# Should we get a boy or girl? Puppies @ 6weeks



## Golden23 (Sep 7, 2010)

Hi everyone,

We stopped and played with the puppies on our way back from Seattle yesterday, They are so cute!

We need to decide by next weekend if we want a boy or a girl. 

We have never had a boy before, just are two girls, so I really don't know the differences besides the obvious.

And the only thing stopping me from saying lets go with the boy is that I am worried that since, we would not neutered until 18 months that I would have to worry about him trying to get out, getting into fights with other male dogs or since boys are usually bigger, would I be able to control him. Plus he would not be able to go to Doggie Day Camp until he was neutered. I am not worried about the marking and lefting the leg, I know plenty of dogs that marked even after they were snipped. 

Our girl, Sundance marked as much as a boy sometimes. It was funny to watch her trying to get to the spot she wanted.

So what is the difference between the girls and the boys and I just worring too much about the issues that could come up with a boy?


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## Kally76 (Jun 14, 2010)

Hi! I really can't help. I have one of each and love them both the same. My male, however, is the more loveable of the two. My female is a little more active. So, I just have the best of both worlds.

I just wanted to tell you how cute the pictures were. I'm sure more experienced people can help you decide.


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## Jackson'sMom (Oct 13, 2007)

I've had 4 male goldens and 1 female, and I honestly don't have a preference. Since mine were/are all rescues, I just take whichever needs a good home. They've all been wonderful, loving dogs.


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## Mighty Casey and Samson's Mom (Jul 16, 2008)

Okay, so we always had females. They are "easy". I was talked into a male by my last breeder. She said that they were the best kept secret of goldens. SHE WAS TOTALLY RIGHT!!..My Casey has been a totally awesome guy in every way. And our new guy, Sam, from a different breeder, is equally awesom in his own way. Boys are so into YOU. They are less independent and more THERE. Some people might not like this, but I love it. I will always pick a male from now on.


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## Jax's Mom (Oct 16, 2009)

Sorry....no good advice really, but they sure are ALL CUTE!


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## Sheamus (Jul 4, 2010)

We have a male...he is so loving and awesome. As for the lifting the leg part, he doesn't lift his leg at all, he squats like a girl and always has..I guess every dog is different though. This is our first GR and first dog, so I can't vouch for a female, but my experience with a male dog has been totally great..good luck and I'm sure you will love your new puppy whatever you decide.


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## Maya's_Mom (Sep 20, 2010)

Hi!! The pictures are sooooo cute!!! I have a female Golden puppy... she is 5 months and fabulous!! A beautiful little girl... she is very independent and stubborn though!! And very vocal too (haha, she IS female!). My sister has a male, and he is also a great dog, he squats when he pee's, he's very very loving.... We had a hard time choosing between a male and female as well... not sure what swayed us to female... I guess we just fell in love with Maya when we went to see her!! Good luck!


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## cory (Aug 23, 2010)

Our little girl, Dakota, is only 11 weeks old but we love having her. We also debated between a male and female and ultimately we left it up to the breeder to tell us which puppy of the litter was best suited to our family. Dakota is very, very stubborn but also very loving and loves to lay by our feet and be petted.


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## Megora (Jun 7, 2010)

I'd pick the one with his/her head on your ankle. What a cute head!  

Boys or girls... I prefer male dogs. Less complicated.



> And the only thing stopping me from saying lets go with the boy is that I am worried that since, we would not neutered until 18 months that I would have to worry about him trying to get out, getting into fights with other male dogs or since boys are usually bigger, would I be able to control him. Plus he would not be able to go to Doggie Day Camp until he was neutered. I am not worried about the marking and lefting the leg, I know plenty of dogs that marked even after they were snipped.


1. Male or female, you _should_ worry about them running amuck around the neighborhood. Spayed/neutered or not. 
2. Consistant dog training, socialization and owner responsibility makes a huge difference in the behavior of your male or female dog. 
3. Ease of handling or training depends on the dog. Some male/female dogs can be more of a handful than others. 

