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Male or Female??

Discussion in 'Considering a Sheltie?' started by sheltielover123, Aug 7, 2014.

  1. sheltielover123

    sheltielover123 Forums Novice

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    Aug 7, 2014
    Massachusetts
    Hi all

    I've been considering getting a sheltie for over a year, and I've always been wondering, should I get a male or female?

    I've heard of all the dispositions, but how about shedding and other stuff?

    Also, are females more aggressive towards young children?
     
  2. JessicaR

    JessicaR Forums Enthusiast

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    I have had 3 females, and 2 males, all of them are good with kids, but that's because all of them were raised around kids that was taught to respect the dogs and to not tease them. The only issue we have ever had with shelties(male or female) and young kids was the herding instinct. The kids would run and yell while playing, the shelties (when young) thought it was their job to herd them. :lol: A little bit of training stopped that though.

    Personality can vary in the individual dog so its important to go to a reputable breeder, and let them know what you are looking for in a pup.
    That being said all my girls have been more active and on the go than my boys who seem to be more love bugs.

    Shedding :lol: you mean fur is not a condiment? Seriously though, they are a double coated breed, they blow coat in the spring and the fall, as long as you brush often then you minimize the amount of fur that blows all over the house., but you will never be fur free! I like to take mine outside to brush that way the fur can just blow away in the wind, or in the spring the birds like to use the fur to line their nests.
     
  3. JLSOhio51

    JLSOhio51 Forums Enthusiast

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    Ohio
    My sample size is small (one male Sheltie). I've read all kinds of stuff about male v. female - which is best? The responses are all over the board. The result for me is SIMPLE. What doI WANT? A male bi-blue. Why? 'cause that' s what will make me happy.
     
  4. Lunatic59

    Lunatic59 Forums Enthusiast

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    Jessica's right. The temperament has less to do with gender than with upbringing and bloodline.

    Shelties are a bit of a conundrum in they are both shy and very social. Imagine walking your pretty little dog out in the neighborhood and along comes grandma with two grandkids in tow. Miss Sheltie (or Mr.) sees them coming and gets excited. You approach and they reach down to pet them and all of a sudden it's hide behind your leg and bark time. That's what Shelties do ... until you teach them not to, which isn't always easy.

    Shelties are great with kids. Kids are not so great with Shelties, though, especially the young screechy kids who bolt at the slightest thing. A Sheltie will react to that with a bark or a nip and try to herd them, which can be taken for aggression. It's the kid's fault but the Sheltie gets yelled at. Sometimes we teach our dogs better than our kids. :rolleyes2:

    As for shedding ... it's a battle between you and their fur, and you WILL lose. :wink2: Get a Sheltie and you'll need a comb, a brush, a rake, a really good vacuum and a gas powered leaf blower. :eek2:

    And for all that work and aggravation all you get is fifteen years or so of unconditional love and devotion from the most endearing breed that has ever existed.
     
  5. melbell

    melbell Forums Enthusiast

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    Feb 4, 2013
    Erie, Pennyslvania
    I've had both females and males throughout my life. I favor females, just because I like females. No other reason, that being said, I'm on a puppy list and want a male. The reason I'm favoring a male this time is because then I can still show it versus females you can't show while in heat. Though, if you're going to spay/neuter anyways, that takes it out of the equation.

    I think females are more cuddly though my mom thinks males are more cuddly... but in reality it depends on the temperament of the parents. Even though Ruutu is a male, he acts very much like his mother and not his father. He's all boy all the time. Loves to wrestle, play, and basically do anything I ask. Honey loves to cuddle. Both love to give kisses. Ruutu is better with kids than Honey because Honey doesn't like being pestered.

    Shedding is a major thing with this breed. Any black clothing will now have dog hair on it. Along with your hands, couch, carpet etc. You can manage it, but it depends on how much time you have to sweep and brush dogs.
     
  6. Mom2Melli

    Mom2Melli Forums Enthusiast

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    Oct 2, 2013
    Central California
    Shedding -- no difference between male or female. Some shelties have bigger coats than others and shed more than others. My female has a shorter coat and sheds ZERO. Twice a year I comb out her undercoat over like 3 days and we are done. I am VERY lucky. My puppy, we shall see what his coat develops into. Honestly, my shepherd and one of my previous 3 Aussies shed WAY more than the shelties. We will see with the pup when his adult coat arrives.

    Females and males are fine with what they are taught. Raised with kids who are taught to treat a dog respectfully and there is no difference and no problem. Some dogs are snappier than others so a reputable breeder is best at evaluating pups. You want an easy going pup and not a more dominant one or a shy one. There are several types of tests to evaluate pups. One good one is used by the Monks of New Skete who raise dogs. You can google them and find the test online.

    As to personalities. The females I have had have been more dominant but just as loving. What I find is the biggest difference is that my girls are more like best friends, sisters, equals whereas the boys are more like children. It is a subtle difference in how you work with them, but the boys are something you can baby and be "a god" to. They adore you as their everything. The girls, you earn their respect and they have your back 100% and they work their hearts out for you.

    I would have gotten a female puppy but having an older dominant female I felt that there would be too much conflict. Years hence when I am down to one or none and have to choose again, it WILL be a girl. I really appreciate the friendship aspect rather than the mothering aspect. I think it is a stage of life thing. At some points in life mothering is great. At some points friendship is great.
     
  7. Sparta

    Sparta Forums Regular

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    Jul 29, 2014
    Norway
    I don't have much experience with dog owership (only two weeks today, actually), but after struggling with the male/female dilemma for a few years, I've gotten tons of advice.
    As previously stated, Sheltie temperament varies more between individuals than between genders.
    From what I've been told, females shed according to heat cycles, while males shed only seasonally. Heat cycles can also affect the female's behaviour quite a bit, but while males may grow up to be more "stable" (as they don't have to deal with hormonal changes every 7-or-so months), teenage boys can be real handfulls. If you don't spay/neuter, it's just a question of which side of the fence you want to be on when heat comes around.

    That's the general summary of what I've gotten through these past few years. Fixing will eliminate most of these, and Shelties aren't really known to be hormone-driven in the first place. I focused most of my energy on finding a decent, trustworthy breeder, and then ended up with my little girl mostly due to availability. In the end, when facing a well-adjusted puppy with a pedigree full of healthy and happy dogs, gender didn't have much to say. Sparta's breeder claimed the girls were often a little easier for first-time owners, but not enough to really make a difference.
    Really, I don't think any normal dog should be aggressive towards children, unless given a very good reason. Supervision is key.

    Males look much more impressive, though.
     
  8. Justicemom

    Justicemom Forums Celebrity

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    Agree to a point. My boys are my friends not babies. But I find boys generally more open to my ideas and general way of thinking. We go to class and I am like We are going to have fun and my boys are Yeah point the way! , my girls are more Um, are you sure this is going to be fun, ok what in it for me?Oh treats, toys all the time ,promise, Ok lets do this!

    I prefer boys but that is my preference.
     
  9. Silaria

    Silaria Forums Sage

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    Aspinwall, PA
    I have to agree with this statement.

    Edan's definitely game for anything I want to do as long as he's doing it with me. He'll work his heart out with a huge grin on his face because he's doing it with me.

    CJ on the other hand is definitely a "what's in it for me" gal. She will get very sassy with you if she believes she hasn't been given what she's owed (treats) even if she didn't do what you asked her to 100% correctly. In agility, it took us a long time to get her to run an entire 20 obstacle course because she'd do 5 obstacles and decide she was due a treat so she'd run out of the ring to the crating area. :dead: Now she'll run the entire course but there DARN WELL better be treats when she's done and she'll drag you back to the crate for them.
     

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