[curlflooffan]

I know that this has been discussed to death on here but I have been thinking about something which I want to run by you guys.

So I am waiting to hear whether the matings have been successful. I am on a waiting list for a black mini. The matings should happen hopefully in the next weeks. I have told the breeder that I don't have a gender preference and we have had extensive conversations about what kind of temperament we are looking for. The breeder will pick the right puppy for us based on those conversations.

I originally didn't want to limit my options by gender as mini litters can be very small. Its very possible that we wouldn't have a choice between male or female regardless and overall temperament is more important to me. However, this year she is actually breeding two bitches instead of just one. Roughly around the same time. So instead of having a choice between 1 or 3 puppies its possible that there might be 4 or 6 puppies on the ground for the breeder to match us with.

I have promised my SO that when we have the time/money/space and secure garden we can get a Wire Haired Fox Terrier (his childhood breed). I know that this breed, like many intense terriers, are prone to dog aggression or selectiveness.

I know that differences between individuals is often more significant than that between genders. However, when it comes to dog-to-dog interactions gender can matter a lot. With females being more assertive and I would say (although I know that this term is controversial) dominant.

Do you think it would increase the chances of a harmonious fox terrier - poodle cohabitation if we get a female poodle and then add a male fox terrier?

Or would the difference between the genders be so minimal that it really doesnt matter?

 

[Raindrops]

I personally know a wirehaired fox terrier and I know a good bit about the breed tendencies. That said, I would absolutely not have a same sex pairing with male-male or female-female when one of the dogs is a WHFT. They are prone to dog selectivity but are particularly prone to same sex aggression. I believe females are stereotyped as worse with SSA than males for these types of terriers. So, if you have a preference for the sex of the WHFT, I would get the opposite sex for a poodle. If you will simply get the opposite sex when you get a WHFT is probably won't matter much. If all else was equal, my choice would probably be a female poodle and a male WHFT based on my knowledge of the breed. But you may benefit from asking a WHFT specific group. The WHFT that I know well is still quite young and does get along fairly well with other dogs at the park, but is an incredibly dominant dog and relentlessly harasses other dogs to play. She particularly harasses other females. She may develop more selectivity as she ages, and I don't know how she would be with other dogs on her home turf. Usually things are a lot more heated in their own territory. I think tenacious is the perfect word to describe her. There is more dog packed into that 17 lb terrier than there is in the 180 lb mastiff I know!

 

[curlflooffan]

@Raindrops oh yes I was always planning on having an opposite sex pairing but now started to wonder whether it matters which is which.

The fox terrier which my SO grew up with was a female and by his description was very typical of the breed. He describes her as being dog selective outside of the household. But she lived in peace with a male cocker spaniel who was younger than her. So she grew up as the only dog and then accepted it when the spaniel was brought in as a puppy.

I am very much on the fence on whether I should tell my breeder that we might have a slight preference for a female. The question of when we get a fox terrier (or dog nr 2 of any type) is very much dependant on our life circumstances fulfilling certain conditions. It might be 3 years from now or 16 years from now. I don't want to pass on a good quality male poodle because we might get a fox terrier in the future.

 

[lily cd re]

I agree with Raindrops to have dogs of opposite sexes. I don't think it much matters which is which. I would look though for a somewhat submissive male whichever breed he is. We have Lily (spayed, but pretty bitchy) and two intact males with pretty non-aspirational social order thinking. It works pretty well all around but we do keep the male dogs separated when we can't keep an eye on things. The issue is mostly a matter of Lily being very much a social climber and a pot stirring mischief maker (the queen) and two boys who are really pretty mellow (princes who generally prefer to avoid making trouble with the queen). Lily would have tried to kill our youngest (Javelin) had he been a she. There was even one male from his litter we passed on because he stood up to his sisters a little too vigorously when they were very young.

 

[Raindrops]

I agree with Raindrops to have dogs of opposite sexes. I don't think it much matters which is which. I would look though for a somewhat submissive male whichever breed he is. We have Lily (spayed, but pretty bitchy) and two intact males with pretty non-aspirational social order thinking. It works pretty well all around but we do keep the male dogs separated when we can't keep an eye on things. The issue is mostly a matter of Lily being very much a social climber and a pot stirring mischief maker (the queen) and two boys who are really pretty mellow (princes who generally prefer to avoid making trouble with the queen). Lily would have tried to kill our youngest (Javelin) had he been a she. There was even one male from his litter we passed on because he stood up to his sisters a little too vigorously when they were very young.

That's a good point. Misha is very submissive to females and would just adore having a little sister to boss him around. I have heard it is easier to introduce a female into a male household, though I think with poodles you wouldn't have much trouble with the opposite.

 

[lily cd re]

We had Lily first then a couple of months later Peeves. Javelin joined about 7 years later. If one thinks about the evolution of dogs and social hierarchy social responsibilities of pack oriented canids it makes sense for males to defer to females and for females to be controlling of resources (bitchy). Females have so much work to be done to be successful mothers compared to males they will work hard to control things and if males ever want to have a chance to mate they will hopefully know better than to pick fights with the girls.

 

[milktea]

I had two family dogs before - a female beagle and a male Shih Tzu. I feel the female beagle is very attached but very stubborn. The male Shih Tzu is not very attached, had his own life, but is loving too, a lot more independent than the beagle. I sometimes feel bad because the female beagle just waited near the door until everybody of my family came back. The male Shih Tzu wouldn't wait in front of the door and would have fun himself. I think it resonated with what I found online.