If it helps at all... all our intact male goldens have been extremely gentle and nonconfrontational, even when attacked by _other_ dogs. That was partly temperament, but mainly they were all in dog class and had been around a lot of different dogs and people. One irritating thing that male dogs start (early) is mounting behavior. This starts at 4 or 5 months. I personally do not tolerate any of that and discourage any of that behavior as soon as it starts. Marking in the house - I hear about this a lot, but have never experienced that.


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## spruce (Mar 13, 2008)

Megora said:


> I'd pick the one with his/her head on your ankle. What a cute head!  QUOTE]
> 
> yep, that's the one!!


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## goldensare4ever (Feb 6, 2010)

I have had two females and now a male. To be honest with you both are nice but I prefer males. He interacts with us more and has a lot more energy. He is constantly challenging us. I think he really wants to be the leader.


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## Diesel's Mom (Oct 17, 2008)

Hi! the puppies are so adorable! 

I have a male golden Diesel who just made 2 in September and is not neutered. I have no problems with him at all. He is very lovable, he has a clam nature about him, great with my kids..... all around an awesome dog! 

Now Tucker (my foster dog) is my wild child he is a one year old un neutered golden but its not his fault as a puppy he was put outside with no training or attention; However, in the little time I have had him he seems like a different dog. 

My mom has a female golden 21 months old and let me just say I'm so glad I picked a male LOL 

I'm sure either male or female will be great!


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## KellyH (Sep 5, 2010)

I'm no expert and breeders have all told me there's really very little difference between the two. I guess it's a matter of personal preference. My last Golden was female and I want my new pup to be female. No rhyme or reason to it. It's just my gut feeling. That, and I've already picked out her name!!!!!


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## inge (Sep 20, 2009)

I have a female and am very glad I do: compared to her brother she is not as strong, so that makes handling her a lot easier. She is independent in a way, will always choose herself where she lies down, as long as it it anywhere near me, not necessarily ON me, and I like that.


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## sdain31y (Jul 5, 2010)

I'd read somewhere females are "Love me" and males are "I love YOU!!!". That's definitely what we've found with our two, she is independent and needs & wants her space, he's always wherever I am. We love them both totally.


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## iansgran (May 29, 2010)

I wanted a female because of size but got males both times and they have been great. Let the breeder pick temperament for you.


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## jmc (Sep 16, 2009)

Why can't you desex your dog before 18 months old? Is he a show dog? I have an entire male and he is no trouble at all - very calm, easy going and gets along with every dog he meets. I think male or female, desexed or entire, how a dog behaves boils down to temperament, how he is brought up and training. Ask the breeder to pick a calm puppy for you if you are unsure about your ability with a more hyperactive pup.


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## paula bedard (Feb 5, 2008)

jmc said:


> Why can't you desex your dog before 18 months old? Is he a show dog? I have an entire male and he is no trouble at all - very calm, easy going and gets along with every dog he meets. I think male or female, desexed or entire, how a dog behaves boils down to temperament, how he is brought up and training. Ask the breeder to pick a calm puppy for you if you are unsure about your ability with a more hyperactive pup.


Many Breeder contracts state that a male pup cannot be neutered before 18 months. I'm assuming her Breeder's does as well. Waiting to neuter is supposed to be healthier for the dog and allows him to grow/mature properly. I wish my Breeder had talked to me about this issue, as it was not in the contract. I would have waited to neuter Ike. 

I prefer males also...but I've only had males. My sisters Golden girl is very sweet but needy at times, her priorities are herself.  Pet me, brush me, play with me, pet me, gotta treat? Pet me...all after you've already done 'all of the above' in repetition. 

We were 2nd pick for Ike. I couldn't make my mind up as they were all cute and all lovable. I asked the Breeder to point out the one that was most like his father, since I knew the father's temperament. She pointed out Ike, who just happened to have climbed into hubby's lap and stay there, so we picked him.


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## Adriennelane (Feb 13, 2008)

Sorry, we've always had females. I personally prefer females, and both of my girls are very lovable and great cuddlers. They're active at times, but then they both like to cuddle on the couch and watch tv too.


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## CAROLINA MOM (May 12, 2009)

I have a boy and girl, no preference to either -love them both. 

If you can't decide, you can always get one of each.....


