Hunting dogs, what's better? male or female

[JD48]

I always had males, Beagles and Brittanys, my current Brittany is a female, calm, listens well, hunts hard, gets right to work when let out of the truck, no messing around sniffing and peeing on everything, you say?

[smittty]

Apple and oranges it’s not about the sex it’s about the breeding 

[JD48]

1 hour ago, smittty said:

Apple and oranges it’s not about the sex it’s about the breeding 

Fair Enough

[jumpthestring]

I had male Britt as well great dog. was told females are better because they don't range as far as males.

[smittty]

26 minutes ago, JD48 said:

Fair Enough

Something to think about is if you get a female out of a good line and aren’t going to breed her it kind of a waste in my opinion I would go with a male that’s just meale or female as long as the pup comes from good lines  one isn’t going to hunt different because of sex

[JD48]

2 hours ago, smittty said:

Something to think about is if you get a female out of a good line and aren’t going to breed her it kind of a waste in my opinion I would go with a male that’s just meale or female as long as the pup comes from good lines  one isn’t going to hunt different because of sex

I got the dog from a guy on here who had to get rid of her, fixed, fully trained, housebroken, medium range, good to go, he wanted no money, just made sure she was going to a good hunting home, she was 3 at the time she's now 7 y/o, great dog

Edited March 9 by JD48

[Houndog]

For beagles I always went with males. I just like a bigger dog and maybe it’s just me but think there more aggressive. Now I’ve hunted with a friend who has had more dogs than me and he always chooses females. Not sure there’s a difference. 

[electric10162]

We always had female beagles. The old man always said the males get distracted by everything female. 

[nobellehaus]

Speaking in general terms I do notthink it is as simple as male versus female as to which is better.  For a first time handler I would say a female as they typically mature faster and generally more cooperative. Males are generally harder charging and range more in search of game. Females are smaller generally more  agile so the type of cover one hunts should be a consideration. A male generally has more endurance so if hunting wide open spaces a male might be the better choice. Males mark frequently which can at times be annoying to some. Males are typically more dominate  in nature.  As females typically are less prone to marking their territories,( although some do ),  they tend to get less distracted by other dogs than a male does. If one prefers a bigger dog then it would be a male.  At the end of the day as Smitty mentioned be more concerned with the breeding  as it starts with genetics for why  a pairing was made. That the breeder is experienced and understands what they are doing and why they made that pairing choice. I have always said that it is a breeders responsibility to put a pairing together that produces; consistency within the litter of pups across all pups, an even blend of desire and cooperation, natural ability, mental stablality ,sound temperment  intelligence, biddability, heart, conformationally correct and a  healty litter. The enviorment in where a pup is placed brings out the true  greatness in and potential of the pup. So whether it is male or female whatever ones choice is should be a consideration of many facets.

[archer36]

Well, it has nothing to do with the hunting ability but you have to consider some downsides to a female, especially if you don't get her spayed. You won't be able to hunt her when she's in heat. She will want to  roam and attract every stray dog to your bakyard. Just something to think about. 

[nobellehaus]

Good point archer.  I guess as I am so used to the heat issues with females  that is something I just take for granted and don’t always think about from an outside perspective. It’s second nature to me at this point, but I can see how it might not be as obvious to others who don’t deal with it regularly.

 

[Bond,James Bond]

  I have had both over the Decades. Ben was a Black Lab. Really Good in the Pheasant  Fields. My Father had a English Setter- Peggy. Both my Father and myself shot 30+ over her each Season from the mid 1970s to mid 1980s.

  I have ABBEY now- a Black Lab.

[Raygubernat]

Have had both over the years.  All were field trial bred pointers, so all were hard chargers that were obsessed with finding birds.    A spayed female is hard to beat for day in, day out hunting, because they are generally all business in the field.  They tend not to put up with another dog screwing up their find.   Males do tend to have a  little more stamina as a rule but they do tend to mess with other males occasionally.  Females fighting is pretty rare, but if it happens, it is gonna be UGLY and likely  trip to the vet or worse.

 

RayG

[Batsto]

I have hunted with and trained male and female spaniels. Both are great. Males are definitely physically tougher, but females are not far behind. I think it’s all personal preference regarding male or female. Like I said, both are great!!

[trapoholic]

It's not the sex of the dog that counts but the handling. Good breeding can help, but sometimes when you breed the best to the best you end of with nothing. I used to train and hunt Walkers.