I am fascinated by your posts about differences in training with male and female dogs (or not.) I’ll keep reading, and in a few weeks I’ll summarize what you’ve all said on another post. But just to add to the fire, I want to ask another question about male and female dogs, but this time about the sex of your “forever” dog.
Here’s the question: If you have, or have ever had, a one-in-a-million dog, a dog who who you think of as our soul mate or your “forever dog,” was he or she the same sex as you, or the opposite? Again, I’m not saying nothing til I hear from you.
A related question is: do you think you have a different social relationship with same sex and different sex dogs? Does sex have any role in how you feel about dogs? I will tell you some thoughts of mine about this one: It feels, in some vague, difficult to articulate way, that I relate to my male dogs slightly differently than I do to my females. Perhaps it is all cultural projections, but my forever dog, Cool Hand Luke, was without question a “guy” in my mind. He is the dog, after all, that I said “.. by the next day, Luke and I had fallen in love…”. Don’t get me wrong, I have loved some of my female dogs so much it hurts. Right now, my Lassie will be turning 15 in a few weeks and my love for her makes my heart so tender I can feel it swelling as I write. But she is very much a “girl” in my mind… So, what do you think? Is this all foolish anthropomorphism?
On the home front (the freezing cold home front, it was 14 degrees this morning), I’ve been baby sitting Harriet, a poor old girl who was surrendered to the local shelter, determined to have both Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma and kidney failure, and eventually ended up in the care of a 4th year vet student, Jenna Bueley, who is probably the dearest and most amazingly caring person alive when it comes to old, sick dogs. She’s the one who helped take such incredible care of Tulip in her last year of life. Jenna had to leave on an externship, so Harriet came to live at the farm for a few days. It’s a bit cold in the farm house, so we brought out the blankets…..
Valerie says
Love your books, website, and your insight. I have 2 giant schnauzers, a male (neutered, 10 months) and a female (5 months). I love both my puppies equally of course – they are such different (!) dogs who related to me very differently. But whether it’s because I had him first and we had a lot of “alone time”, the time we’ve spent in training (she’s not been yet), his gender, or the fact that he’s far less dominant, the male is my soul mate. He is the sweetest, and most sensitive, caring dog who somehow understands me – the female is an absolute joy with an unbelievable spark who feels very special about herself π
Pam H says
Hey again Trisha,
You’ve asked even a more intriguing questions now- same or opposite sex dog? Ty (my cocker) is the closest thing I’ve had so far to a dog soul-mate. He’s no Luke, but our love for each other is tremendous. With two horrible knees at the age of 12, he will still fly across a field with a smile on his face, to come when I call him. (Did anyone ever ask if dogs smile)? Once (the incompetent handler I am) ran Ty into a jump at a dog trial, he banged his head of course, wouldn’t go over the jump again that day. The next day, however, when he got to the same jump, he sailed over with everything he had! Ty’s got a heart as big as Texas.
Oddly, however, I used to have two phenomenal “mutt” cats. There were both amazing, but the female was everyone’s soul mate. When she died at 16, we had a community funeral for her, my priest presided and there wasn’t a dry eye in the house.
Kudos to you, Jenna and Harriet. I know what I’m going to do in my “old age.”!
Pam H
Colleen says
My forever dog was a neutered male. But this may have been more a function of circumstance than sex. He was my first and only always with me in the house dog and so lived closer to me than any other dog. Add to this that we went through many life events together. Maybe this is why we were so tuned in to each other.
From my experience with all the dogs (and cats) I’ve lived with (16+), all of which have been spayed/neutered, I would say that neutered males are often sweeter pets than spayed females. (Males have had the bad male hormones removed, leaving the good female hormones, whereas spayed females have lost their female hormones and now have predominantly the bad males ones ;>) Half in jest.) That said, I have been very close to 3 of my female dogs. Breed characteristics and living arrangements and circumstances greatly influence our relationship.
I do think I, as a female, at this time, do relate better to my male dogs. It is so eerily like I am speaking about people, but when I stop and think about it, the males have felt strong and protective, and with the females, I feel like I am with a group of girls. I expect, and get, different things from the different sexes.
