boy or girl puppy??? I need help!!!
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First off welcome to the fourm!!! 
I think it is your choice. I have had all girls. 3 of them. Right now we have 2 and a non oes male. I have heard that the boys are very loveable. But so are some of the girls. I have found that the girls are high spirted. Our 5 month old now is in training because of her trying to rule us. I think when you see the pups one will stand out for you. |
I agree , it's your choice. I have had both a quiet lovable female and male and now have a bouncy, michevious, hair pulling out lovable little girl  |
| Male, female both good. What you need to do is view the whole litter if you can, both male and female. Watch them interact with each other then make a choice on what best suits your family in personality too & talk to the breeder on which one would suit your families situation and lifestyle.
Don't pick the shy one in the corner or the over enthusiastic bossy one 
I have had both.. Males do usually get bigger then the girls. Males usually have thicker coats too, so more grooming there. But both are wonderful which ever one you end up choosing |
| I have one of each and I guarantee the next one will be a boy!
My female is very high strung and thinks she's the boss of our other dogs. She only wants attention on her terms. 
My male is a snuggle bug. Males tend to bond more with the female members of the family. He also lives for attention. So I would suggest a male for your daughter. I did grow up with a female OES and she was a wonderful dog. She was only dog. So I don't know how she would have been around other dogs. She was very protective of the family, but was not very interested in playing. It really depends on the dog though. Are you bringing your daughter to the breeder with you? If so.... the best way to find the perfect dog is to let the dog pick you. |
| I have always gotten females because that is what my mom always had. My next is in a few weeks and we are go for a male. Our girl is a real snuggle bug and calm, hubby wants a male and if he is going to be a snuggle bug more so, I can hardly wait. |
| Children in the house are the number 1 reason for sheepdogs winding up in rescue.
That said, many people find having both works well for them. Are you sure that an Old English Sheepdog is the right choice for your family? OES are big boisterous dogs that don't begin to calm down until they are 2 years old! They are large dogs, ranging from 65 pounds to over 100 pounds. Their grooming requirements are intense; a dog in full coat needs a minimum of 8 hours per week of brushing and other grooming care. Hair grows everywhere, between paw pads, in the ears, around the eyes. All must be attended to every day. You can keep your dog in a puppy cut as I do, and that reduced the amount of grooming time by a large amount, but still everyday we are cleaning eyes and ears and checking for ticks. They eat a lot and it gets expensive. Also grooming for a sheepdog runs $75 to $100 per trip to the groomer. I don't know your personal situation at all, I just wanted to give you something to think about more than which gender you'll have fixed .
Welcome to the community! If you do decide that an OES is right for you, you've found a great place to hang out! We'll be looking forward to stories of puppy antics! |
| I also wanted to say welcome, and mention a few things.
No matter what breed or gender of dog you get, PLEASE go through a puppy manners class with the dog, as soon as they have their last set of puppy shots. I would recommend your child attend as well, and that everyone in the family continue the training exercises at home on a regular basis. Especially if you get an OES. The main reason is because when you have a dog that will end up being that large, you want them to get into the habit of listening to you and obeying you very early. It will also make everything else easier... potty training, crate training, grooming, walking, etc... I also recommend getting all of the health certification information from the breeder, and asking if the breeder is willing to keep the puppy with the mom and litter mates until at least 10 weeks. Puppies that are taken from momma too early need a lot more work, and can end up with more serious behavior problems later. I am telling you this because we have a 17 month old female who is a rescue dog, and these are all things her previous owners never thought about or tried, and had they taken the time to do all of these things, she would not have ended up in rescue (which worked in my favor, but made her life miserable for the first 10 months). I also have a male puppy who was taken from his mom too early (6 weeks), and it has meant a lot more work on my part to teach him bite inhibition and appropriate socialization (although Stella does help with this). As far as gender goes, Stella is very bossy, and very much an "Alpha" female, which can sometimes make her a little unpredictable, however I can't attribute that to being a female since she had such a rough start in life. Sampson is just a snuggle bug, and he is actually very calm and sweet. Again though, I can't say that is his gender, as we work with him all the time and train with him all the time, and started the first day he was with us, so that may have more to do with his good nature than being a boy. |
| With a young child I would also be nervous. These are not bad dogs at all. They are lovable, but they like to herd alot. We have a 12 year old boy who our Sami loves and when he goes to school and back she does not think twice to jump on him paws on shoulders for a kiss, thet are ready for it and we are still working on her not to do that, but boy is it work when they BOTH enjoy it. And she has not been anywhere where the kids are smaller she would love them until they are both on the floor. |
| For the most part i do agree with all that has been said on this list. However, about pups leaving the nest. It has been found in most research that the optimal time for puppies to leave is between und 8 and 10 weeks of age. It is between 10 and 12 weeks that a fear period has been found and puppies may suddenly become afraid of things they never were before......... for this specific reason i try to make sure all my babies are in their 'forever' homes by 10 weeks. They bond to their new families and feel confident with them.
Ali |
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