Labrador... male or female?

Dawnandusk

Well-Known Member
Sep 26, 2018
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Bonita
I understand the benefits of having a female dog at home, but when it comes to growing and training a companion for life about hunting, what do you think would make my life easier? A male puppy or a female puppy?
 
For me, it's males only.....Labs want to please and retrieve naturally....Where I've seen the difference is the aggressiveness of the trainer/training (tough) and their willingness to leap tall building to retrieve a bird (desire)….2 cents

ps....My male Trigger is the sweetest dog you've ever met....It's the females that seem to have the split personality.

pss….They all chew too....lol
 
For me, it's males only.....Labs want to please and retrieve naturally....Where I've seen the difference is the aggressiveness of the trainer/training (tough) and their willingness to leap tall building to retrieve a bird (desire)….2 cents

ps....My male Trigger is the sweetest dog you've ever met....It's the females that seem to have the split personality.

pss….They all chew too....lol
Thank you Steve.
 
As you said Steve for you only it is males so to each his own. Doing this for a living day in and day out for a long time and dealing with many different breeds both pointers and retrievers male and female it has been my experience that females are more cooperative in general (there are always those outlaws) and less full of themselves (not to mention that they don't need to mark every landmark they encounter and establish a pecking order in the presence of other dogs. The prey drive I have seen in both sex's seems to be more about bloodline than gender. Dogs are pack animals and from what I have experienced I feel females are easier to train because they tend to be more submissive and thus more easily trained as well as more mindful of commands and cooperation as they age.
 
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I have had both male and female GSP's and for my money males are far better. All my female have hunted for themselves while the males hunt for me. Males aim to please their owners. Remember they call females bitches for a reason. Both are great family dogs.
 
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There is no correct answer, either can be a great dog at home and in the field. It really comes down to get what you want.

My club (LCRA) is as brutal hard on dogs. Flooded salt cedar, cat tails and arundo. There is not a dog in here with more duck in water retrieves than my 10yo and Tia is a female.

So don't base your choice on a perceived need for one or the other to get the job done. Both will work, your training will be the difference!

I would strongly suggest getting a pup from a field trials breeder. Genetics will be clear and the chances of getting a smart dog go way way up
 
There is no correct answer, either can be a great dog at home and in the field. It really comes down to get what you want.

My club (LCRA) is as brutal hard on dogs. Flooded salt cedar, cat tails and arundo. There is not a dog in here with more duck in water retrieves than my 10yo and Tia is a female.

So don't base your choice on a perceived need for one or the other to get the job done. Both will work, your training will be the difference!

I would strongly suggest getting a pup from a field trials breeder. Genetics will be clear and the chances of getting a smart dog go way way up

Totally agree, Bill...:blush:

Although, I would say that Trigger at the same age has retrieved more ducks & geese than Tia.......:innocent:

Don't agree with the field trial stuff or high dollar dog mantra either....OK....I don't agree with anything you said.... :joy:
 
Totally agree, Bill...:blush:

Although, I would say that Trigger at the same age has retrieved more ducks & geese than Tia.......:innocent:

Don't agree with the field trial stuff or high dollar dog mantra either....OK....I don't agree with anything you said.... :joy:

He said duck in water so you can't count those canada birds!
 
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