Kellie says
My forever dog was a male, Shambles, who was a Tibetan Terrier. We inherited him at 2 years old when we were in England. My daughter was also 2, and they grew up together. He was the kindest, sweetest, most endearing dog ever and I could trust him completely with my daughter and all the neighbor children. He was smart and easy to train–the best ball dog. Shambles traveled to Greece with us and back to the States, where he lived to a wonderful 15 years old, but taken too early by cancer. I have never thought about his maleness, but I felt that he knew what I was feeling and was the best companion I have had.
Sabine says
Hi Trisha,
oh wow – that really is an interesting questions. :)) My canine soulmate was a female. It took about two years for us to grow together, but then we just had the most amazing bond you can imagine. Cindy went through rough times with me and was always there for me.
I adopted her from a shelter in Germany when she was eight months old. Someone had just tied her to the side of the autobahn when she was three months old and left her to starve. (Or be hit by a car – whichever came first) She had no trust in mankind and I couldn’t really blame her. Spending about five months of her young life in a shelter didn’t help either.
Cindy and I went everywhere together. The beauty of living in Germany is to be able to take your dog pretty much wherever you go. We went shopping together, trail riding together, hiking together and we travelled through pretty much every European country together on our vacations. I don’t think it’s anthropomorphism if you describe the love and the bond one experiences with their dog. I know- there are a lot of people who probably want to commit us to an institution for loving our dogs the way we do. As far as my bond with Cindy goes: I trusted her a 1000% and vice versa.
Maybe she is the reason why I prefer female dogs over male dogs. Who knows. π
I love all my dogs and I love them all in different ways and it always breaks my heart when one of them has to go. Right now I am forming this special bond again with my shepherd Tessa and I catch myself calling her “Cindy” occasionally. (Freudian slip ? )
Here’s a picture of Cindy. She was a mix of Doberman/Shepherd and Bernese Mountain Dog.
http://www.myimg.de/?img=CindyPortraitfccb0.jpg
Give a big hug to your house guest Harriet – she’s adorable and I am so glad she found a wonderful forever home ! π
Amy Carlson says
I just LOVE this subject and I can’t wait to read more. π
My answer would be no. I am not sure I have a “heart dog”. I would like to say my sweet aussie/minpin mix I had was my heart dog and she was a female, but my current elder female seems to be quickly taking her place. That said, my newest pup at 1 1/2 yo sure has the potential to be a “heart dog” and he is a boy. Right now he is still in adolescent goofy stage and his 4.5 months in a cage made him slightly distrustful, so I still see some of that with him, but he is slowly coming around. He and I sure have something special developing.
Honestly, though, I am not sure I have heart dogs. I love them all so much I can’t imagine life without any of them, they are my life, my loves and my world. My aggression case boy is my toughest relationship, but we have something special that I have not ever had with any other dog. He and I have a “secret” and that sure makes him very special and I am certainly most proud of him and the work he and I have done together he and I are a special team. Does that make him a heart dog? Perhaps, but I would not quickly say that.
So, I would say my answer is no, but I also am not sure I can seperate out ONE dog of the many I have had. Several have been more special for one reason or another and of the three I currently have I guess my elder female is that one right now. I am just not sure I understand the “heart dog” thing, since I feel so much for all of them. Yes, I have had some dogs that the attachment was stronger that with others, for sure and they have been both male and female. Whose death hurt the most? The aussie/minpin female, but that may also be because she died at a tender age of 10 to heart failure, I don’t know. She sure tugs at my heart any time I think of her and it is her face on my screensaver.
Perhaps I have yet to have a heart dog?
Holly says
awwww, she is adorable!
I love each of my dogs for what they bring to my life. Probably my heart dog is Tori, my almost 12 year old Corgi. She brought me to +R training, she taught me what it is like to have a dog who will try and try and try for you. But because of her I have the sweetest male dog in all the world, her son Duncan. And because of her I have the most beautiful girl in all the world, her daughter Frolic. And because of her I have Conner, the 2 year old Corgi gifted to me by Frolic….he has to be the most snuggly and loving little 2 year old ever.
