Any person who has basic knowledge of anatomy can determine the sex of an adult dog. If we are talking about a newborn puppy, the task becomes significantly more complicated - experienced dog breeders, as a rule, can distinguish a female from a male at first sight, but for non-professionals this task becomes impossible. To avoid missing the mark and correctly answer the question “Boy or girl?”, dog owners need to know how to determine the sex of a puppy in the first weeks of its life.
How to determine the gender of a puppy?
Boys and girls: who to choose
The vast majority of people who dream of a dog can accurately answer the question about the gender of the pet they want in their home. True, no one gives clear arguments about their choice - usually it all depends on personal preferences. Indeed, professional dog handlers claim that there is practically no difference between the behavior of males and females of the same breed, with the exception of some nuances.
Gender differences in dogs are not immediately obvious, since behavior depends primarily on upbringing
Differences in behavioral attitudes
Based on the observations of experienced dog breeders, it can be noted that female dogs are more dependent on the owner, become more attached to family members and have a hard time withstanding separation, while boys more often show autonomy and independence, but at the same time are more active and playful. In addition, the behavior of male dogs is greatly influenced by sexual instinct - even the most obedient dog can run away from its owner if it smells a female dog in heat.
The behavior of male dogs largely depends on the sexual instinct
Good protective qualities are also considered an advantage of females - they are often more angry and aggressive than males, but at the same time treat children better. True, during the period of heat, the behavior and character of females can also change greatly, sometimes beyond recognition - for example, always calm and peaceful females begin to attack others and bare their fangs. However, this behavior can be avoided if you teach your puppy not to bite in time.
Smell
Another important factor that is especially interesting to those who live in apartments is the smell coming from the dog. It is popularly believed that males smell stronger than females, but in fact this opinion is erroneous, and rather applies to cats and female cats - male cats often put so-called marks, releasing a liquid with an extremely unpleasant odor, which is almost impossible to remove.
A specific odor emanates from bitches during heat
The absence or presence of an unpleasant odor depends on the breed, age and health of the dog, but during puberty and estrus, bitches can emit a strong odor. If the pet is completely healthy, the smell will disappear after the end of estrus - you just need to arrange hygiene procedures and change diapers more often. Otherwise, it is better to show the dog to a doctor - such trouble may be evidence of sexually transmitted infections and other diseases.
A dog’s behavior does not depend on gender, but on breed, upbringing and character - both females and males can successfully become good companions, guards, bloodhounds, or perform other functions.
With proper education, both females and males will be excellent guards, protectors and friends.
Video - Choosing a puppy by gender
General information
In general, among Chihuahua dog owners there is no consensus on who is better, because, like all living beings, each gender has undeniable advantages and obvious disadvantages. So let's look at all aspects of the question “who to choose - a boy or a girl Chihuahua” in more detail.
Price
Like most breeds, females are more expensive than males. Even if you take a puppy with the condition of non-breeding and a sterilization contract, the average price for a girl is still higher than for a boy. Well, if you are specifically looking for dogs for further breeding, then the difference in price can be significant.
Dimensions
The Chihuahua is an ancient dog breed; the canine community is still debating where exactly to look for the origins of the breed. And like all species with a long evolution, the Chihuahua has pronounced gender determinism - females are smaller than males, but the body length of males is less than that of females. Roughly speaking, the male Chihuahua is tall and short, and the female is short and long.
Decorative dog breeds: which one to choose
When choosing a representative of an ornamental breed, you need to pay special attention to gender. One of the main factors is the cost of the puppy - bitches with good pedigree and documents are always more expensive, since in the future they can be bred and earn money from it. But the problem is that pregnancy, childbirth and even active sexual activity are contraindicated for some representatives of small breeds, as this can lead to serious health problems and death.
It is believed that males of decorative breeds are more playful and active
Males have their own characteristics of sexual behavior. It is not necessary to breed them, but it is important to remember that once untied the dog will need regular visits to the ladies, and during a walk he can easily break free and run away when he sees the bitch he likes. In addition, male dogs belonging to decorative breeds love to “sit down” on soft toys, the legs of their owners and other things that can serve to satisfy the sexual instinct.
Families with children are recommended to purchase females
It is better for small children not to see such games, so families with a child are better off choosing female dogs as pets. On the other hand, males are more restless and playful, they love active and fun games, which kids will really like.
When buying a purebred dog for subsequent breeding, you should very carefully check the gender of the puppy - there is a risk of becoming a victim of unscrupulous sellers who sell male dogs at an inflated price, passing them off as females.
Why do you need to know the gender of the puppy?
