February 1, 2012
Posted in Pet Training

Although all dog owners believe that their pooch is the best, there has been a long-standing debate over which sex of dog is the smartest. The Bark reports that an old adage goes, "If you want a good dog, get a male. If you want a great dog, get a female dog and cross your fingers." To get to the bottom of this point of contention, the source looked through certain dog behavioral studies to see if one gender far surpasses the other in terms of skills and other measures of intelligence. Dr. Patricia B. McConnell contacted herding trainers, military dog trainers and other non-specific trainers to get their insight on male verses female dogs.

According to the publication, many of the trainers gave conflicted answers – some claimed males were more independent, while others found females to hold this trait more often. Half said females were easier to train, while the other half found males easier to teach new tricks.

Such results may lead many to believe that what a dog was bred for and its inherent personality may have more to do with how well it behaves and follows commands than its gender.

This being said, there are some characteristics that trainers noticed that tend to be tied to gender. Many trainers reported that male dogs are more "goofy" and tend to take more time to mature, while females are more focused on their tasks.

According to the news outlet, male dogs are viewed as superiors when it comes to competing, whether herding or even in retrieving events. In the last 15 years of the International Sheepdog Trials, 12 of the 15 winners were male dogs, while since 1990, the U.S. National Open Retriever Championships have seen 16 male victors. 

Some experts believe that this is true because of the power of testosterone. Almost all competing dogs are intact, or un-neutered, and many believe that hormones work to push a dog harder in sports.

Even if there are certain truths to gender superiority, most owners love their dog – male or female – unconditionally. To keep them happy and well taken care of, owners should make sure their dogs eats nutritious pet food like Taste of the Wild Wetlands Canine Dry Dog Food and that they have plenty of treats like Greenies for Dogs to help them learn new tricks. Starting dogs on supplements such as Pet Tabs or Nordic Natural Omega 3 Pet might also ensure the pups maintain good health with age.

Related posts:

1. Are dogs smarter than a fifth grader?
2. The natural instincts of herding dogs