So I love each of my dogs, Dash brings a tenderness from hard earned trust and then there is the Meggie Dawg who brings a sharp intelligence and over eagerness to our house that makes me nuts and happy and crazy and …..
ABandMM says
I would have to say my dog Morgan was my soulmate. I had her through most of my years in graduate school, a very trying personal time, and also two cross-country moves (she touched her paws in 28 states). She helped me stay sane during grad school (I even dedicated my thesis to her!), she seemed to sense when I was down and needed some love, she made sure I got to go on walks to help clear my mind, and when we moved to a new place, she helped me through those awkward times when you do not know anyone and again, got me out and about and exploring our new neighborhood. I am grateful that when she died too young at 13.5 yrs old, it was quickly (like a matter of hours), I’m not sure how I could have dealt with a drawn out illness, I’m not sure I could see her suffer after everything we had been through.
Abby, my current dog of 2 years, and 3.5 yr old hound mix, is turning out to be a teacher, and many people have referred to her as an “old soul”. She is helping me cope with unexpected changes in my life with an air of independence. I’m not sure what the first 18 months of her life was like, but it seems that her inner strength has helped her through her tough times until she found her “forever home”. I think she is trying to remind me that if you believe in yourself, be strong and take things in stride (don’t get too excited or bummed out) you will find your place in the world. How is that for anthropomorphism? :).
Abby is “reserved” with her affection. She is always happy to see and meet people (and other dogs), but she won’t be the one jumping up and slobbering you with kisses. She is steady and a calming influence in my life, but yet open to challenges like being a hound-human team in Rally Obedience and maybe even agility.
Susan says
I amaze myself with how quick I am to accept as a ‘guy thing’ the stuff that would make me crazy if my dog was a girl!
And it’s not that he is a very macho dog. He’s 20 pounds of fluff–but in my mind a ‘total guy’.
Mary Lou says
I’ve never had any male dogs (all of mine are rescues, and it seems female dogs just gravitate towards me [once even jumping the fence at the shelter down the road to appear at my front gate]. Of my current pack, my Banshee (abandoned under my toolshed at 12 wks) is my heart dog… the others I love dearly, of course, for each of their distinct personalities, but Banshee has since she was a puppy had a special connection to me, she looks at me with clear understanding in her eyes, she instantly can sense what I want her to do (without me asking) and we’ve won the ‘lookalike’ contest several times as apparently we get the same expressions on our faces. She is the most facially expressive dog I’ve ever had, and, she also has a smippy little temper )usually caused by something minor) just like me (according to my husband) which blows over in a few seconds and then she’s sunny as a July day. I do love my pointer DB and my Irish setter Ginger, but its not exactly the same. I’ve never had this connection with an animal before. She’s a mutt, of an unknown mix, with probably some terrier and probably some herding dog somewhere in there.
Nancy says
I think about this a lot. I am totally in love with my rescued big-girl Chihuahua–smart, full of personality and lots of fun and challenge. My border collie, however, is so totally in love with me! He lived with my d-i-l for two years and the magnets Charlie had for me whenever I visited made it difficult for both the dog and myself to respect my d-i-l’s “dog whispering” ban on contact between us for at least 5 minutes! Then the grandchildren kept coming and I got wind there were plans to re-home Charlie. He’s been with me for about four years now and there will never be a better, more loyal, willing to try anything, happy, loving boy in my life. I am convinced I am his “heart human” as he has never made a fickle glance towards anyone else. The female Chihuahua, on the other hand, plays with me, works for me and keeps me warm, thinks I belong to her, but could easily adapt to another home. There are a couple of people she is so wild about that I can’t mention their names unless a visit is imminent. So, to answer your question, even though I see my dogs as being distinctly male and female, in my house plain old chemistry trumps gender.
Amy says
My soul mate dog, Axle, is a male. I definitely think of him as a guy. When my husband travels out-of-town or it’s just Axle and I hiking through the woods, he makes me feel safe. I love my female dog, Skylee, and I enjoy her company, but we do not share the same bond. I do think that we relate differently because she is a girl. I can’t exactly put my finger on it, but she definitely needs a different type of interaction than Axle does.
