Learn the key differences between male and female Dobermans, according to the experts at CaninePals.Com! Get practical advice on the pros and cons of each with our comprehensive guide.
A female Doberman? Or a male Doberman? Are you too stuck between this Dobie decision? If so, you are not alone.
All the Dobie lovers have been playing a tug of war (of debates) about male vs. female Doberman supremacy. Some advocated male Dobermans as the best buddy, while some preferred female Dobermans as their best-loved companion.
Nobody ever could conclude the match between Doberman Pinscher male vs. female. So what if we can’t bring the debate to an end? We can compare the two genders and decide which suits our lifestyle the best. Right? Let’s cut to the chase and start the analysis.
Does Dog Gender Really Matter?
A male Doberman or a female, both genders have their own attributes. Male Doberman dogs are aggressive and belligerent. Meanwhile, female Doberman tend to have dominating personalities – stubborn and territorial! If you are willing to bring a Dobie home, gender matters. There are some critical differences between their behaviors.
So, when in doubt, do the following:
- Study their characteristics concerning their genders. Thoroughly!
- Observe their attributes in the breeder’s facility.
Once you pay close attention to their characteristics and attitude, you’ll find decision-making a lot easier.
Doberman Pinscher Male vs. Female – A Detailed Comparison
To help you critically inspect both genders, I have prepared a lowdown of their similarities and differences. Let’s start right off the bat.
Differences in Physical Traits:
If you try noticing changes between a male and female Doberman pinscher through pictures, sorry, you might not be able to spot the differences.
For a better analysis, you must examine them in person.
Male:
- Like any other dog breed, Dobies also have some characteristics that add to their masculinity. Namely, their muscular bodies, stocky heads, and larger sizes.
- They weigh between 75 – 100 lbs. normally. To complement this bulky weight, the male Doberman average height is 26 – 28 inches.
Female:
- Female Dobies are slimmer and sharper than males.
- What adds to their elegance is their smooth coat.
- Their weight ranges between 60 – 90 lbs, and they stand between 24 – 26 inches high.
Male and Female Doberman Behavioral Differences
Next to physical stature, another characteristic that sex hormones determine is temperament.
Male:
- Male Dobermans are FUN-LOVING!
- Overall, they have a laid-back attitude – lazy and carefree. Male Dobies love to play around. They don’t even mind strangers. Let them meet someone new, and you’ll see them playing and running with the new person in no time.
- Take them to public places or in social gatherings, they’ll be calm and happy to accompany you.
- Male Dobermans behave like mature dogs after they reach the age of 4 years.
- They tend to bond with everyone in the family. So they are great at protecting homes and property.
- You might like male Doberman for their easy-going personality.
- But due to their relaxed style, you might experience some mess too.
- Say, they will get into the mud, eat clumsily, let the water ooze from their mouths, and still stay cool. Holy Moly!
Female:
- If I define Female Doberman behavior in one word, that is, ‘MOODY.’
- You might be surprised to know that females mature at 2 years of their age. Two times earlier than their counterparts, REALLY!
- This quick development makes them a more responsible doggie. They are much cleaner than male Dobies. They eat without making any mess and get less distracted. And that’s a good thing.
- Females have a great affection for their owners. But unlike the male Doberman, they don’t get attached to the whole family. They are more into one person only.
- Cuddle with them. Or play with them – at home or in a comfortable place – they are the best companions. However, if you want to hang out with female Dobies in places like dog parks, they’ll take some time to be comfortable.
Are Female or Male Dobermans More Aggressive?
Regarding aggression, both genders are somehow aggressive in their distinct ways. If that statement somehow sounds vague, let me define to you what I mean.
As adults, Male Dobermans are more likely to show aggression than females. That’s because of their guardian nature – which is a plus point to some extent. In puppyhood, female puppies appear more aggressive than their male littermates. Now, why is that so?
Female pups are smaller in size than male puppies. So, they must be a little more aggressive to avoid being pushed by their larger cognates. That’s a kind of self-protection.
Same-sex aggression is also another factor. A study released in a journal by American Veterinary Medical Association states that “79% of aggression issues that happened in the same house were between same-sex dogs. And among those, 68% were females.”
Trainability
You need to find two qualities in your dog for a high level of trainability.
- A strong will
- Intelligence
And in Doberman, male or female, you’ll find both. However, they have their own learning pace totally defined by their genders.
Male:
- Male Dobies have a short attention span. This makes training them a bit harder.
- You have to push them to pay heed to your commands and learn.
- Therefore, they are hard to potty train and teach something new at a younger age. But they have a strong desire to please their owner – always eager to perform their owner’s tasks!
- Want to train your male Dobie efficiently? Wait until he turns 4. He’ll start acting maturely and learn quickly.
Female:
- Regarding trainability, I must say females are more in tune with their owners and are highly trainable.
- They are more focused and learn early. Also, they respond better to correction and praise during training.
- Best of all, you can housebreak them easily.
That’s all that makes a dog docile. But here’s a catch… Although female Dobermans stand out in trainability, they are unwilling to accomplish task after task.
Guarding Skills
All Doberman Pinschers, be they male or female, are great guardians. They were bred to be guard dogs.
Various factors affect the guarding skills of Doberman Pinschers regardless of their gender. Such as:
- Training
- Environment
- Individual Temperament
- Type of guard work you want to use them for
Let’s see how male vs. female Doberman fare in safeguarding.
Male:
Looking for a Doberman doggie to protect your property? A male Doberman is the best option.
Male Dobies are energetic and better at protecting your family members, home, property, or territory. Males are, therefore, considered the best for overall guard work.
Female:
As I mentioned earlier, females get attached to one person, specifically. Therefore, they are more likely to excel in personal protection.
