Do male dogs prefer female owners?
Though not much research has been done specifically on male dogs, there is no evidence to date that male dogs prefer female owners. However, there is some evidence that some dogs prefer adult women to adult men, although this does not apply to every dog. In fact, for some, the opposite may be true.
If you have a dog, it is only natural to want your beloved furry friend to be happy. This is why it might be a good idea to make sure that you get a dog that is going to be happy in your presence. This means that it is a good idea to know what the dog prefers before bringing them into your family.
For example, if you are female and planning on getting a male dog, you might want to know if male dogs actually prefer female owners. It makes sense that you would want to fit your dog’s preference, as this would be the best thing for both you and the dog.
Some people may wonder if dogs can even tell the difference between women and men. For humans, the depth of an individual’s voice is a good way to figure out what gender he or she is, but it is also true that people often use different vocal intonations when talking to dogs.
It is possible that dogs use this to distinguish between genders, but more research needs to be done in this area.
Male Dogs Do Not Necessarily Prefer Female Owners
One thing that is very important to keep in mind is that every dog is different. There is no generalization that can be applied to every male dog or every female dog. Even though, as groups, they might have certain tendencies, this does not mean that this can be assumed about any dog of that gender.
There is currently no evidence that male dogs specifically prefer female owners, although it has been shown that some dogs do tend to prefer women to men.
However, it has also been shown that some dogs have the opposite preference.
At this time, there is no evidence that the gender of human a dog prefers has anything to do with the gender of the dog.
Other Factors Determine What Gender a Dog Prefers
For example, if a breed is more submissive, they might tend to prefer female company, as the presence of a male stranger might be overwhelming to them.
The caveat is that the same can be said for submissive breeds who encounter women, if they happen to not be very used to the presence of women.
In some cases, height can play a role in how a dog reacts to a person. A very tall person may be intimidating to a dog, and since men are generally taller than women, this is more likely to be a factor that makes a man intimidating for a dog.
However, there are ways that a man can alleviate the situation. Whenever you try to socialize with a dog that you do not know, it is a good idea to kneel down on the ground and allow the dog to approach you.
Additionally, socialization is very important for dogs. When a dog is at the puppy stage, they will bond more strongly to the primary caregiver than anyone else. This will happen up until the dog is about six months old, which is why dog owners are often better off getting dogs when they are as young as possible.
It can still be wonderful to have an older dog (and adopting a shelter dog is one of the best things that you can do!), but in many cases, you do not know what the key socialization period was like for the dog.
Socialization is a big factor in any preferences the dog may develop for individuals of either gender.
Dogs of Both Genders Often Prefer Female Owners
It makes sense to not only wonder whether male dogs prefer female owners, but also whether dogs in general prefer a certain gender.
The truth is that every dog, as well as every relationship between a dog and a person is different.
However, it has been shown that dogs are generally attracted to specific sets of behaviors that are more common in adult women than adult men.
Generally, dogs are more likely to gravitate towards the smaller figures and softer voices of women. In some cases, they can actually be intimidated by the larger frame and deeper voice of the average man.
Most of the time, primary caregivers of dogs and veterinarians tend to be female. This means that on average, dogs are exposed to more women than men throughout their lives.
It should be noted that dogs specifically prefer female adults, rather than children, in most cases. This is likely because of the difference in behaviors that dogs observed between female adults and female children.
Dogs who do not have a lot of experience with children can feel threatened and scared around them, particularly because of the behaviors that children often exhibit around dogs, such as pulling their tails, jumping around, and generally being too exuberant for some dogs to handle.
However, it is important to note that dogs do not choose who they gravitate towards based on gender or any other specific characteristic. The association that any given person has with a dog is going to play a very significant role as well.
Regardless of your gender, if your dog associates you with positive experiences, they will like you.
In some unfortunate cases, dogs form their affinities for certain genders based on negative early life experiences.
For example, if a dog had an abusive male owner as a puppy, the dog will likely be afraid of men for a very long time, even the rest of their life, afterward. The same could be true if the abusive owner happened to be a woman.
In situations that involve abuse, the dog can retain this fear even if adopted by loving people afterward. If the dog’s only memories of male adults are scary and negative, the dog will continue to have issues connecting well with men.
Early life experiences for a dog are very instrumental when it comes to socialization and development skills, even much later on.
However, this does not mean that the dog will never be able to have a good connection with a man. If you make sure that the dog associates you with positive experiences, then you may be able to help your dog overcome their aversion to at least one person.
It should also be noted that even though dogs generally tend to gravitate more towards women, this is not the case with every dog. There are dogs who are more attracted to masculine behaviors.
These dogs see the larger body size and deeper voice as powerful, and they will make more of an effort to show respect. The dog will see leadership and authority in the man as well.
Additionally, men have playful tendencies that will resonate with the more energetic dogs. It will also be easier for a man’s larger body size to tolerate the strength and size of a larger dog.
However, this does not mean that a dog cannot see a woman as an authority figure. If a woman happens to be a figure of authority, the dog can have a great deal of respect for her as well.
Dogs can sense a lot when it comes to the personality and traits of a human being, and they will utilize this knowledge when they are choosing their alpha leader.
Even though dogs as a whole tend to prefer being around women, we should remember that dogs have personalities of their own, and every dog is different, just like every human.