Overall, I would say I am more drawn to male dogs, I have had more males over the years than females. There’s just something endearing about their ornery streak that makes love them.
Amy Jane (Untangling Tales) says
Every dog I’ve ever bonded with has been female.
I’ve looked at male dogs in my search, but they (for reasons not related to sex) were never quite the right match.
Kelly Ladouceur says
My “forever” dog is one that I still have with me, thank goodness. He is a male, and he is bonded so tightly to my heart that it’s hard to tell where he begins and where I end. He is 9 years old, and with every day that passes I dread him leaving me, although I know it’s inevitable. I definitely bond better with male dogs, whether or not they’re neutered. If I wasn’t a breeder, I would have a house full of boys and leave the girls to somebody else. I have a new puppy, now 8 months old, and I have bonded very closely with him as well. I call him my “Farley-runner-up” as Farley is my heart dog.
I have had a few females over the years (always intact), and I have never bonded with them in quite the same manner as I have with the boys. I had one that came very, very close . . . but she wasn’t the same. I just find that they tend to be more independent, self-starters that come for cuddles or attention on their terms. And I find that they don’t listen quite as well at the most important moments.
Irene’s book sounds fascinating, and it has been added to my list. I recently purchased “Through A Dog’s Ear” and am slowly making my way through that one. “Tale of Two Species” is on my Christmas list π
Jeannie Francis says
I’ve had a housefull of dogs for about 15 years. Some fostered/adopted out, some fostered/stayed and some I actually meant to get! I work in mostly Dobe, but also other dog-types, rescue. I’ve had several forever dogs. A male German Pinscher who died at age 3 1/2 years of cancer, a female German Pinscher who had more soul in her eyes than I can tell you, I lost her to cancer at age 12. A female rescue Dobe who was found in the woods at about age 4 with a shattered rear leg. I fostered and fell in love with her. Only had her about 3 years before I lost her to Cardio this past June. I’ve got a rescue male Boston Terrier now who is my heart dog… So for me gender doesn’t matter. It’s more the dog who has the capability of forming that amazing bond/scarey-deep communication with me. Not all of them can.
Katie says
I don’t know that I really think of my dogs as guys and gals. I guess I do to some extent, but I’m not sure how much it impacts our relationships. Maybe it does and I’m just not conscious of it?
My heart dog is a female. She’s definitely not my easy dog, nor my most cooperative dog. She’s strong-willed, smart as a whip, and endlessly bold. She’d just as soon go home with a stranger as with me, but oh how I love her.
I love my boy dogs too, but for all that I feel the strong bond to them, it’s not the same. But again, I don’t know how much gender has to do with that, and how much is just personality.
Kaiser Soze says
Wow, am I the only guy here? π
Well, I must admit I’ve always felt a SLIGHTLY stronger bonding with male dogs as opposed to female dogs, but I get the feeling it’s more of a cultural thing than something inherent to our human nature. That is also the case of my current buddy, my “forever dog”, who is also male, and definitely the smartest dog I’ve ever had.
Khris Erickson says
Trisha’s knows my Mystic, and of course he is the love of my life! I love my girls, but Mystic is special — never in my wildest dreams did I imagine that I could ever have such a wonderful dog. I don’t know how much of it has to do with his gender (neutered male).
I often think about the relationship I have with Mystic, and try to figure out why we have such a strong bond. As a Humane Educator at an animal shelter I often use animals when I visit schools, day care centers, nursing homes, places of business, etc. Mystic was the dog I got as an 8 week old puppy and started to use as my education dog from day one. As a result he comes to work with me every day – and because of that I had socialization opportunities that most people don’t get (Mystic met (estimated) over 400 children by the time he was 16 weeks old – most of whom gave him treats!)
He’s also gotten on-the-job training — doing training demos gave us training opportunities and he learned many of the tricks he knows by my showing audiences how to train a new behavior.