Despite the fact that there is no particular difference between males and females for ordinary owners, it is recommended to determine the gender of the puppy as early as possible - at least in order to give the pet a nickname and not subsequently rack your brains over how to change it into a male or female manner.
Knowing the gender of the dog, the owner will be able to take into account all its physiological characteristics and give a suitable nickname
This question is especially important for breeders or people who plan to start breeding dogs - having bought a small male dog with the expectation of producing offspring, they will need to buy him a “girl” as a mate, and not a playmate. In addition, buyers who are expecting a puppy of a certain gender will be extremely unhappy if, instead of the promised male, a female appears in their house or vice versa.
Common mistakes when determining gender
Despite its apparent simplicity, mistakes often occur when identifying the sex of puppies. The main ones:
- Gender cannot be determined by how one urinates. Some males can sit down for up to six months, and females begin to raise their paws.
- Regardless of gender, dogs develop 8-10 nipples, but in dogs they are less pronounced, most often only two abdominal pairs are clearly visible.
- It is strictly forbidden to retract the foreskin - you can cause an infection or injure the puppy. This process occurs naturally between 2 and 6 months of age, depending on the breed.
- Dogs of large breeds and giants enter puberty later than small dogs, so the formation of genitalia occurs more slowly. Later, the first heat is observed, marks during walks.
If, when examining your puppy, you are not sure who is in front of you, it is best to contact the breeder or veterinarian. An experienced specialist can easily recognize the sex of an animal.
When can gender be determined accurately?
Dogs are born with genitals, but it is quite difficult to distinguish males from females. To avoid making a mistake, it is better to wait 2-3 weeks, when sexual characteristics become quite pronounced. In adolescence (from 6 months), the difference between females and males can be determined not only by the appearance of the genitals, but also by behavior.
The easiest way to determine the sex of a puppy is after it reaches one month of age.
Newborns
Many inexperienced owners believe that they will never understand how to determine the sex of a newborn puppy. But they are completely wrong: it is no more difficult to do this than in adult animals. In a way, this is even simpler, because if there is a newborn in the house, then there is also his mother. In this situation, you can simply turn her over on her back and compare her genitals with those of the cubs. For female puppies, the only differences will be in size. If the appearance is not at all similar, it is a male.
However, if it is possible to compare animals of any age, but of different sexes, the issue is resolved by itself. In dogs, even the smallest ones, covered with a thick coat of fur, gender differences are so obvious that it seems surprising that it was possible to doubt before that a puppy belonged to a certain sex.
How to determine the gender of a puppy
The easiest way to determine the sex of a puppy is to examine the genitals, but the problem is that at the age of up to 8 weeks, the genitals in dogs are poorly formed, so it will be quite difficult to examine them in detail. You can distinguish a girl from a boy by the following characteristics:
- a little below the navel on the belly of male puppies there will be a small protrusion or a clearly visible tuft of hair, if the dog is long-haired - this is where the penis is located, which is still covered by a fold of skin. If you run your hand over the surface of your abdomen, you may feel something like a button or a small bone under your hand. Between the paws near the anus there will be another “island” of fur - the testicles will soon descend there;
The penis of a one-month-old puppy can be seen with the naked eye
- Bitches have a smooth belly, without protrusions, sometimes with small nipple dots. The genital organs of female babies are located next to the anus, are not as pronounced as in males, and look like a small lump.
The penis in newborn male dogs can be confused with the remnants of the umbilical cord, so it is better to repeat the examination after about a week, when it completely falls off.
How to distinguish a girl from a boy puppy
To distinguish a girl from a boy, if the dog is an adult, the most minimal knowledge of anatomy and an idea of how girls differ from boys in principle is enough.
But if we are talking about a small puppy that is not even a month old, the task becomes more difficult and even experienced breeders do not always cope with it right away, let alone ordinary people who are faced with it for the first time.
When does gender become pronounced?
In babies who still feed only on mother's milk, sexual characteristics are not at all expressed.
Only by the first month of life do they become more or less noticeable, and it becomes possible to distinguish dogs of different sexes by behavior only by adolescence.
However, if there is a problem, there is also a solution: even in newborn puppies, you can distinguish the sex if you know how and where to look.
Ways to distinguish
To determine the sex of a newborn, you need to spread a warm towel on the floor, make a small depression in the middle and place the puppy there on its back. Instinctively, he will tighten his paws and it will only become more convenient to examine the necessary details.
However, you need to remember that it is not recommended even for beloved owners to take very small puppies from a bitch.
Firstly, this can lead to stress, which will result in attempts to hide the offspring or even bite the owner.