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## younggtx (Jan 30, 2009)

I like male dog because I don't have to carry a SHOT GUN when they on 
play date   :
OK, I am just kidding. We like both and it all comes down to your preference - personality, temperament, etc... that fit your life style.
Training, and spending time with your dog is the key no matter what/who you pick. Golden Retriever by nature is excellent around people and always very playful. 

So far, we just happened to have the boys, and Bodhi was the first born male, and we won the lottery for 1st Round 1st Pick. Our second pick would be a girl. We would be happy with either one.


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## Golden23 (Sep 7, 2010)

Thanks everyone for the input.

I don't know why I have been worried that I would not be able to handle a male. When my husband was In Iraq working as a contractor handling Explosive detection dogs, Sundance and I housesat/dog sat for one of his coworkers that was in Iraq also. I took care of a 100lb Male Rottie and a retired Customs female Belgian malinois. 

I was able to walk the Rottie around the neighborhood with no problems; it was a lot different than when I walked Sundance. People would automatically walk across the street, when they saw us coming that never happen with Sundance. Actually, people would cross the street to say hi to her.

After all it must have looked kinda funny/maybe scary to see a 5ft woman walking a Rottie that was almost as tall as she was. I had to keep him at heel at all times except every once in a while I would let him sniff in a grassy area. He was not the most socialized or trained as well as he should have been, but our dog will be well socialized and trained. So I should be just fine. 

My husband says that it doesn't matter to him (he just wants a new buddy to hang out with), but that he is leaning more towards a girl, but that it will be my decision in the end. He was a dog handler at one time for Customs and for the time he spent in Iraq most of his work dogs have been male, so he has more experience with males and I think that is also why he prefers females at home. 

We will see the puppies again on Saturday and our breeder will be in Colorado for the Nationals, so we don't have to tell her if we decided on the sex until she gets back.

We are going to have a great golden no matter which one of the puppies that we end up getting. 


We just want a healthy (after losing Callie at age 4), medium energy pup that hopefully will travel well in the car, that will like to go all over the place and meet lots of people and other animals. We take our dog every where that we can and plan our trips for the most part on where we can take them.


Actually, the first major trip is already planned for May/June. Arizona to meet the grandparents and to bury Callie's ashes next to Sundance, Cocoa and Mrs Kitty. Then to San Diego for Dog Beach. We grew up in San Diego.




Megora said:


> I'd pick the one with his/her head on your ankle. What a cute head!
> 
> Yes, that one is a cutie and I think it was one of the girls.


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## katelyn29 (Jul 21, 2010)

I think no matter what sex it is all about a dogs personality that makes them who they are. I have heard so many times that male dogs are more lovers and dependent on you and females are lot more independent. Well I have experienced the exact opposite. about a year ago when we were deciding which sex we wanted for our first dog I knew I wanted a female. Well I fell in love with a male, and for some reason I was a bit apprehensive, but i fell in love when him as soon as I brought him home. I defnintely love him more than he loves me. He isn't a big lover. He does like to sleep with us, but doesn't like to be bothered. He is extremely stubborn and doesn't like to cuddle. he is a great dog, and I love him to pieces but I always wanted a cuddle partner. i try to love on him, but he just gives me this really annoyed look.

A couple months ago we decided to bring home another pup. This time a female. I heard they are more gentle and just easier to deal with. Well, not so in our case. She is sooo wired and crazy!! But she is my little cuddle bug. Loves cuddling and getting attention and boy does she like to eat. She was so hard to handle at first, but she is about 4 mos now and is getting a little easier to deal with now.

so this is what leads me to say that no matter male or female. It really just comes down to personality. Like others have said just have the breeeder pick you out a pup whose personality suits you. you'll be in love no mater what.


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## MittaBear (Mar 9, 2010)

I've had two male dogs and two female dogs in my life and I can honestly say that I still don't have a preference of male vs. female. Every one of my dogs have had different personalities and have been affectionate in their own ways.

Will you be able to meet with the puppies again before you have to decide? If it's possible, I would meet with all the puppies again, play with them, and decide from there which puppy you wanted.

But if you can't, since your husband is leaning towards a female, I would go for a female.


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