He’s just incredible — so gentle with toddlers all the way up to fragile elderly people. He’s very calm around chaos. And when a child who is afraid of dogs bursts into tears at the idea that I’m going to bring a dog into the room, but then begs to pet him after I’ve done my presentation, I could just cry with pride!
Is Mystic my forever dog because we work and spend so much time together? Is it his loving, calm personality? Does his happening to be a male have anything to do with it? I honestly don’t know if I would love him as much as I do if he was a non-working dog like my girls, or if our relationship would be the same as it is now. But I do know that I’m incredibly lucky to have him, and enjoy every second that we spend together.
Jo says
my ‘heart’ dog is a male; my daughter’s ‘heart’ dog is a female.
However — my ‘heart’ CAT is a female, and my daughter’s ‘heart’ CAT is a male.
go figure, eh?
Beth says
My forever dog was a male black lab who we named Tag. We was a fairly lanky but large lab. When he was a young dog, under a year, we noticed that he insisted on taking our old beagle Gus by the collar to walk around with him. Tag never seemed to pull on Gus, just walk with him. We learned shortly after that that old Gus had severe cataracts and was essentially blind. Tag was Gus’ guide dog. Tag was gentle and kind, everyone’s friend and seemed to be in sync with our moods. He was smart and always immediately obedient. His reward was fetching a ball. He’d play the game endlessly if left to his own choice, but a simple command of “all done” and he’d stop the game immediately. I didn’t think of him as male in particular, just a close, genuine friend in temperament and presence.
I have to admit, all of our dogs have been interesting characters and I’m sure we have a tendency to read more into their actions than may be intended by them, yet I think there is a bond and personality with each one that is special and based upon his or her unique being.
Elizabeth S. says
I am a 44 year old woman who has NEVER understood dog people (my husband and I had a dog for 3 months 20 years ago…it wasn’t fun). For the life of me I could not see the upside to having a dog…the mess, the smell, the hassle. And then my sweet son begged for a puppy…and the rest is history, as they say. Little Destin came into our lives and I have definitely finally found my “soulmate”! He has the sweetest, most endearing personality. He makes ALL OF LIFE better! In regard to the question of whether or not gender makes a difference…all I can say is that it aggravates me if someone calls him a “she”. He is ALL BOY! He is only 12 pounds, but is quite the protector! We just got him last March, and in the craziness of middle age, raising 2 boys, married 20 years, work etc. it feels like God dropped a precious gift into my life…that was TOTALLY unexpected. It’s as if a window of happiness was opened. My new favorite books to read are about dogs, my favorite store is “Petsmart”, my favorite website is “Petfinder.com” and your blog is one of my favorites. I have definitely slipped over the edge…and couldn’t be happier. Everyone who knows me can’t believe it!
I look forward to having dogs for the rest of my days! π
Kelly says
My forever dog was Bo. (Just writing that brings tears to my eyes and he’s been dead now for two years last month. I still miss him terribly and can’t imagine that ever going away.) Not surprisingly (for a Chow) he loved me more than anything; he wouldn’t even go through the door if I wasn’t holding it open. I thought once that he maybe loved walks more than me (had to spell w-a-l-k until he figured that out too), but one day the neighbor wanted to take him for a walk and because I was home he wouldn’t go without me. That cleared up any doubt; he loved me more than anything (and the feeling was/is mutual. Now I’m going to go get the mascara out of my eyes…. sniff.
Carmen Hurley says
My soul dog is a male, currently 13 years young. How special he is to me is impossible to put into words other than to say that we’ve been devoted to one another since day one. And btw, I wrote in a few days ago saying that female dogs generally suit my personality better. Go figure, in general it’s true, but this guy is an exception. π
Hilary Bolea says
I’m fascinated by this topic. Growing up, my mother only ever had female dogs, and I think I always just assumed I would only ever have female dogs too. When I got married, I was shocked to find out my husband assumed we would have all male dogs. Of course, my “soul mate” dogs were all female, and his were all male.
Hilary Bolea
Old Town Dog Behavior
http://www.oldtowndogs.com
Carolyn says
My Forever dog was a neutered male Golden. I now have an intact female Golden and although I love her so much, she is not my “other-Half” the way Dexy was.