Secondly, the human smell can overwhelm the puppy's smell, and then the bitch will be suspicious of him, and may even refuse to feed him.
Examination of sexual characteristics
In male dogs, in the first weeks of life, the testicles have not yet descended into the scrotum, so they cannot be seen. All that is visible is:
- Member. It looks like a small protrusion of skin on the abdomen, under the navel, or as a fold of skin. If the baby has long hair, then it will look more like a bunch of fur collected in one place.
- Anal hole. If you look between the paws and under the tail, there will be only one hole there, the anal one.
What colors do dogs distinguish?
If you continue to observe with some frequency, you will be able to see how the testicles gradually descend into the scrotum. By the age of 2 months, they will drop completely, and even a person who doesn’t bother to look closely will be able to identify the male.
In females, in the first weeks of life, nipples are both expressed and not expressed, and with the same frequency as in males, therefore it is pointless to consider them as a sign of gender. All that can be seen is:
- Absence of a joint. Girls' bellies are smooth, only slightly covered with fur, with a single protrusion of the navel. There are no extra tufts of fur or folds.
- The presence of a second hole. If you look between the paws and under the tail, there will be not only an anus, but also a small swelling, which over time will develop into a full-fledged loop.
If you watch the development continuously, over time you will see how the loop becomes more and more pronounced until its presence becomes obvious.
Interestingly, owners who receive a new four-legged friend are advised to immediately check its gender.
This is due to the fact that a knot can be knitted and received money for it, which means its original cost is more expensive.
Differences in the behavior of puppies of different sexes
Among inexperienced dog lovers, there is a belief that you can distinguish a girl puppy from a boy puppy by behavior, and from the very first days of life.
They say that boys are more active and courageous, push others aside with greater impudence, getting to the nipples, and stand on their paws earlier.
And girls, accordingly, are lazier and timid, sleep more, easily allow themselves to be pushed away from food, and are longer afraid to get out of their own box.
In fact, as any dog lover who deals with kids quickly discovers, this is just superstition and an attempt to try on human stereotypes on dogs.
Newborn girls are no different from newborn boys, except that they grow a little slower.
The first difference in behavior becomes obvious only at the time of puberty.
Male dogs, by the time they are six months old, learn to relieve themselves by raising their paws - with their genital structure, it is simply more convenient. They also mark more often: they sniff new objects for a long time, and then spray them with urine, notifying all nearby dogs of their presence.
Bitches at the same age still relieve themselves while sitting, mark less often and, usually, experience the sorrows of their first heat: they become restless, shed drops of blood, and complain to the owner about the inconvenience.
Adult males are more prone to run away, and adult females are more territorial, even if they are not a guard breed.
Determining gender by genitalia is much easier and more reliable than by behavior.
Determining gender by appearance
It is almost impossible to distinguish male and female puppies by appearance, but experienced dog breeders claim that an attentive owner will easily see the difference. Males are larger, active and curious; from the first days of life they try to show independence and self-sufficiency.
Despite possible behavioral differences, the main way to identify gender is the genitals
Females have a small body and muzzle, they behave more calmly and thoughtfully, most of the time they prefer to be near their mother and react with caution to everything unfamiliar.
Table 1. Criteria for determining the sex of a puppy
| Gender of the puppy | Type of genitals | Appearance | Behavior |
| Male | Two small bumps or tufts of hair on the abdomen - near the navel and near the anus | Large, bony body, massive head, muzzle with prominent, sharp features | Active, courageous, independent |
| Female | Lump or lump near the anus | Small body, pretty face with neat, soft features | Calm, thoughtful, careful |
Examination of newborn puppies
Newborn puppies are very fragile, delicate, and any careless movement can cause them harm. You should not rush and immediately after birth take the babies in your arms - they have their own smell, which the mother recognizes well, and if you fight it off, she may stop feeding and caring for the offspring. In addition, the bitch may regard any encroachment on the puppies as a threat to their life and become extremely aggressive.
Puppies must be examined very carefully
Before picking up your baby, you should change into home clothes, wash your hands with soap and warm your palms well. You need to hold the puppy in your arms for no more than 10-15 minutes - if he starts to squeak or worry, it is better to return him to his place. The paws should be held and spread extremely carefully so as not to damage them.
The younger the puppy, the more difficult it is to clearly determine its gender
A sign of a violation of the normal state can be not only whining, but also body trembling - it means that the baby is cold or very scared, which can negatively affect his health. To examine the offspring, it is better to cover a sofa or other soft surface with a warm towel, carefully lay the puppy on its back, carry out the necessary procedure and immediately take it to the mother.
