Most people know what sex they want before they choose a puppy.
But for some, the question will be asked, "which gender would best suit our household?"
Or, even more broader, "male or female?"
For those not needing to ask, the choice is mostly subjective and usually based on past experience.
"We've always had females"
"My best dog was male"
"I had a bad experience with a male/female.... etc
Making an objective decision, I think, is far harder.
Composing a list of expectations, perceived likes and dislikes, future family goals (1 or 2 dogs?), time constraints, family growth, previous experiences, household dynamics/heirarchy and training experience/goals, may help to narrow down the choice.
The following are very broad generalizations only. There will always be people who disagree (citing examples). I won't argue the point in the slightest.
It is also not my intent to mention any gender-specific medical problems as part of the discussion.
My personal opinion is that Gender maketh not the dog.. Temperament, Desire to Please (Drive) and Good Conformation/Genetic makeup to enable a healthy life will give a dog the best chance at staying in a loving home.
And ultimately, an untrained, unsupervised, unloved dog can show nothing but bad behavior.
Males ..
Pros..
A male should always typify the breed.
Attitude! I don't think they ever stop trying to impress the girls (real or imagined 🤣)
Males generally mature later, are more aloof and, as a general rule, settle into solitary confinement easier than the more pack-social females
Notwithstanding all Rottweilers' innate Protection drive, a male can be trained to consistently ignore all but a threat-based challenge.
Very loyal
Highly protective
Consistently Even-tempered
Cons
There's a reason most large-breed male dogs get "Boof" as a second name! Even young males will use brawn before brain to achieve a goal, get from A to B (under, over or through) and swagger through the living room knocking plants, furniture and small children in their wake.
Mature males tend to be very tolerant of puppies, children and babies (pro) but will warn and then discipline a small child at the end of that tolerance in exactly the same way and degree as they would a pup (and a non-penetrating nip meant to say to a pup "thus far, no further", can potentially scrape the skin and terrify a child).
Then there's the "leg-lifting"!
Mostly Entire males will mark territory, but even a Neutered male may pee on furniture along the pathline that a strange dog (or even male human) has walked when invited through the house.
How often have I heard " he's always been so good in the house, but lately....."
The reasons for a male "breaking habit" are many and varied and beyond the scope of this blog, suffice to say "it happens"!
Males can potentially be more stubborn and certainly stronger than most bitches. (Testosterone, go figure!)
Mud-magnet (provide sml pond)
Hole-digger (provide damp sand box
Slight chance of developing a dominating "humping" behaviour if not trained and managed
Female
Pros..
Softer, less agressive appearance. Shorter, less muscled body. In a suburban setting, this could be an advantage with neighbour acclimation.
Very family protective (pro and con). Females tend to have a "I'm watching you, even though I've been told you're ok" mind, whereas males have more of a "so they say you're ok, come on in" attitude.
I have yet to meet any Rottie that will allow a stranger into an empty household!
In a home with small children, a bitch will move away from aggravating or crawling babies/toddlers rather than be subject to torture.
Cons
Rule of Thumb: If two females fight once, they will always fight!
Until she's spayed, Seasons approximately every 6 months
Unspeyed female subject to mood/dominance changes with hormone changes.
As they age and regardless of Neuter status, females tend to become less tolerant of other females or pups introduced into household.
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