Dog Question - Chicago,IL

I know an extremely hyper male lab, I think its part of the breed? That said, I personally prefer female dogs. They just seem gentler and calmer but still playful.

In general, female dogs tend to be more protective of the family, and male dogs tend to be more territorial, in my experience. One thing to consider: If you plan to walk you dog much, the boys make tons of pit stops, lol, while the girls just take care of business and move on, without tons of pit stops.

Do temperament testing of the dog (or puppy) if at all possible, so that you can find a compatible personality. Otherwise, you may end up with a dog that can't tolerate children, or who will spend a lot of time trying to be alpha over you (not fun!).

I also really like the NILIF (nothing in life is free) training philosophy--this helps both shy/timid dogs feel better/more confident and happier, and alpha dogs learn they are not in charge.

Labs and goldens are NOT the same breed of dog, as I'm sure you already know! Besides the fact that the males are a little bigger, I think the male/female thing is just a matter of personal preference. My parents had a 95-pound purebred male golden, and he was the sweetest dog you'd ever want to meet - extremely loyal, friendly, great watchdog. The female pups from the same litter also had similar personality traits, so I think it as far as that goes, there is no difference if you purchase from a reputable breeder. Goldens can be high maintenance because they are somewhat needy and crave attention - also, regular grooming and exercise are essential! Such a great family dog - you will love him (or her!)
p.s. we have a female yellow lab now - she is CRAZY compared to the golden!

I've know a lot of both. A lot of the trainers I know tend to have more male dogs, but I think that is partly sometimes it is easier to have more males in one household than females. We have a female lab and I wouldn't trade her for anything. I would say once you have a breeder that has everything you want and has done the health checks, talk to them about the temperament, etc that you are looking for. They will probably be able to help you pick the best pup out of the litter to go with your household and it could be either male or female. If we get another dog with our current one it will be a male, I think she will get along with a male better than another female. You will probably find people that vote for either for various reasons, so I would say talk to the breeder or rescue group to see which dog is the best fit.

I grew up with a female lab. She was awesome and I couldn't have asked for any better of a dog. I would highly recommend a female. She was more calm and gentle and also had the protectiveness of a Mom. :) She never liked strangers around our house and LOVED the UPS guy. Every time he would come she would jump up in the truck to greet him before he could even get out of his chair. We never had any problems with her.

We have labs. Currently we have one of each and in the past we had a male /female pair. We don't breed, it just worked out that way. All of them have been great dogs. I think it just depends on how you raise them and their personalities. They are tough as puppies because they get bored easily and chew a lot. If they are kept in a little backyard, they will dig! We live on acreage and our female who is little over a year still brings home stuff from our neighbor's house. They are relatives and we went through the same thing when their lab was a pup. We have taken in a couple labs because they weren't doing well living in town but both of them were left at home alone alot. One of the owners came home to find their lab soaking in the hot tub with the jets running. He came to live out here soon after that. :) Just wanted to give you a heads up.

As long as you get the male dogs fixed I don't think it matters much...what matters more is when you are meeting all of them which one will be more compatible to your family and your kids.

We have had both male and female chocolate labs (prior to having children), and the female, especially after she was spayed, just seemed more calm than the male.

At our daycare providers house they have 3 dogs, all boxers, and the females do more "play" with our kids than the males.

Good luck!

i don't understand why everyone is responding with info about labs. she's asking about retrievers!
males are cheaper to neuter. beyond that, i'd say just go with whichever retriever your heart prefers.
khairete
S.

It depends if the dog is spaded or neutered. If the female is not spaded, remember a dog is in heat every 6 months and can get messy especially goldens have long hair on the bottom. Then I would go male...if you plan to neuter or spade...it doesn't matter, but males are territorial...they are good protectors while females are more naturing and likes to keep themselves within the property boundaries.

Personally, it does tend to depend on the dog. Most male dogs I have had or known have been wonderful animals. Some females I have had or been around are normally also great animals, although the ones who were not spayed tended to be a bit more moody (as most females of anything) around their heat cycle. The females who were spayed were also very calm level dogs with no complaint.

