Female vs. Male Golden Retrievers
Female vs. Male Golden Retrievers
I get asked this question all the time. In my experience with Golden Retrievers, I can truly say that temperamentally there is little to no difference at all between the sexes. This may not apply to other breeds, but with Golden Retrievers, this is very much the case. So many people want a female Golden, with the anticipation that she will be very motherly and sweeter, calmer or what have you. This is simply not the case at all. It is like making a blanket statement that women (humans) are much gentler, sweeter and laid back than men. This is untrue. As we all have experienced, it’s about 50/50. Some women are a lot more feisty and high strung than men and vise versa. There are some seriously calm men out there.
So back to the male Golden Retriever vs. the female; there is little difference between the genders in Goldens. Neither sex is easier to house train and both are equally as intelligent, affectionate and calm. Both males and females are excellent with children, and they both make excellent companions, therapy, hunting or working dogs.
Males of other breeds may demonstrate problems with aggressiveness; this should NOT occur with our even-tempered Golden Retriever.
The most noticeable and obvious difference between the male and female Golden Retriever is the size. Male Golden Retrievers when full grown, will typically weigh around 20 pounds more than a female Golden. My thought is that if you’re going to go “big dog” then go big!
Secondly, you may notice behaviors such as mounting and marking may be exhibited by some male Goldens, particularly if other males are present of if the male has been used for breeding. However, neutering a male before a year old will definitely help to alleviate these problems and will also eliminate the risk of testicular cancer. Spaying a female will also eliminate the risk of ovarian and other reproductive cancers as well.
