update and questions

Don't know about the Poodle world, but Bimmer, my male dog, is INFINITELY neater, better mannered and easier to deal with than the two grrrrrls! I've only had one other female dog before getting the Filas, partly because I just like the male temperament but mostly because the majority of my dogs have been rescues and one was a gift from my grandmother and that's just the way it worked out. Even all but one cat has been male. I've never had any problems at all out of my males.

Oh, and I'd suggest checking with the other breeder as well. Find out why there is such a big price discrepancy - or if there even is. It may be that the difference in price is that the $1,200 is for show quality pups and she charges about the same thing for pet quality as the one you've been talking to.

Male or female, your new toy poodle pup should be "desexed" (spayed or neutered) around 6 months of age regardless of gender. This will make your pet of either gender a better/healthier companion. If you don't spay a female pup, she can become just as messy as your parents think males are by coming into season every six months and bleeding. On another note, not all males hike their leg in the house if they are neuterd young!! You are usually safe if you instill good housebreaking habits and have your pup neuterd at 51/2 to 6 months. Neutered males generally speaking make better, calmer, and more well rounded pets. My neutered males have always been the sweetest most loving companions and gentle in nature. I don't know on poodles though. I have had multiple male dogs that were neutered at a yound age and they never hiked their leg in the house, in fact, the majority of them squated to pee like a female (outside) because they were neutered so young and they never developed the habit. I would get either gender and just neuter or spay at 6 months and remember to TRAIN!! Good luck!

I have raise Three Male intact dogs in my Adult life, Two Rotties and One Amstaff. I have never had a problem with them "Lifting" in the house. If you pottie train them correctly it shouldn't be an issue.

--Show pug, I agree about the spayed female being healthier because of female cancers but my Vet said there was no benefit health wise to neutering your male dog. Do you have some sources that say different, that I could check out?

my male dogs neutered and "intact" have never marked indoors..they would have been ashamed at the thought..and went in the yard where i wanted them to..not on the garden or any other inappropriate place. That is all in the training. Can i ask..why you would pay so much for a dog that if you are having fixed you are not planning on breeding..or showing..why u would do that? when there are so many rescues..so many good dogs out there from shelters on out that need a good home..why not adopt one of them and donate the rest of the hundreds of dollars to some humane function? the canine world would thank you. There are poodle rescues too i am sure.

I have always found my males easier to train and more devoted. The don't call females B*tches for nothing !

My Smokey was a peek-a -poo and we did have problems with him lifting and some humping. We had him desexed, the humping stopped but he lifted his leg the rest of his life. Possibly b/c we had him neutered to old? He was very affectionate and a one person dog. However our Carey is also a one person dog (not quite as bad as Smokey about it) She loves everyone but follows me into each room.

My male lifts his leg outside to mark, but has not inside. He was neutered when he was just a pup and didn't learn to lift his leg until he was well over a year old. He still does the squat pee when he is really going, but when he is outside marking, he lifts his leg.

If you potty train properly, it should not really be a big issue about him peeing indoors.

even when i brought little dog home..a male..intact..it took me two weeks to firmly teach him that lifting his leg in the house was forbidden. He learned as well..and he was hard core in my opinion. If your dog is urinating indoors..then he is not housebroken....and it is time to intensify your training. It is not a male thing in my opinion based on years of experience..it is lack of training..humping on the other hand is harmonal.

my vet wouldn't neuter my male until 7 months. He has never marked anything..indoors or out. He is now almost 1 1/2 yrs. old...still squats to potty. My mom always had that old wive's tale about females being 'gentler'. I have both...my male is a much more docile personality. My female (who is spayed) can be very moody. That may depend on breeding....I tend to think she is a typical 'girl'. lol (I will never admit that to my hubby, tho!)

Bronki was intact..never made babies, never hiked in an inappropriate place, had no aggression, in fact even when provoked he would shoot me a look like "mom can you do something about this idiot..he is really making me angry" he knew that he was not to respond...but was socialized and trained from the get go..he did get cancer..not testicle, but still i think that should be the main concern..if you are not going to keep your dog away from females..the neutering is a must..but i have known a zillion dogs of different breeds that were all trained well..and had there testicles as well..known a few that died of cancer that started there as well.

AmStaffer...I am so suprised that your vet told you that! I worked in a vet clinic for 5 years and we saw multiple problems with "intact" males. What topped the list were intact males coming in all the time with testicular cancer and needing a neuter immediatley after diagnosis. The more years that pass the higher the risk. Here is a link that you can read up on. Take care
http://www.sniksnak.com/benefits.html start reading under LESS TESTOSTERONE, LESS TROUBLE

i have 2 males i have no problem with them lifting there legs