Female Dobies mature at quite a young age. Hence, they can start safeguarding their owner earlier than males. You’ll find them more agile and more suspicious towards strangers.
Relationship Differences in Doberman Pinscher Male vs. Female
With Strangers
Male:
Male Dobermans have a welcoming nature for strangers. They would play and run with them immediately. Take them to public gatherings and introduce them to your friends; they will be happy.
Male Dobies respond well to strangers within their familiar location. Otherwise, they will be reluctant to enter a harmonious relationship with strangers in a new place.
Female:
Do you expect female Dobermans to get by strangers quickly? No way!!
They are way more careful when it comes to getting along with strangers and are the better guard dog.
With Children
Male:
Male Doberman can foul up anytime.
While their freewheeling nature is good for mingling with strangers, it can be extremely risky if you have smaller kids at home.
Male Dobies enjoy running, bouncing, and rolling over. And this habit can pose a serious risk to younger kids, especially when your dog has grown to be 100 lbs. in weight.
Besides causing accidental injuries to your kids, male Dobermans are great with children.
A male Dobie will be an excellent family pet and companion if you have kids old enough – to handle their goofiness – a male Dobie will never tire of playing with them.
Female:
- Female Dobermans are cautious around young kids – maybe their maternal instinct makes them so!
- Because of their possessive nature, they want to stay with their favorite person. Always!
- The chances are their favorite person will be any kid in your home.
- If that happens, a female Dobie will care for your kiddo, and accidental injuries are less likely to occur.
- However, she’d be too pushy to stay with her darling. She may even want to sleep with her best-loved child.
- Female Dobermans love to play but are not up for an ‘ALL-DAY FUN.’
With Other Dogs
Male:
- Male vs. male conflict in Doberman dogs exists.
- This conflict mainly occurs to prove dominance. But they don’t indulge in serious fights.
- Other than the dominance issue, male Dobermans are sociable creatures. They relish the company of other male dogs.
- As per female doggies, a male Doberman gets along with females of all breeds.
Female:
- Female Dobermans don’t fare with not known dogs easily.
- Like male Dobermans, they don’t get into dominant conflicts. But it would be severe if they started a fight with another female.
- They won’t give up until the other female is badly injured.
Family Companionship
If you ask to recommend only one gender as the best family companion in male vs. female Doberman, it would be a BIG challenge.
Both genders are great family pets. The best choice is the gender that suits your lifestyle. However, below is my observation of both genders as family pets.
Male:
- A male Doberman goes well if you have lots of guard work for him and would enjoy taking him on the go. They are super-friendly.
- Above all, they love each member of the family.
- But they can be a little risky with smaller children. If you can supervise them with the children, there is no issue; they’ll be amazing pets.
Female:
- A female Doberman is ideal if you have children.
- Females are more protective and possessive. They make the best personal guards. You can trust them while leaving them home alone or with the children.
- Of course, they are wonderful family pets.
Pro tip: If you want to keep more than one Dobie at your home, try going for opposite genders or neutering them. Another way is to keep the dogs with a significant age gap.
Potential Health Issues
The normal lifespan of a Doberman is 10 – 13 years. But Dobermans may face many health risks during their lifetime, just like any other dog breed would.
We see major health issues like Wobbler syndrome, bloating, Hepatitis, and Von Willebrand Disease (VWD) – in which blood doesn’t clot properly, affecting male and female Dobermans equally.
However, there are some exceptions. How do these other health hazards affect the Dobies concerning their gender? Let’s see.
Male:
According to an abstract from the American Veterinary Medical Association,
Male Dobermans are more disposed to develop Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) – a deadly heart condition prevalent in Dobermans – at some point in their lifetime.
Furthermore, they are more susceptible to bone, joint, and hip problems than females.
The culprit behind this might be their bulky stature.
Female:
Being slimmer and smarter makes a female dog is less prone to multiple diseases. Bone, joint, and hip problems, for instance.
Female Dobermans also have a slighter chance of developing Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM).
Some females may acquire Chronic Active Hepatitis (CAH) between the 4th to 6th years of their age.
Benefits of Neutering a Doberman
Neutering is the most effective way to alter the behavior of the Dobermans.
No, it doesn’t change their key personalities, but it brings some observable changes.
Male Dogs:
In male dogs, neutering lessens their urge to hump humans, objects, and other animals. It diminishes their aggression. A neutered male Doberman has his activity level go down.
You might notice an increase in their appetite.
Female Dogs:
Female Dobermans, when spayed, will be less aggressive.
As they won’t experience hormonal changes, so there would not be any annoyance. They would neither be peeing frequently nor will they eliminate the bloody discharge.
Male vs. Female Doberman Puppy Prices
You might not see any significant difference in puppy prices for both genders. But yes, a slight difference is there.
Some breeders sell male Doberman pups at a higher rate than female pups. You’ll still find Doberman male or female pups in the same price range just because they are better guard dogs.
For an American Doberman pup, the cost falls between $1,500 – $2,500.
Want to buy a European Doberman? You may expect a cost of $3,000 to $4,000.
Male or Female Doberman: Which is better?
With that, we have come to the end of our blog post. And announcing a winning gender is still a tough decision. However, go for a male Dobie or a female; they never fail to surprise you.
Do you need a sociable four-legged friend? That’s a male Dobie.
Want some emotional attachment? That’s a female’s attribute.
Can’t decide between the two? Get a pair – No joke! They are just that good!
Whatever gender you choose, Doberman owners must socialize the pup and try to train it correctly. This is the secret to a happy Dobie life, folks!
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References and Further Reading:
[1] American Kennel Club, Doberman Pinscher Information.