Do you prefer Female or Male GSD and why?

I haven’t owned a female GSD yet, only a male, but I definitely lean towards the boys. For me, it’s a mix of physical and mental traits. I really prefer that bigger, filled-out look the males have. Plus, in my experience, my boy has this perfect split where he can lock in and work, but then turn around and be a total goofball and a cuddle bug.

I actually had a female Catahoula before, and she was very different, much more independent, mature, and the 'bossy mother figure' to my other dogs. My male GSD just has a different vibe, he feels more like a homie for lack of better words XD. That said, I still adore the females! I actually almost adopted one recently, but the foster family ended up keeping her themselves.
 
I’ve never owned a male GSD, only male labs, so I can’t really compare the sexes firsthand. The female GSD I knew well was my ex’s, and she was intact, so most of my experience there was dealing with heat cycles and diapers she refused to keep on.

My first GSD will be a male just because that’s what I’m used to with dogs in general, but I’d definitely try a female in the future too.
 
I’ve had both, and honestly the “male vs female” thing is way more dog dependent than internet charts make it seem.

My males have always been a little more forward and push-the-line confident, while the females tended to be sharper, quicker to read the room, and way more strategic. But I’ve also met females who were absolute wrecking balls and males who were soft as butter. Genetics and upbringing beat gender every time.

If you’ve had great luck with females, there’s nothing wrong with sticking to what fits your home. But in a good breeding program, you can find steady, stable dogs on either side, it just comes down to the individual in front of you.
 
I have had mostly male dogs throughout my life and I haven't owned a female GSD so I can't speak to temperament differences.

Growing up we had a female pitbull type dog who used to bully our male GSD mix. Well, until he EXPLODED and tried to kill her. This was totally out of character for him. But it had the desired affect - she was a total sweetheart towards my boy for the rest of her life. LOL.

The only thing that stands out to me between male and female GSDs is the sheer size difference. Males are so much bigger, even when I see a big female who is similar in weight to a male, the males just come off as MORE dog.

Ironically, I was considering a female dog when I got my current pup. I left the decision up to my wife since she's surrounded by boys and she immediately said "get a boy."

I asked her why, she was like "I understand men better." 😂
 
Andre said:
I’ve never owned a male GSD, only male labs, so I can’t really compare the sexes firsthand. The female GSD I knew well was my ex’s, and she was intact, so most of my experience there was dealing with heat cycles and diapers she refused to keep on.

My first GSD will be a male just because that’s what I’m used to with dogs in general, but I’d definitely try a female in the future too.
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Are you getting pick of the litter with your new pup?
 
Malakai The Great said:
I’ve had both, and honestly the “male vs female” thing is way more dog dependent than internet charts make it seem.

My males have always been a little more forward and push-the-line confident, while the females tended to be sharper, quicker to read the room, and way more strategic. But I’ve also met females who were absolute wrecking balls and males who were soft as butter. Genetics and upbringing beat gender every time.

If you’ve had great luck with females, there’s nothing wrong with sticking to what fits your home. But in a good breeding program, you can find steady, stable dogs on either side, it just comes down to the individual in front of you.
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In the nature vs nurture argument, i think its always fun to think about dogs who "look like" their humans.

Sure, Murphy is 1/2 WL, but would she be as much crack head if i wasn't such a crack head?
 
murph said:
Are you getting pick of the litter with your new pup?
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I’ve asked her to pick for me. She would know the litter better than anyone, so I’d rather let her match temperament to what I’m looking for. She also said that if none of the pups are a good fit for me, I won’t get one from this pairing, so I trust her judgment on it.
 
Andre said:
I’ve asked her to pick for me. She would know the litter better than anyone, so I’d rather let her match temperament to what I’m looking for. She also said that if none of the pups are a good fit for me, I won’t get one from this pairing, so I trust her judgment on it.
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Damn that's a good breeder. I love how intentional you ate about all if this <3
 
murph said:
Damn that's a good breeder. I love how intentional you ate about all if this <3
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I’m trying to be really deliberate with this whole process, I want the right dog, not just a dog. Super grateful to have a breeder who does things the right way.
 
I've had a male GSD/Husky mix (complete goofball) and 2 female GSDs that I've worked in SAR. Both times I got a female because that was the puppy my breeder thought would be best for the work. Anecdotally from what I've seen in the SAR dogs, females tnd to be much more serious while males have derpier tendencies. That's not to say one works better than the other, but as an example, if you're on task and take a break, a female is more likely to also take a break and chill whereas a male will be yelling at you to get going again or will go find a big branch to drag around while waiting. So I would say a female is likely to be more serious, but it's also a matter of genetics and nurture.
 
murph said:
In the nature vs nurture argument, i think its always fun to think about dogs who "look like" their humans.

Sure, Murphy is 1/2 WL, but would she be as much crack head if i wasn't such a crack head?
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I do think that has a lot to do with it, particularly in breeds that were bred to have a close working relationship with their handler. Handlers that are calm and even keeled usually have a dog that works similarly and handlers that are high strung have dogs like that. Once in awhile you see a dog that's a 180 from the handler, but that tends to be either trying to work a dog that doesn't have the drive for the job, or they didn't train neutrality and impulse control.
 
murph said:
In the nature vs nurture argument, i think its always fun to think about dogs who "look like" their humans.

Sure, Murphy is 1/2 WL, but would she be as much crack head if i wasn't such a crack head?
Click to expand...
There’s definitely some truth to that. Genetics load the gun, but lifestyle pulls the trigger.

Working line dogs come with a ton of drive baked in, but how that drive shows up is heavily shaped by the human on the other end of the leash. If you’re active, intense, always doing something, that dog is going to mirror it and channel their energy the same way.

So yeah, Murphy probably came wired hot… but living with a fellow "crackhead" absolutely taught her how to express it
 
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