I’m hoping at least a few of you who visit this page will take a quick second to reply in the Comments below:
“Big” (or “Little”, or “Both”)
and…
“Male” (or “Female”, or “Both”)
…in reference to your actual experiences as a dog owner.
The Question:
Have you mostly had little female dogs? Little male dogs? Big female dogs? Or big male dogs?
Or, have you had a little bit of everything, in which case “Both sizes” or “Both genders” would be the appropriate answer.
I’m simply wondering what most people’s preferences are when it comes to choosing a dog and if they notice any “obvious trends” in those choices.
My Personal Experience
For me, my reply to this question is: “Male, Big dogs”
And it’s always been that way for me — from the time I started choosing my own dogs as companions over 20 years ago.
I have no real desire to ever switch to female dogs or smaller dogs either. Not for any particular reason, other than the fact that I’ve had many good years with large male dogs. And that’s what I know best: large male dog behavior.
Specifically, I kind of favor Lab-mix dogs, which are the breeds of our two current dogs. One is Lab-Golden Retriever and the other is Lab-Great Pyrenees — both males.
The dog I had for 15 years (before those two) was a male American Eskimo — which isn’t exactly “large”, but at 40 lbs, he was closer to a large dog than a small dog. (Our Lab-mixes are 80 pounds each.) And before that, I had a Siberian Husky.
So, back to the question at hand…
I’m just wondering if others find themselves following a similar pattern or not.
Have you always had the same size and gender dogs through the years? Or have you mixed things up a bit?
Thanks in advance for sharing!…
I like to help Dog Parents find unique ways to do things that will save time & money — so I write about “outside the box” Dog Tips and Dog Hacks that most wouldn’t think of. I’m a lifelong dog owner — currently have 2 mixed breed Golden Aussies that we found abandoned on the side of the road as puppies. I’ve always trained my own dogs and help friends train theirs, as well. Professionally, I worked at a vet and have several friends who are veterinarians — whom I consult with regularly. (And just because I love animals so much, I also worked at a Zoo for awhile!) I’ve been sharing my best ideas with others by blogging full-time since 1998 (the same year that Google started… and before the days of Facebook and YouTube). My daily motivation is to help first-time dog owners be better prepared from the first day your new puppy enters your home. I like to help dog owners understand what’s ‘normal’ and what you can expect in terms of living with and training your dog — how to get through the ups & downs of potty training, chewing, teaching commands, getting your dog to listen, and everything else that takes place during that hectic first year! When I’m not training, walking, grooming, or making homemade treats for my dogs, you will find me at the corner of Good News & Fun Times as publisher of The Fun Times Guide (32 fun & helpful websites). To date, I’ve written over 600 articles for dog owners on this site! Many of them have upwards of 200K shares.
