Surprising Differences: Male VS Female Dogs

Believe it or not, there are some surprising differences between both sexes that we will look into in this video.











Male dogs have strong preference for women
In 1986, researchers conducted an experiment with a sample of 20 dogs.
They found that while female dogs were only a little reluctant to approach and make contact with strangers of either gender, male dogs were very reluctant to approach and make body contact with unfamiliar men.
Animal behaviorists believe men can be more intimidating in a dog's eyes. Men are often bigger and taller than women, have deeper voices, and may have different types of features, such as facial hair.
Dogs get along better with the opposite sex
Anecdotal evidence and research suggest that most dogs tend to get along better with a dog of the opposite sex. Issues with dominance and natural survival instincts for raising a family may all play into why this may be true. So, if you’re adding a second dog to your family, it is best to adopt one female and one male dog
Male dogs are harder to get adopted
Male dogs have a longer stay in animal shelters than female dogs. Male dogs spend on average 6.6 months until they get adopted whereas female dogs spend 5.5 months.
This has to do with the number of male dogs coming to shelters. Males have a tendency to escape when there is a female in heat, and so end up in the care of a shelter.
Male dogs bite more often
A recent study on dog aggression found that male dogs were six times as likely to bite compared to female dogs. In another study with 20 different breeds, investigators found that male dogs generally showed more aggression toward both other dogs and human strangers.
Their behaviors change when they are in heat
Unlike male dogs, un-spayed female dogs will go into heat twice a year.
During this cycle, a female dog will experience stress and anxiety. They will also produce a bloody discharge, which attracts male dogs for breeding.
A female dog in heat is more likely to escape to find males. She is following her instinct to breed. You'll see her act more "flirty" with males, inviting male dogs by turning her rear toward them and holding the tail high and out of the way.
When a female dog is in heat, she is also more likely to urinate and leave a scent mark to let the opposite sex know that she is available.
Male dogs don’t make good fathers
Mother dogs tend to be protective and nurturing. But male dogs don’t have quite the same fatherly instincts. In fact, father dogs most often display a general disinterest in their puppies.
Female dogs are more likely to be right-pawed
Believe it or not, most dogs have a dominant paw. One study showed that most dogs are right-handed, and female dogs are even more likely to be right-handed than male dogs.
Both male and female dogs hump
Humping is a natural and normal behavior for both male and female dogs.
Humping can occur when dogs are stressed or over-excited. It's a way for the dog to burn off excess energy.
Male dogs live shorter lives
Studies have shown that female dogs live slightly longer than male dogs but the biggest factor for life expectancy is whether the dogs have been spayed or neutered.
Studies have found that spayed female dogs live 26 percent longer than intact females. Male dogs that have been neutered also live longer than male dogs who are intact.
This is because neutering or spaying prevents reproductive diseases such as uterine cancer or testicular cancer.
The biggest dog ever lived was male
In general, male dogs tend to be larger than female dogs.
On that note, a male Great Dane named Zeus was named the world's tallest dog by Guinness World Records.
Guinness also cited Zorba as the world's heaviest dog. Zorba was a male English Mastiff, who weighed 343 pounds.
The oldest dog ever lived was female
Bluey was an Australian cattle dog who died at the age of 29 years and 5 months. She was the oldest dog ever recorded.
A litter of puppies can have multiple fathers
Dogs can have between one and twelve puppies in a litter, and puppies in a single litter can have multiple fathers.
The ability to produce a litter of puppies fathered by more than one dog is known as superfecundation.
They are often name Max and Bella
A recent report based on the database records from Nationwide Pet Insurance, found that the most popular male and female dog names in 2021 were Max and Bella
Male dogs have a wanderlust
Male dogs often have a more independent nature. They have an active sex drive, which means they are more likely to wander or roam for miles around to find females in heat. They are also more likely to get into a conflict with other male dogs due to competition for territory and mates. Male dogs also tend to be more dominant.
And while both male and female dogs mark with urine, it’s more commonly seen in male dogs.
One study, published in the journal Animal Behavior, showed that "high-status dogs" marked territory more often than lower status dogs.