Gender Differences in Dogs

“But I want a girl!”

We’ve heard this line a thousand times with puppy buyers, and though we understand your preference, we like to educate about what the differences in her gender actually mean in the end. 

When someone says they want a girl bernedoodle, it doesn’t normally mean they care what type of part is *ahem* “down there”. Instead, they are normally looking for a certain personality type that they associate with boy or girl dogs. 

Often though, this perfect personality profile can be found in a pup of the unexpected gender, and that is where our program and temperament testing come in. We match you with the perfect companion for your family by relying on a scientifically backed program, not just by looking at the puppy’s… underside.

You may be shaking your head right about now and thinking “I know people with boy dogs that just seem so ‘boy!’” 

Maybe you watch them pee on everything and bark whenever someone rings the doorbell. Maybe these boy dogs seem more independent or are bouncing off the walls with energy. Some boy dogs are like this! And some girl dogs are calmer or more connected with their owners. 

But as a whole, a puppy’s sex isn’t the main determining factor of their behaviors. 

Three big things are going to affect how or if these stereotypes become reality in your pup much more than their sex will: the personality they are born with, their training, and their neuter/spay status. Keep reading to learn more about how these three things can make anticipated dog gender behaviors become more or less pronounced. 

Puppy Personality

By the time you choose your puppy, we have a pretty good idea of what their personality will be like as they age. We are able to make this “puppy profile” with a combination of careful observation as the puppy grows and the traits the puppy demonstrates during their temperament tests.

But, what can you really know about a puppy’s personality when they are seven or eight weeks old? 

Puppy behavior is largely composed of innate puppy personality characteristics, or those traits each puppy has that aren’t likely to change over time, along with some more malleable traits, which proper training can shift in one direction or another with patience and persistence. We look at traits in both of these categories when determining what a puppy’s personality will be like in different situations.

For example, some of the stable traits the dog will share with us are how friendly they are with other dogs, how much energy they have day to day, and how affected they are by strong human emotional displays. We measure these traits independently of a dog’s sex. 

For instance, some girl dogs and some boy dogs are scored with low energy levels. So, if you are looking for a more mellow dog, which you might associate with girl dogs, the results of our temperament tests will give a more accurate guide to which pup is right for you, because it is very possible to take home a hyper girl who wants to go go go all day!

Evening Everything out with Training

Many behaviors you might be trying to avoid by choosing a boy or girl bernedoodle can be easily reversed with proper training and socialization. Those stable personality traits we mentioned won’t be impacted

Worried your dog will be aggressive or overly fearful? Socialize them! We start socializing our pups from day 21 and continue to do so in developmentally appropriate ways until go-home day. We even invite prospective customers over for a puppy social around week 6 and play a cuddly game of pass-the-puppy!

During our pass-the-puppy exercise, puppies were passed in a circle, getting cuddles and confidence with each new handler! This socialization technique is one of many fun ways to lower aggression and fear in dogs.

Then, we encourage new owners to expose their bernedoodles to as many other dogs and people as they can until they are 4 months old. Why bother? Research shows that properly socialized dogs are less aggressive, less fearful, and more social than puppies who grew up more isolated.

Worried your dog will bark every time someone rings the doorbell? There are a whole host of techniques to teach your bernedoodle that barking isn’t the only way to handle visitors (which by the way, start with proper socialization!). 

The Humane Society suggests tossing a treat on your dog’s bed while you tell them to lie down if they start barking at the door. This can distract them from their yapping and give them another way to handle their emotions. Alternatively, they suggest simply moving your dog to a different room once they start barking. Desensitizing your dog to the knocking can also counter the behavior. There are many methods to try here, and none of them require that you have a certain gender of dog!

Neutering/Spaying and Dog Behavior

The biggest impact on dog personality that neutering dogs will have is reducing male marking behavior. Per our contract, all our pups must become neutered when they are old enough to do so safely (for both ethical and health reasons!). In boys, this is going to lower their levels of “boy” hormones, and vice versa in girls. 

What does this mean for your pup? Your boys are going to stop trying to pee on literally everything they smell. Boys will still cock their legs when they pee most of the time, and girls will squat most of the time, but that desperate need for boys to mark their territory will subside more likely than not. 

Energy levels may also be lower in neutered dogs, especially the girls. Girl dogs also will no longer go into heat, so you won’t need to have that talk with your children.

So.. should you get a boy or a girl?

In most cases, this won’t be an important question we consider when helping you find your perfect pup. We will focus on the personality characteristics that you are looking for in a furry friend, and also what environment each individual puppy will thrive in as they grow when matching families with their pups.

However, some families prefer having a boy or girl dog for reasons other than personality, and we will always respect that decision. We just want to make sure all of our families know that dog gender does not play a huge role in dog personality.

If you are looking for a specific personality quality in your future puppy, you can read more about our program and temperament testing here to better understand how we can make that dream a reality!