Photo courtesy of Candy O' Farm Chihuahuas Overview You may find yourself wondering which puppy is better, a male or a female Chihuahua. Will either gender be more outgoing or friendly than the other? Are there marked differences in behavior, temperament and easability of training? Others may wonder about the differences between male and female Chihuahuas if they currently own a Chi and are thinking about bringing another into the household.
This section will discuss: The main differences between the two genders Setting the facts straight regarding gender related behavior and temperament Things to think about if adding a second dog to your family Main Differences Between Male and Female Chihuahuas The most common issues or behavioral elements that will affect either gender are directly related to whether or not the puppy or dog is spayed or neutered.
Males - Dogs that are not Neutered may Display the Following Characteristics: Dominant personality - He may challenge his human's leadership. This often manifests by having low tolerance to having his food and toys touched, not listening to commands and general lack of respect. Owners will need to work harder to establish proper hierarchy in the house. Marking - Marking spraying just a bit of urine to claim areas of the house is rather common for un-fixed male Chihuahuas.
Urges to Run - Intact males often have high and uncontrollable hormonal urges to chase after a female in heat. Owners won't even be aware of the other dog most of the time; she can be up to 3 miles away. Not only that, just the scent of her urine - even if she has been taken back inside - triggers an intact male's urge to find her. For this reason, male Chihuahuas will be more apt to try and escape on a quest to find a female. You won't see this behavior with very young puppies; it begins when the dog enters into puberty.
A male Chihuahua enters puberty between the ages of 4 and 7 months. Therefore, this sort of behavior often begins shortly after this age. Humping - Many first time owners are surprised to learn that even super young puppies may hump and it has nothing to do with mating urges. In addition, females may hump other dogs or inanimate objects just as a male can. With this said, it is true that intact male Chihuahuas will hump much more than their female counterparts.
