Dog or bitch?
For many of us, this is a preference that you can only express if you have had both sexes, and then you find that you may bond better to one sex or the other. What is often meant by this question for pet owners, is either of the sexes easier to live with? The FL male can be rather dominant with other males, but this is not to say that they cannot be kept with other males. The Society would not advise keeping two males FLs together unless you were experienced with the breed. Experience shows that male FLs are no more likely to stray than bitches. The males tend to be a little larger and have more coat than bitches. For the bitches you will need to consider whether to spay (neuter) or not, the bitches seasons (up to twice a year) can be inconvenient, messy and may produce temperament changes in the bitch as she undergoes hormonal influences.
Of course if you have had dogs before of both sexes you may favour one sex above the other, temperaments between the sexes are different within different breeds. As for the Lancashire Heeler, I live with both sexes and don’t find them dramatically different. It is commonly thought that bitches are more loving I don’t find this the case, the males I know and have lived with are just as loving as the bitches. Apart from the obvious differences such as the bitch has seasons and can become pregnant I find as a pet the male and female Lancashire Heeler are equal and both will suit the family environment or single owner. Of course these are my observations and based on my experience and feed back from the many puppy owners that keep in touch. If your new puppy is a bitch and is to be shown, she will have seasons, usually about 6-9 months apart, and could have a moult afterwards so you need to take into account time out of the ring. If you have a dog he may catch the scent of a bitch which ha