Female, definitely. Males are much more aggressive (though goldens not so much), more finicky with kids, and "marking" is more of a problem, and they can be harder to train.

It does depend on the breed but ive always had female dogs and they are very protective but can be bitches, hence their name. My husband always had male dogs and swears they are better tempered than females. I cant say for sure, but i think the breed determines a lot of the personality traits.

Labs are very energetic! Make sure you have enough time to contribute to outside play and walks/runs.
I prefer male dogs they seem to be bigger love bugs then females I have had or come across.

We adopted a golden retriever that was 1 years old. My kids were 8 and 11 yrs. old at the time. Great family dog! We were interviewed by the agency we rescued our dog from. We rescued a female dog. It was recommended to us to adopt a female - they are calmer than males and we were a first time dog family. We still have our great rescue. She is now 12 years old and is a great dog. Oh, yes and she was fixed when we got her - standard for adopting a rescue. Our dog was quite small - she had been a stray. She was 38 lbs. and we could see her ribs. She got up to 55 lb. and that was a good weight for her as an adult.

I know a few people with females, and they are HYPER! Not sure about males.

Once they're spayed/neutered, there isn't much difference between the sexes.

I know my husband's family always had male labs and loved them, prefered them to females due to not having yucky time of the month issues when they were puppies (before being fixed). We have 2 female dogs, a golden retriever and a dachsund mix and I love them. I don't think it really matters...

We have a male golden, this is our 3rd male. I don't know why we've always got a male....but I would get a female too. Males tend to be larger than the females. Our male is 95 lbs (he is 1 year old!) and will probably get to be about 110. But the parents were both large goldens. Most males will be in the 60-75lbs and females 45-60lbs. They are great family dogs!

either. sex of the dog does not really matter. Dog's personalities are different depending on the dog. Just like people. I have a pair of male and female puppies and by far my female is more hyper. But it depends on the dog not the sex of the dog
Many of the problems with either sex will be solved with getting the dog fixed. Unless you are looking to breed the dog please get the dog fixed. I'd also suggest a mix breed. A mix breed dog will live longer and have less health problems.
Do watch out for the hyper active nature of the Lab. Labs are VERY active dogs and need to be exercised several times a day. Also watch out for chewing , Labs are chewers as well.
My aunt used to breed , show and do hunting with labs, she has since retired after 40 yrs of it. Are you getting a puppy or an adult dog?

Just remember that there are lots of wonderful dogs at shelters and the humane society - plus they are way less expensive! We always get out dogs from there and they are wonderful....it's all in how you raise them!

My female golden retriever is the greatest dog. As a puppy, she chewed woodwork while she was teething, but as an adult she won't chew anything but her nylabones that we get for her. Retrievers will take on your lifestyle. If you like to take lots of walks, so will your dog. If you are more sedentary, your dog will end up that way also. My dog was just spade at 5 years old and she was calm before it as well. She nurtures my kids and loves them dearly. Golden Retrievers seem to by hyper until about the age of 2 and then it seems as if a switch is thrown and they suddenly calm down. My dog allows my kids (4 years and 6 months) to pull her hair, ears, tail. Jump on her, sit on her, etc. and she just puts up with it. Make sure your dog is socialized well. We found a book at PetSmart about Golden Retrievers that gives a lot of great information about training and living with one that is specific to the tendencies of the breed. A golden is an AWESOME family dog!! My aunt has both a male and female and they are both wonderful dogs!! She is also the breeder that I got my dog from. Just choose a dog that you love and they will love you back no matter the sex of the dog.

We've raised labs and lab mixes, and known many others, and I don't see a whole lot of difference in behavior. The females (our pups have been mostly girls) were usually very sweet and playful (and goofy and strong). But there are BIG differences in personality among individual labs. Are you going to a breeder or a rescue organization for your new dog? Talk to the experts!

The boys can be difficult if they're not fixed, of course. On the other hand, I've been told that male dogs don't damage the lawn as much when they answer the call of nature!