My Breeder informed me a little over a week ago that the dame gave birth to her litter of puppies consisting of three females and three males. This will be my first German Shepherd and first attempt to train in Schutzhund.

What are the pros and cons to each sex? What advice can you experienced and battle tested German Shepherd owners and trainers give me on puppy selection? My gut tells me to have the Breeder just pick out of the lot the best temperment set regardless of sex for Schutzhund as he will know them far better than I will.

Thanks in advance for your help.

James,

Personally I would select a pup from the litter that best suits your personality and one you can live with for many years. The last thing you want is one that you may find too much of a handful for your first experience.

If breeding is something you don't have or want to experience I would consider having the pup spayed or neutered when he/she is old enough. This may minimize some of the common sex issues that may arise (i.e. territorial marking, female heat cycle and the "blues" associated during her heat, etc).

Either can be a real joy to have.

Just remain patient during the housebreaking and consistent on the obedience.

Also you consider Ed's puppy video that will give you some toolage in raising your new demon child, I mean pup :-D

Unless there is an outstanding female who shows herself much better than the best male, I'd definately choose a male.

9 times out of 10 it will be the better choice. Males tend to be better for the work as they mature.

I THINK Eds bite training/TRAINING PUPPIES VIDEO 108 D covers puppy selection and testing but ill give my 2 cents on the subj.
i have a female gsd that has more drive than a lot of males that ive seen lately.
also if you can find agood alpha female, it with the right upbringing and training can be a great dog. ther are things you need to remember
1. alpha female by my definition is the #2 dog in the pack she falls right under the alpha male which is you #1.i do not have children she is tollerant of my wife but would rather be with me and always listens to me first.
also sometimes a alpha female is not always a good breeder and or mother.
it is also very hard to pick a alpha female out of a litter, sometimes theres not one.a alpha female has a lot of male traits mine even lifts her leg and marks where the males have been. a alpha female is the pup that demands everything first food toys respect and attention and she even makes the male pups submit. these traits are seen at about 4 weeks on.
also you need not just the alpha pup for sport but a dog with the correct drives . ( again check out eds videos and search this forum).remember to get your pup from a breeder with proven offspring from the parents of the litter you are choosing from and test ,test ,test.two great sport dogs dont always make great sport dogs TOM

Here are some things to consider:

Females are smaller, they average 65 to 75 pounds (22 to 24 inches), males are 76 to 86 pounds (24 to 26 inches). The females are a little easier to live with as a house dog.

Females never (or very, very seldom) get dominant.

Females are usually easier for novice trainers and handlers to control. They usually want to please their handlers a little more. So if you have a spouse that is not keen on a big dog in the family, it is probably a better idea to go with a female over a male.

Females come in season 2 times a year, males come in season every time they smell a bitch in season.

As a general rule, males are tougher. Females can do Schutzhund work just fine, but I have only seen a few females in my life that could do good police service work. By that I mean patrol work.

If you want to start breeding, you always buy a female, never a male. You can take your female to a top stud dog for the price of a stud fee. This is usually a dog that you would never be able to own for yourself. The odds of buying a male pup that will grow up to be a super stud dog are slim to none.

If you need normal personal protection from a dog a female is just fine. They can be trained to bark at strangers. My feeling is that any intruder that comes into your home uninvited and comes through a barking German Shepherd is a very bad person that will need to be stopped by the police and or a gun.

If you want a patrol dog for service work, buy a male.

If you want to compete at the top level of Schutzhund, buy a male. Very few females make it to the top levels of the sport.

As a general rule, males have a harder temperament than females. This means they can take a firmer correction without going down in drive.

Females do not lift their leg on the shrubs and flower beds in your yard.

I went with "Erika" as my first Sch dog for the very reasons Lauren posted. I still have to learn the Sch sport and dealing dominance/alpha issues is not something I wanted to deal with now. Later I'll get a male when my confidance and experience increases.

James, If you don't have a preference to either sex, and are
buying the pup from a reputable breeder that has sch. dogs, I would suggest you let the breeder make the choice, they know their lines the best, they will know the pups temperments the best, just be honest about your knowledge and experience in dog training and what you would like to accomplish with this dog and then leave it in the capable hands of the breeder. We have had 4 German Shepherds over the course of 20 years and I found I was always partial to the males, they always wanted to please, be around you constantly ,were as the female tended to be more aloof but that could of been just my girl. Needless to say we just aquired two new male pups, yes they are being raising separetly!! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Thank you all so much for your advice.

I will be going up to visit my breeder and view the litter of German Shepherd Puppies (GSD) for the first time next weekend (10/15). After having read through your posts and watching my first Schutzhund Competition I have concluded that my first GSD will be a male unless my breeder has a female with superior temperment over the males in the litter.

I've always loved my girls! They seem a bit more dedicated and mine have certainly not been aloof (to the family) other people, sure, but that's a GSD. However, my next GSD will be a male. Don't think my female will let another girl in the house! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" />

I see you quoted ol' Max. If you read his book, you'll see he preferred females! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />