are males or females easier to train?

[Petra]

I am getting my first male pup the second week in Oct. , I have heard that there is a difference in the personalities that effects style of training, is this true? what are the differences? and any words of advice as to how I should handle this little little guy differently than the females that I have had, this is a line breeding with two high powered dogs, what am I thinking!! I met a breeder who had puppies with the same coeff. and the same sire , her advice to me was to get on top of the pup fast, and to stay in control, which will be different for me since I rarely was ever hard on my females, luckily they wanted to be very cooperative, only pressure was during steadiness and force breaking.

[gonehuntin']

I think there are huge differences, some for the better, some worse. A male is tough. He can make a mistake, you give him a crack, and he'll say "Oh, OK boss, so that's what you wanted". Not so a female. Under pressure they will sulk, much like a woman. You end up apologizing to progress if your pressure has been applied unfairly. A male will train to a very advanced state faster. A female is more loving.

Me? I prefer the wenches. I just love their personality even though I have to be more careful and go slower.

[topher40]

It all depends on the individual dog. EVERY pup is going to be different out of the litter and will learn at different paces. If you train this pup the same as you have trained all the dogs previous your setting yourself up for failure because each dog is different and you cant train them all exactly the same. Worry only about bonding with him, then you both will know what to expect out of eachother. Get to know your pup and he will tell you what he needs.

[zzweims]

It depends on what you want them to do. My favorite boy picked up on hunting and horses very quickly, but after 15 years I still can't get him near a vaccum cleaner or dishwasher.

Oh wait....were you talking about dogs?

Aline
http://sitekreator.com/zzfarms

[topher40]

I think there are huge differences, some for the better, some worse. A male is tough. He can make a mistake, you give him a crack, and he'll say "Oh, OK boss, so that's what you wanted". Not so a female. Under pressure they will sulk, much like a woman. You end up apologizing to progress if your pressure has been applied unfairly. A male will train to a very advanced state faster. A female is more loving.

Me? I prefer the wenches. I just love their personality even though I have to be more careful and go slower.

Gone I would have to disagree with you on this one. I have trained males that were just like the "wenches" you described above and females that were as tough as nails. I think every dog is different, no matter the gender. Your going to have soft males and hard females and vice versa.

[mtlee]

I have very limited experience with bird dogs, only ever had 2, the 2 I currently own now....a male and a female. The male will respond to a strong verbal reprimand about the same as the female responds to a strong jolt from the e-collar. She is much much more hard headed. Go figure?? :roll: I think it depends on the invidual dogs. Heck, I know some girls that are tough as nails and some guys who are scared of their own shadows (talking people now)

[vzkennels]

I think it all depends on the individual dog.In my line of dogs I personaly find the females to be more stubborn then the males & as far as loving my males are just as affectionate & crave the attention more then some of the females.

[snips]

I think it depends entirely on bloodlines and ind dog. The males out of our breedings tend to be very biddable and a joy to train. There is always an exception to the rule, but for the most part this is true. Good luck with your new pup.

[phermes1]

With my dogs, I've found that my males want to cooperate a bit more, while the females ask 'What's in it for me?"

Or as I usually describe it, the boys look to please, the females look for loopholes.

[3Britts]

I haven't found two dogs that train exactly the same. Each dog will move at a different pace and respond differently to various forms of training. If you like the results that you have gotten with your other dogs, do the same with this new pup. If it works, great. If it doesn't work, try something else.

[thunderhead]

It really has nothing to due with gender, but more the individual dogs personality as several people have said. The traits common from the line that the dog is from will also be a factor. Some lines will naturally be more strong willed, others will be more cooperative, and some will trend toward the softer side. Each dog is an individual and could display more of an alpha, submissive, or a middle of the pack type personality. Dogs being pack animals, associate things a little differently that the way we look at things thru our eyes. You should establish yourself as the leader of the pack. Actually the dog should understand that all members of the family are higher in the pecking order.

[Brittguy]

I do not believe in general statements comparing the sexes. Individuals vary more than the sexes do.

[tenbearsviz]

'What's in it for me?"

Don't you mean... What is in it for me.?. go get it now... I SAID NOW! NO... NOT THAT! Forget it... I am outa here!

Are we talking dogs?

[bobman]

Males are easier for me even when they are all from the same litter

[RayGubernat]

My experience has been that females tend to come along with less pressure and they tend to stay right with less "brushing up" than males. Especially in the last dozen years or so.

Males tend to be less likely to hold a grudge, taking the correction and bouncing back, where females tend to take it to heart more so.

All of the dogs I have had over the years were pointers and most all were heavily trial bred.

RayG

[birdogg42]

I agree with topher. EVERY dog is different. You will have some tough males just as you will have some tough females. You have to read the dog and train him at his own pace. Just have patience and it will work out.

[owen]

While I agree there are certainly differences in individuals and in genetic lines, after handling shorthairs for 45 years I am a firm believer that males are easier to train, handle and hunt. In my opinion the best test of this fact is training littermates, which I do regularly. I train 2 to 4 pups out of each litter we produce to sell as started or finished from 18-30 months of age. The males are routinely a month or more ahead of the females at most stages of training. Plus the males are not testing me at every opportunity, are much more willing to please, and don't constantly try to add to my gray hair. Genarally speaking, females are more tempermental, less biddable, and seem to enjoy testing the system. Notice I didn't say softer. At any rate, I will guarantee that if I could only own one bird dog, it would be a male.