The gender of a dog, while not as noteworthy or controversial as the gender of a human, is still important to know. Most dogs are treated generally the same and so the gender becomes relevant only for certain aspects like spaying and neutering. However, the gender of the dog is nothing to be neglected.
A male puppy will have a raised patch of skin located between the anus and belly button with a hole in the middle of it, which is the penis of the dog, while a female will have nothing between the anus and belly button. A female puppy's genitalia will be located just below its anus.
There are a few other ways in which the gender of a puppy can be determined, and the gender of a puppy will determine several aspects of its life.
Physical Differences
As mentioned so candidly above, the genitalia is the most noticeable difference between a male and female dog, but that isn't where the physical differences end.
The term for physical differences outside of sexual organs in a species is sexual dimorphism. This is seen dramatically in many bird species, but less so for dogs. But some still exist. One of the differences in size. Male dogs tend to be noticeably larger than females, though with puppies the difference will be minute. The same is true of smaller breeds of dogs. The larger the dog, the larger the size disparity is between genders.
Another difference is the shape of the head. Male dogs will usually have a head with more sharp angles and tend to be shaped similarly to a block. Females, on the other hand, will be slightly more curved when you look at them from above and will have smaller heads.
Female dogs are sometimes longer than male dogs. This association between length and the carrying capacity of babies is likely one of the reasons why this occurs. However, it is hard to determine if female puppies are longer than male puppies right after they are born, and the difference likely won't appear until they are older.
The last difference is that males can have longer and better-looking coats of fur than females. Better looking, in this case, means more colors, more defined colors, or better coverage.
Behavioral Differences
For reasons that find root in biology, male dogs, including puppies, tend to be not only physically larger than females but also more physically active than females. Male puppies can be observed to want to play more, bite more, and run more. They have the energy for it and they have good reason to make sure they are in the best physical shape possible.
Both in order to win against competitors and to present themselves as genetically superior, it is important for male dogs to be at their best physically and stay that way for as long as possible.
On average as well, female dogs tend to be easier to train and have a better, more connected relationship with their owners. As most dog owners crave a personal and close relationship with their dog, females can seem like the ideal gender to invest in, but the downside is that they often require more attention. They might be pickier with food, fussier when leaving them alone, or more likely to want to be petted.
These behaviors are harder to see in puppies as they are developing all of these attributes, but with time, a noticeable difference should arise.
Developmental Differences
As is nearly universally true across the animal kingdom, female dogs will develop in a way that best supports them having pups, while the male developed in order to compete for females. The developments will be curved if the dog has been spayed or neutered, but some aspects will remain regardless.
The physical developments that a female undergoes, akin to puberty in humans, include something close to a monthly period and heat which occurs about every seven months. Being in heat means the female is ready to breed and can get pregnant. However, this will not be a problem if she has been spayed, which is one of the reasons why many dog owners spay their female dogs.
As a male dog physically develops it will rapidly increase in size, much more than a female will. The way nature works demands that dogs go through this in order to be the ones to pass on their genes. The larger a dog is, the more likely it is to be able to feed itself and fight off other males so they can be the ones that breed with the female.
Males can become more aggressive and irritable as they developed, a trait that isn't so easily seen in females. This heightened aggression can be a problem that will need to be addressed. This article can help you understand your dog's aggression so you can stop it.
Parenting Differences
Another great divide between females and males, one that cannot be seen in puppies, is the difference in parenting styles. Parenting styles among animals vary greatly across all animals, but some aspects of dogs are widely seen.
Female dogs, as is often seen in other animals, stay with the puppies and ensure their survival as they grow. The female is primarily responsible for their food, shelter, and welfare, and it is up to her to protect them. Female dogs ate extremely protective of their puppies.
Males will act in almost the opposite way. Once a male dog has mated with a female, it will almost always leave the family. It takes no responsibility in raising the young pups, including protection or feeding. This behavior is believed to have stemmed from humans since owners essentially take on a parenting role in raising puppies.
Since humans help feed, groom, bathe, shelter, protect, and warm the puppies (and the mother), paternal instincts in dogs are no longer needed. The close relationship between mankind and dogs is highlighted by this phenomenon, and it starts from the very beginning of any dog's life.
Cindy is a prolific writer and online researcher who can't imagine life without dogs. There is scarcely a dog topic she has not researched or written about. Her love for dogs and helping dog parents is evident by the thousands of dogtemperament.com visitors who read her articles monthly. Most of all, each topic Cindy writes on helps forge a stronger bond and understanding between her and her happy Catahoula Leopard Dog Jossie.