Samoyed for apartment living: Male or female dog, which is best?

The samoyed is an active large breed dog but they are also usually great with people and other dogs. The pros and cons I will give you are generally for the breed itself, individual dogs can have different temperaments. The pros for apartment living: friendly towards strangers and other dogs, they love kids, and are very loyal to their families. The cons for apartments - these dogs were made to WORK. If you do not exercise the dog vigorously on a daily basis (running is a favorite activity) the dog will get bored and likely destructive in the apartment. They have a moderate tendency to bark or howl which may not endear you to your neighbors. They also shed A TON - and this will be much more noticeable in a small space. In addition, a female dog in heat may attract the attention of male dogs that are not confined - the presence of strange male dogs around an apartment complex may also be unwelcome! Good luck in your dog search. Thank you for using pet coach.

Cute picture! Wonder if thats a boy or girl.... ;) There's no hard and fast rules about temperament when it comes to gender in dogs. An intact female and an intact male will both be more likely to show aggression than one who has been neutered or spayed, so regardless of which you choose, please have him/her neutered/spayed. You can find all kinds of things online that say that females are easier to train, or that males tend to be more loyal or attached to you... after practicing veterinary medicine for 14 years --interacting with literally thousands of dogs and their people --and having a number of dogs of my own, both male and female, I can just reiterate what I said initially--there is no hard and fast rule. I don't even really think its fair to make generalizations because I just don't think they hold true often enough. Male dogs are more likely to mark. Once they are neutered this is less of an issue but they will still seem to carry a "reserve" for each tree along your walking route. From a health standpoint, theres not a huge difference either (especially if spayed or neutered)-- one isn't inherently "healthier" than the other. The biggest thing is to meet the dog individually and see what you're looking for in a personality rather than automatically ruling out one or the other based on whether they are girl or boy. Good luck in your search!

Both can be great dogs. With either breed be sure you are committed to brushing daily and possibly having groomed monthly (or doing it yourself). Sammies were bred to be more of a northern breed and have a double coat. If you are in a very warm climate a GRT may be a better choice. In my experience samoyeds tend to be a bit more standoffish than golden retrievers. They aren't quite as goofy and approachable but they are majestic dogs. A lot depends on your lifestyle. Both are active dogs but samoyeds are a herding breed and may become bored easily if not given a job. Whichever you choose be sure to thoroughly socialize the pup and work on training from the moment you get it. Either breed can make a wonderful pet. http://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/ Thank you for using PetCoach.

Great question! The studies about neutering too early causing problems for growth and hips are varied, and there's no consistent evidence yet about this effect. I personally recommend neutering after six months of age and before a year old. You can wait to get Oliver neutered until he is closer to a year old, at which point he will have done a majority of his growth. I hope this helps!

Male and female combinations may get along better BUT many households have single sex pets and absolutely no problems. The biggest factor is individual personality. I recommend to have your first dog meet any potential housemates to make sure they seem to like each other. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Hi! Yes, you can maintain a female dog of the same breed. If they are both intact and you do not want them to breed then it is important to keep them separate when she is in heat. This would be the same even if it is a different breed. Have a good day!

As a generality, male-female pairings of dogs are typically more likely to get along than same-sex pairings. However, this rule does not hold true for every pair of dogs and the pairing of two dogs is based largely on the individual temperament of each. It tends to work best if both dogs are fixed (as I see that Allie has been spayed) because there are fewer hormonal-associated dominance issues. If you prefer adding a female dog, go for it! Just make sure that Allie first meets her new friend on relatively neutral ground (such as at a park) to try to avoid any territorial problems that may initially arise, even though it sounds as though Allie is quite passive and submissive. For at least the first few weeks of having a new dog in your home, be sure that all interactions between the dogs are supervised and do not leave them alone together while you are gone. I hope this helps you to make your decision! :-)