just like people.

If you have no aspirations to do anything other than have a great pet, I would leave it open, have the breeder put you with the best dog for the family no matter the sex. I personally would only have boys if I never wanted to breed again. Both my last pups, Wrigley and Tickle, were both girls for showing/breeding. And that's the only reason I went for girls.

[smartrock]

Our girl Lark is more us-oriented than Chase has ever been. Ever since he was a puppy, he was perfectly happy to go into another room to sleep whereas Lark is usually sleeping by my feet. He likes attention on his own schedule. Chase gets excited and tries to hump other dogs and occasionally unfamiliar people, he was neutered at age 3 yrs. He has never in 10 years marked in the house. Lark has never tried to hump anything. My daughter's female (non-lab) has spent a lot of time over the years trying to hump Chase's head. Our bullmastiff boys did no humping and no marking in the house, neutered at 1 and 2 years of age. So, girl dogs can and will hump things and not all boys hump. I think it depends upon the dog and at 8 weeks of age, I doubt you can predict who will and who won't.

[Snowshoe]

I"ve only had two boys, neither humped or marked, both intact too. I know that's not probably significant, two dogs. Across the street there have been five GR, all intact males and only one humped. I can't imagine they marked in the house or I would have heard the complaints about it. Not even when the resident two were visited by the two who belong to the adult children.

My sister's female English Shepherd has only ever humped Oban and she did it when their Grandma paid too much attention to Oban.

[Labradorks]

My last lab was a boy. He had a big humping issue. He was in love with my sofa to the point where I just quit trying to make him stop, covered the area and said "Here. This is your humping corner. Leave the rest alone." He also had an issue with humping anything fuzzy and new people (not all, but many). Someone had to really establish dominance over him in order to get him to stop humping their leg. I don't want to deal with that again.

So, we're in search of our next dog (a different breed) and I'm considering a female. I would like to know, from personal experience, about the real difference between females and males. I'm guessing breeds may have an influence in that. My main concern with a male is marking inside the house and humping. Does the gender really make a difference? Are there differences in personality between the genders too?

I've only had males and the only humping was once or twice during the very young puppy years. I've left two of my boys intact until they were two, the others were neutered much younger. I've never had one mark inside my house with exception of an adult dog that I adopted from a shelter, not a Lab, who had a lot of baggage. I have had boyfriends and friends with females that humped my males and marked outside as much as or more so than some males. Even with foster dogs, almost always male, I can't remember any big issues, even when dogs were young, intact and untrained.

Your dog may have been humping because he needed more exercise, mental stimulation or training. He may have learned that humping = attention or that humping = stress relief. When overly excited, stressing up, or just being bored, some dogs jump, some spin, some do zoomies, some grab with their mouths and some hump. Your friend "establishing dominance" probably just scared the dog into submission. If you get another dog with a similar temperament to that dog and you train/house/treat the dog the same way, you'll likely get a similar outcome, regardless of sex.

[annkie]

Your dog may have been humping because he needed more exercise, mental stimulation or training. He may have learned that humping = attention or that humping = stress relief. When overly excited, stressing up, or just being bored, some dogs jump, some spin, some do zoomies, some grab with their mouths and some hump. Your friend "establishing dominance" probably just scared the dog into submission. If you get another dog with a similar temperament to that dog and you train/house/treat the dog the same way, you'll likely get a similar outcome, regardless of sex.

Now that you mention it, he did hump when he got super excited. He knew to do it as soon as I walked away so I wouldn't say "no". I tried to channel that energy into a game of fetch or something but that was never enough. Either, way, you made some good points. Thanks!

[Shelley]

Like Jen, if I could only have one gender of dog the rest of my life, I would have boys! My girls are very sweet and affectionate and fun, but there is just something different about how a male dog loves you.

Inappropriate humping is a training issue (IMO) and both males and females will do it. (My girls will hump each other when they are coming into heat which I tolerate) I redirect with toys, so now all of my dogs race for a toy when I come home from work, or when we have company, which is much better than mouthing or mounting.

There is an old Labrador breeder adage that goes something like this... "The girls say "love me, love me, love me!", and the boys say "I love you, I love you, I love you"!

[SunDance]

My boys have been affectionate and my Lab/Lab mix girls aloof (my female Akita and all the Basenjis were not).

My only humper was my female yellow Lab...and then only her "brother" Hershey....and only his head.

I've had puppy humpers but that disappeared at neutering if not before (and never people). No one has ever humped a human.

I've definitely bonded more with my males.

[annkie]

OH, you guys are convincing me to get a boy!

[MightyThor]

Thor only humps other dogs - no people, no inanimate objects. And only dogs he's had time to get to know. It was more common when he was a bit younger, I haven't seen him do it in a long time (and he's getting neutered next month so maybe he won't do it again...).

I've never had a female, but my Thor fits the pattern of velcro dog/super attached male. He's always by the side of either me or my husband, it's very rare to find him in a room by himself!