# male or female??



## Isida

Hi everyone!

I am SOO excited that I am getting a Havanese puppy as they seem completely amazing. I also found a really good breeder so I am thrilled. I just had 2 questions for you guys:

1) do any of you have preference of male or female havanese?? I have heard that males can sometimes be harder to train and tend to make more of a mess when they do their "business". With males, there's also the risk of them wanting to hump everything in sight...is this even an issue if i get the dog neutered (which i definitely intend to do)?

2) How heavy is too heavy for a havanese? The breeder showed me a beautiful female who was only 2 weeks old and compared to some of the other 2 week old pups she seemed gigantic! Breeder said he expects her to be between 15-18 lbs. Is this normal and healthy weight range for havanese?? All the ones I've seen are around 10 lbs.

Any thoughts or suggestions would be very greatly appreciated!! Cannot wait to hear from you guys!


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## pjewel

Isida said:


> Hi everyone!
> 
> I am SOO excited that I am getting a Havanese puppy as they seem completely amazing. I also found a really good breeder so I am thrilled. I just had 2 questions for you guys:
> 
> 1) do any of you have preference of male or female havanese?? I have heard that males can sometimes be harder to train and tend to make more of a mess when they do their "business". With males, there's also the risk of them wanting to hump everything in sight...is this even an issue if i get the dog neutered (which i definitely intend to do)?
> 
> 2) How heavy is too heavy for a havanese? The breeder showed me a beautiful female who was only 2 weeks old and compared to some of the other 2 week old pups she seemed gigantic! Breeder said he expects her to be between 15-18 lbs. Is this normal and healthy weight range for havanese?? All the ones I've seen are around 10 lbs.
> 
> Any thoughts or suggestions would be very greatly appreciated!! Cannot wait to hear from you guys!


Havanese are adorable little bundles of love and your life will be enriched by them, no matter which gender you get. Having both, I will say my experience has been that the boys were easier to live with and train when they were little. Before I got my little girl I also would have said the boys are more loving (as in, in love with you). However, my Ruby is a lover too and would be happy to spend her days in my arms or within easy reach of my petting hand.

Humping is not reserved only for the boys, there are many females that hump. It's a domination thing, not necessarily a sexual thing. None of mine hump much, but each one has, upon occasion.

As for weight, there is a wide range of sizes right here in the group. Two of mine are at 10 lbs. or less. Bailey is probably closer to 15 lbs, though I don't know for sure. Whatever you wind up with will be the perfect size and gender for you. You're in for a treat.


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## Becky Chittenden

I prefer the males. I don't think an "only dog" is any harder to train than a female. It's harder with more than one being trained at a time. If my Havanese are any indication, the girls ride the others as much as the boys. 15 - 18 pounds is a bit large, mine average around 12. At two weeks alot can change, 12 weeks or older is a better guess at adult weight (the older, the more accurate). Glad you found a good breeder and wish you the best with your new baby. Becky


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## motherslittlehelper

Welcome to the forum, Isida! You will find a wealth of information on the forum and lots of members more than willing to share ideas and information with you! Congratulations on soon becoming a Mom (Dad?) to a wonderful Havanese. As far as we on the forum are concerned, there is no other breed!  Just kidding, but they are pretty wonderful!

All I can share is my experience with my male. I initially wanted a female for some of the 'concerns' you share. However, when I went to check out the female that I was interested in, there was no 'connection'. Then I spotted the little male with the eyebrows, held him, and when he snuggled in, I was a 'goner'!  He does not hump - he may have tried it a couple of times, but I have heard that females can also be humpers - this trait is not limited to males (surprised me when I heard that as I thought it was a male trait, but appears it is not). He does not mark, he still squats to pee and he was not neutered until 17 months of age. As far as weights, the Havanese weights seem to vary all over the place. Augie is around 13 lbs. There are some on the forum who weigh much less and some who are heavier than the 15-18 lbs. Whatever sex you end up with, your life will never be the same. If you have read many threads on the forum, you are well aware of how head over heels we are over these little characters! 

Also, Augie was not difficult to potty train.


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## Thumper

I love my girl and would get another female in heartbeat. The whole marking thing is nice to not have to deal with, although..she does 'hump' her stuffed bear, so there is that...

It really depends on temperment, I think. My female loves to be a lap dog and snuggles and has a very empathetic way about her, she's a good fit for us and we are a good fit for her and that is what matters, I think.

18 lbs is pretty big, Gucci is about 9.5 lbs.

Kara


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## krandall

Hi Isida,

When I was first looking for a puppy, I didn't have a strong preference one way or the other, but I DID want a dog who was easy and fun to train, as I wanted to do obedience and agility competitions with the dog. It so happened that the breeder that I really wanted a puppy from had a waiting list for girls, and then had a litter of all male puppies. After talking to a lot of different people, the consensus seemed to be that with this breed, there isn't any real difference between girls and boys in terms of "trainability". I was able to bump to the top of the waiting list because I was happy to take a boy!

As they grew, the breeder kept a close eye on them for me, knowing what I wanted in a dog. She was able to give me great guidance on which puppies would best meet my needs. Kodi has more than met my expectations. He earned his first Rally-O title at about 15 months, and now continues to compete in Rally as we prepare for Agility and formal obedience.

As other people have said, girls AND boys can be "humpers", though I am lucky that Kodi is not. He did it a few times before he was neutered, and completely stopped soon after. As far as marking is concerned some girls mark too. You just need to be on top of them and teach them that this is not acceptable in the house. I NEVER let Kodi near vertical surfaces where other dogs may have marked and he has never lifted his leg to pee. 

As Becky said, 15-18 lbs is definitely on the large side, but certainly not the largest on the forum!!! You already said that you are going to neuter your pup, so you are obviously not looking for a conformation show or breeding dog. Kodi's parents are 11 and 12 lbs, respectively, and he is 16 1/2 lbs as a slim, trim adult. Who would have guessed? I knew he was going to be on the large side... he was 6 lbs when I picked him up at 11 weeks. But he's a performance dog, not a conformation dog, and he's PERFECT for us. He couldn't possibly be a prettier dog, he's got good straight legs, good conformation and is sound and healthy. Best of all, he's also a sweet, friendly love-bug. I really don't care if he's a little larger than "ideal". We just call him our "lap and a half" dog!:biggrin1:


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## lfung5

I prefer the boys. I have 2 boys and a girl. My girl can be a little aloof at times. She is still very loving and affectionate. It's just that the boys are just a wee bit more in love with me. I don't think the boys were any harder to housebreak. In fact, Scudder was the easiest and he is a boy. He does not mark either. 
My boys are 15 & 16 lbs. I like that size. Bella is 6 lbs.


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## morriscsps

I like male pets. It is probably me, not the animals. I deal with the guys better.  

Right now my two female beasties are driving me nutsy. They both HATE the new additions to the family. Izzy (cat) hisses at Bazinga (male kitten). Nessie (dog) growls at Jack (male Hav). Both Izzy and Nessie are a bit standoffish.

Bazinga and Jack adore us and are major snugglebunnies. I don't think I will ever get a female again. I like my male harem. ound:

Jack is about 13 lbs. His parents were 14 & 16 lbs.


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## Isida

thanks everyone for all the great advice! I think I am going to go with the male dog 

I have one other question on how long it's ok to leave havanese alone...I think I'll start another thread.


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