The Selection Process
Corbis
A wolf or wild canid pack relies on the males to hunt and protect, while the females raise the pups and keep domestic order. For this reason, male wolves and their domestic cousins are generally larger than the females. Contrary to popular belief, there is no gender difference for excitability, nervousness or defensive barking habits.
Male?
Characteristics of a Male Dog:
Male dogs are usually more aggressive, more apt to develop behavioral and territorial problems, and more prone to attempts at dominance among your family members. While male dogs are more active and playful, they may also be more destructive and unpredictable around children. Male dogs are more likely than females to mark their territory with urine and are ready to mate year-round. Male dogs that are sterilized, however, show a reduction in aggression, urine marking and "mounting" behavior; they are also less prone to prostate infections and testicular cancer.
Female?
Characteristics of a Female Dog:
Female dogs are easier to train and housebreak before puberty, and are the preferred choice for novice dog owners. Many people have female dogs spayed — sterilized — because of their heat cycle: While wolves and some other wild canids have just one cycle per year, domestic dogs have two or more, unless spayed. Sterilizing females not only prevents the cycles, and thus pregnancies, but also reduces the chances of developing mammary and uterine cancers, depending on the sterilization procedure.
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