There is always an exception to every rule, and there are plenty of dogs who are naturally going to prefer men.
There Is Evidence That Some Dogs May Prefer Men
In one study that was done about interactions between humans and dogs, dogs were found to approach men more often than they approach women.
The reason for this is not known, but it is possible that this ties back to the wolf ancestors of these animals.
According to the lead author of the study, the sensitivity that a dog has to the gender of the owner could be rooted in their wolf ancestry, where the genders would have their own distinct social roles.
The study showed that dogs who were owned by men, particularly neurotic men, would be likely to approach their owners more often than the dogs of female owners.
Overall, neurotic owners and neurotic dogs appear to have a sensitivity to one another’s needs, and these pairs end up spending more time together as a result.
In the study, there were 10 male owners and 12 female owners of male dogs. They were asked to view 15 pictures of dogs that had been placed on the walls and windows of a room. They also had to write down three words that they personally associated with each of the photos.
This activity was not very significant in the study, as it was really just meant to keep people occupied.
While the owners were studying the pictures, the researchers would allow each person’s dog to enter the room with his owner. The authors of the study noted how much time it took for the dog to approach their owner, and how long the dog stayed close to the human being.
Before the experiment, all of the owners had filled out questionnaires that helped the researchers understand more about their personality types, as well as how they felt about their dogs.
Neurotic men with neurotic dogs seem to be very attracted to one another. Dogs of these owners would go to their humans right away, and they would stay close together for longer periods of time afterward .
However, if women scored high in neuroticism, their dogs would stay close to them as well.
No relationship was found between the gender of the owner and either the time the dog stayed close to him or her or the time it took for the dog to be oriented towards the owner.
However, this does not necessarily mean that dogs who approached their owners frequently liked them more.
If a dog frequently approaches the owner but does not maintain contact, for example, this could mean that there is a wish for contact but could also mean that there is more insecurity in the relationship, causing the dog to seek reassurance from the owner.
Even though dogs seemed to approach men more in this study, gender actually did not seem to have a significant effect on the behavior of the dog. It was more personality variables that seemed to have a significant effect.
For example, the more important an owner had said it was that he or she spends time with the dog, the longer the dog and owner were seen to be close to each other.
It is also possible that scoring high on neuroticism means that the owner regards the dog as a source of social support.
This means that the owner is more likely to interact with the dog frequently and reinforce spatial closeness with the dog. This could be why these dogs were more likely to approach their owners quickly during the study.
Overall, the dog’s attraction to the owner depends on a variety of factors.
If Your Dog Has a Problem with One Gender, Don’t Worry!
If it seems that your dog hates either women or men, this is not something you should spend a lot of time worrying about. It is probably not actually the case, as it is more likely that your dog is just unfamiliar with or afraid of a particular gender.
It is definitely a good idea to take action as soon as you can in this situation, in order to help your dog become acclimated to people of the gender that makes them uncomfortable.
A lot of positive reinforcement is very important here, as is consistency and patience. Socialization can be very important when it comes to making a dog more comfortable with anyone, whether it be a type of person or animal.
You should start by allowing someone of the gender that makes your dog comfortable to play with the dog, and then bring in a person of the opposite gender. If your dog appears uncomfortable, be gentle and patient and do not force too much on the dog at once.
If you socialize your dog properly, your dog will eventually warm up to people of the other gender. In some cases, the dog will learn to love the presence of men and women. It is also a good idea to make sure that you are reacting well to the gender of which your dog is afraid.
Dogs often pick up on your energy and will sometimes mirror your actions. This means that if you are anxious when you are talking to men, your dog might actually pick up this behavior from you.
Dogs Often Prefer One Person Regardless of Gender
In some cases, a dog will have a favorite person or a favorite few people. There are certain breeds that are more likely to bond with one single person over everyone else. In some cases, there is only going to be one person that a dog likes at all. The Basenji is one example of a breed that only strongly bonds with one person.
In these situations, the gender of the person with whom the dog bonds generally does not matter. It generally matters more that the person matches the personality and energy level of the dog for the bond to form.
Differences Between Male and Female Dogs
Just as there are many differences between men and women, people might wonder if there are differences between male and female dogs that might cause them to respond to different genders of humans in different manners.
Some people believe that male dogs are generally easier to train and more affectionate. Female dogs are seen to be more aggressive, generally because they are being protective of their puppies and their humans.
Some would say that male dogs are more territorial, dominant, and easily distracted when compared to their female counterparts. However, they can also be more active, playful, and independent than female dogs.
It is not right to say that there is any superior gender when it comes to dogs. Any dog can be a loving and welcome addition to a home, as long as he or she gets along with all of the other family members.
Male or Female, A Dog Can Love You
As you can see, there is no solid evidence that a dog is going to love you any less based on your gender.
Personality factors tend to play more of a role in this particular parameter than gender does. Whether you are a man or a woman, it is definitely possible for you to form an amazing bond with a male or female dog.
Most of the time, it is the connection between the person and the dog that matters. This is why it is a good idea to spend quality time with the dog before you bring that particular canine companion home to be a part of your family.
The relationship between the dog and you as an individual is what matters, rather than paying attention to factors, such as gender, that are out of your control.