Ellen Pepin says
My lifetime dog was my late shepherd/terrier mix, Nikki. She was most definitely a girl, but a very dominate one. I knew from the moment I saw her that I would take her. Nikki was also a very difficult dog as she never learned to trust strangers. We had 3 trainers and had her evaluated by experts at ASPCA in NYC. I never stopped trying to train her to accept people or other dogs. After I read Dr. McConnell’s books did I start to make progress. I don’t know what it was, but the harder that I worked, the more I loved her. After 7 years as my only dog, we got a male shepherd/rottweiler mix to keep her company. At first she didn’t like it too much, but she accepted him and also learned to play with other dogs. Because of cancer, we had to put Nikki to sleep in June. Dakota is such a good dog who loves everyone and almost everyone loves him. I love him dearly, but he will never take Nikki’s place. He has his own place.
Ellen P.
Kerry L. says
All of my dogs have been adult rescues at least 2 years old. My forever dog was Alice, a female (as am I) cattle dog mix. After she was certified as a therapy dog, she started coming to work with me so we spent almost every minute of every day together. My current dog, and co-worker, Walter, is a neutered Corgi and a ‘guy’ in every sense of the word. He is hard working, smart and devoted but I haven’t had that ‘falling in love’ moment with him that I did with Alice. She succumbed to old age last summer and I still miss that soulmate feeling.
C. says
I can’t imagine having more of a soulmate dog than my current one, Scully. She is a life partner to me in a way that is so uncomplicated compared to my human relationships. Walking through life with her is a blessing and she embodies the qualities to which I both aspire and try to keep in my heart. Although she is not without some imperfections, I find her to be an incredibly gentle, straightforward, unassuming, respectful, joyful and above all, fair soul. She has helped me with more than 50 foster dogs, a few of them litters of pups, and we now call her the constable since she loves to ensure everyone is behaving appropriately!
I find so much joy in watching her bound through the woods with my children and so much pride in watching her gingerly rest her head on my 90 year old grandfather’s lap (just enough so he knows she really likes him, but never enough to overwhelm him).
When I leave her home with my husband she sits by the front door, quietly awaiting my return. He says I am the epicenter of her world, but she is so much the foundation of mine.
Julie Y. says
Female/female. My heart dog is a 12 1/2 year old corgi. We’ve done everything and been everywhere together. She’s a therapy dog excellent and our hearts beat as one.
Her acupuncture and massage appointments come before mine:-)
Suzi says
I would have to say that my forever dog would have to be the female dog (mutt), Kenzie, that came as part of the package with my husband when we married. She quickly became my shadow. She was always very sensitive of situations, like if I cried she would come lay her head in my lap and lick my hands. Anytime I was sick she would crawl on top of me and stay there until I would move her. When I was pregnant with my daughter she would curl up next to me and lay her head on my belly. In all her softness and sensitivity, she protected our house with everything she had in her (including trying to tear the leg off an actual intruder), and played at the age of 14 with the vivacity of a pup.
We lost Kenzie in a very tragic incident 5 months ago, and my heart still breaks when I think about it. We have another dog as well, and a couple months ago we even adopted another (both females). As much as I love them both, there will always be a special place in my heart for Kenzie.
LynnSusan says
I didn’t want a dog. It had been over 20 years since I shared my life with a dog. But life ‘s strange circumstances conspired so that I needed a dog. What I couldn’t have known last winter, was I needed this particular dog.
Gracie, a King Shepherd, came to me at 10 months old, a tabla rasa, rejected by her owner because one ear was not erect. Her name was Bella then, but I learned that her original name had been Excalibur’s Amazing Grace because she was born 36 hours after what was thought to have been the last puppy in the litter, and she was perfect (except for the floppy ear)!
I agreed to take her, sight unseen. When I went to pick her up at the breeder’s, who had taken her back, she was a breathtakingly gorgeous adolescent—with the most soulful and expressive eyes. I had that moment when I got lost in them,and she covered my face with sloppy wet kisses. Something shifted in the Universe– I could feel it. And I think she could too.
