Content
- anatomical differences
- Estrus in females and males
- males
- both sexes
- differences in behavior
- Living with other dogs
- Choose the dog's gender responsibly
The female and male nature are very different although they complement each other perfectly and the differences between them are manifested through anatomy, physiology and behavior, not only in the human species, since in our dog friends we can perfectly observe these differences if we compare both sexes.
When adopting a dog, sex does not have to be decisive, however, knowing the characteristics and main differences between dogs and bitches can help us make a more appropriate decision and live with a pet that can be adapted more easily to our lifestyle.
In this PeritoAnimal article we show you the main differences between dog and bitch. Good reading.
anatomical differences
The anatomical differences can be the most evident between male and female dogs, just notice them carefully.
Females obviously have a distinct reproductive apparatus, which we can externally observe by the presence of vulva and breasts, in addition, they weigh and measure less than male dogs.
the males have penis and testicles as part of your reproductive tract (the urethra therefore also changes its anatomical position somewhat). A common question is whether male puppies have breasts, and the answer is yes, although they have no reproductive function and are not as developed as in females. Males are provided with a greater height and greater weight, being more stocky, although the difference in weight and height is more or less evident according to the breed. Still, we can say that size makes a lot of difference between dog and bitch.
Image from todoboxer.com
Estrus in females and males
Another aspect of great importance to consider if we talk about the differences between dogs and bitches is the heat or reproductive cycle.
females
About heat in bitches, we must know that it occurs every 6 months. In this cycle, we can observe a period in which the female develops a great receptivity to being ridden by a male, and if we don't want our bitch to reproduce, then we must redouble the precautions and surveillance.
Every 6 months we also observe a very different phase in her heat, which is the menstruation phase, which indicates that our dog will have blood loss for approximately 14 days. After the females' menstruation, their organism finds high levels of progesterone, which can induce the known psychological pregnancy.
During psychological pregnancy, the dog can manifest very different symptoms: nervous, adopting and protecting various objects as if they were puppies, seeking to be in isolated places and we can even observe that her abdomen is distended and her breasts swollen, even able to secrete milk.
males
The heat of male dogs is very different, since are in heat throughout the year, this means that at any time they can escape to look for a female who is receptive. Males can continuously show a mounting behavior (they can end up mounting a multitude of objects) which can sometimes be accompanied by some aggressiveness.
both sexes
The PeritoAnimal always recommends reviewing the advantages of neutering a dog to avoid changes in behavior, anxiety or the emergence of diseases. Furthermore, this is also a responsible practice in preventing possible unwanted pregnancy. Inform yourself!
differences in behavior
We could observe that the reproductive cycle or estrus of bitches and puppies is very different, but the hormone release females and males also end up affecting behavior very clearly.
It is generally believed that the female is more affectionate and more homely, and that in return the male is more independent and active... But this has no scientific basis and these factors depend on each specific dog.
What we can say when we talk about differences between dog and bitch is that hormones determine part of the behavior of dogs, depending on whether there is a greater concentration of female and male hormones.
The behavior caused by sex hormones can be alleviated after castration of the animal, however, it cannot be eliminated because there are changes in brain development that mark these differences between genders and that are not modifiable.
Females adapt better to homes where small children live, due to being more protective by instinct, they are also more docile and respond better to training canine.
In return, male hormones that predominate in males make dogs more reluctant to obey orders, which makes training more difficult. Furthermore, in males we can clearly observe a territorial behavior that manifests through urine marking. Male puppies can also be more aggressive towards puppies of the same sex.
- You should know that, although males may have a dominant or aggressive tendency towards other dogs of the same sex, this can be avoided through good puppy socialization. It is essential that all dogs receive it so that in the future they can correctly relate to other dogs, pets and people.
Living with other dogs
If we want to welcome a dog into our home but we already have another dog in our home, then sex is of special importance, especially if the dogs are not neutered.
- when we join uncastrated specimens of different sexes, we will find ourselves with a problem that the male is trying to mount the female all the time. In this case, sterilization will be essential, as the female can be hostile if she does not want to be mounted, or the opposite, if the female does not let the male copulate.
- Remember the amount of dogs that are abandoned daily in the world, don't contribute to a puppy's ending up in a kennel.
- To bring together two males or two unneutered females it can also be a problem at times as they may compete for the same female or male, they may be territorial, they may not get along well, etc.
- finally join any dog with another that are neutered prevents us from the suffering of thinking about aggressiveness between them, a possible pregnancy, etc. However, sometimes (and if the two are adults) conflicts can arise. For this, the best thing is to go to an animal refuge with our dog and analyze what attitude you have with what we intend to adopt.
Remember that dogs are herd animals, they like to live in a group, for this reason, if you are planning to adopt another dog, go to a refuge where you will find friends who will be grateful for all your life that you rescued them.
In this other article you will see how to adapt a dog to live with another dog.
Choose the dog's gender responsibly
The dog is an exceptional pet, regardless of its gender, however, we must be fully responsible with our choice without focusing on the difference between dog and bitch.
This means that if we take in a male dog, we must accept the consequences of the sexual behavior that he may show and we must know that sterilization of the dog can be a highly recommended option in some cases.
On the other hand, if we host a female we are responsible for its reproduction. If we decide to have puppies, we must prioritize the future of these puppies, inform ourselves enough about the dog's pregnancy and be prepared to give birth. On the contrary, if we do not want it to reproduce, we must opt for sterilization or redouble our surveillance to prevent any dog from mounting it.
It doesn't matter so much to choose a male or female dog, as it is a completely subjective choice, if you are not aware at all times of what responsibility we are accepting.
And now that you know the difference between a dog and a bitch, you might be interested in this video where we explain how to make two dogs get along:
If you want to read more articles similar to Differences between dog and bitch, we recommend that you enter our What You Need to Know section.