Differences Between Male/Female Dogs

I have to second (third? Fourth?) how much I wish Hugo didn't pee on his own leg. It happens at least once a week.

I wonder how much of the difference between males and females is nature/nuture? Like, is it possible that our own (conscious or unconscious) ideas of what males and females are like influence our dogs at all. This is something I've actually wondered for a long time.

I haven't owned a lot of dogs, but the ones I have have fallen in line with what Elrohwen said. My boy is goofy, clingy, and easily distracted. We've had to work a lot on impulse control. My girl was very into what was right/would please me. Even if there was no other reward.

Watson rarely pees on his front legs, but he can't help peeing on his belly feathers. I don't know what other long coated dog people do but it's really gross. I have to spray and wipe him down after every time he's outside.

I thought about this and I don't think it applies in my case at least. My childhood dogs were raised by my parents (I was 6 when they came home) while my Welshies were raised by me and my husband. I'm sure there are some similarities in how we raise dogs, but I don't think it had an impact on gender differences specifically. Now, I can tell that my mom kind of fits new male dogs into the mold of her old male dogs who she loved, so yeah, I can totally see that happening. But in this case my dogs have been raised mostly independently of my parents' influence and even they see the strong similarities between the males and between the females.

Yeah, I don't think it really applies in most cases. Especially not with people who are really DOG people. My first family dog was primarily raised by my mom and she still fit the mold.

I think some people who aren't dog people see different qualities in a dog based on its sex. More than once I've been told that Hugo is such a pretty, sweet, cuddly girl. When I mention his name (and they realize he's a boy) he's suddenly "handsome, tough and smart." It's actually mildly annoying because I find it to be ingrained sexism. But that's not so much how the dog is actually acting, but how the person perceived/guessed them to be.

Yes! I think that's absolutely true. Though my husband calls Watson his "Pretty Princess" LOL

Last night I thought about some of the males I've known who are super into pleasing their owner, and always seem to be asking "did I do it right? Oh I hope I did! how about now? is it right now?" None of the males dogs in my family have been like this at all, but I do know a handful of them.