She knew very little, was not housebroken,had few manners, didn’t know how to walk on a leash and had moderate separation anxiety–understandably. With some intense work, within 2 weeks she was completely housetrained, within a few days she was a pleasure to walk, and now, a year later (our anniversary was November 24th)her separation anxiety is greatly diminished, she is smart as a whip, well trained and polite,plus an endlessly entertaining goofball. She is my heart.
I didn’t want a dog, and I was right. I got so much more.
Emily says
I love all these stories of heart dogs!
We have three dogs now, and two I have to consider my heart dogs. Both are Australian cattle dog mixes (one male, mixed with Border Collie and the other female, mixed – most likely – with Australian Shepherd). Their personalities are very different – the male is much more intense, higher energy, and in spite of his intensity, easily distracted. And he’s stubborn and sassy. My female is more attached to me, and I am more protective towards her. She has sweetness where my male has sass & attitude. Anyway, I adore them both and they are endlessly entertaining. I’d say in these individual cases, the female is easier to train – more docile and compliant. My boy is very smart, but definitely has a mind of his own and needs some good solid reasons (read steak) for obeying commands. I love our third dog as well, a male husky about the same age, and as sweet as he is, we don’t have the intense closeness I have with the other two. He’s more bonded with my husband, also. Seems to be related to personality more than gender…
Marci says
Female/male: Charlie is like several of the others, he comes with a nasty past. I believe a lot of my feelings towards him revolve around the way he’s forced me to seek out and learn positive methods of training and relationship development; and the way he’s inspired many of our neighborhood children. Many of our neighborhood children share a similar past as Charlie’s. They seem to see in him the possibility of a better future for themselves, and quickly form a bond. He’s just so good with them, and me. He also seems to be able to read me much better than my older female Australian Shepherd. Either way, the bond I have with this dog is simply amazing.
Karen says
My one-in-a-million dog is Axel, a male GSD. He has always been focused on people and spent so much time staring at me as a puppy that I was SURE he needed a companion so I got another dog of his breeding, a female. No surprise to anyone except me, he still stares at me and is completely focused on working and being within 4 feet of me at all possible times. He’s almost 9 now. I know there’ll never be another dog that compares.
Sarah says
I have only had 2 dogs so far. One is a male Corgi(Rusty) and the other is a female Aussie(Rooke). I love both of my dogs dearly and the love in my heart only grows more the longer I know them. However, my soul mate dog is Rusty(he’s also my first dog). I do think of him as a “guy” and call him my prince, my love and a piece of my soul. My heart swells and I get tears in my eyes every time I write or talk about how much he means to me. I am happy to say that I am his world too. If you ask my husband he will tell you that it’s a good thing Rusty doesn’t have thumbs or a voice b/c if he did there would be some serious competition going on in our house for my affection.
LKL says
I got tears in my eyes reading all of these stories.
My ‘lifetime’ dog was a neutered male Australian Shepherd named Otter (I’m female); the dog that I grew up with was a huge (120 lbs) male lab mix, and ever since then I’ve been drawn to male dogs. I also have yet to get a dog smaller than 60 lbs (that’s in good shape), despite my intention to go for something sheltie-sized every time. When I went to the Aussie breeder, I was there to see a female pup. I ended up with a male anyway, and for twelve years he was my joy.
All of my male gay ‘dog’ friends have generally had male dogs, and all of my gay female ‘dog’ friends have generally had female dogs (although one of the latter, having a housefull of ‘girls’, got a male BC two years ago “to even things out a bit,” and is head over heels in love with him).
Pattie says
My forever heart dog is a intact male named Robby. He was actually named after my significant other (Bob) who passed away a year prior to me getting Robby. He is everything Bob was to me, I know it was God who sent him to me to be on earth. I LOVE my boy dogs (3), and I have one girl, and love her, but surely there is a different connection than the boys. She is very aloof, secure and independent. She’ll come to you for affection on her terms. She was an awesome Mom tho to 8 pups and taught them so much.
There hasn’t been a person that hasn’t fallen in love with Robby. He is also a therapy dog that we visit the elderly and childen with and he is admired by all. He is also my demo dog for training.