Research has found that female dogs “judge their owners far more than males”. When it comes to choosing a dog, more people consider the breed more than the gender, as it’s often seen as more important than if the pet is male or female. There are many dog breeds and they all have differences, whether it’s in their physical appearance or personality.
However, there are also differences between male and female pooches, besides those that are obvious. Some are subtle so you’re less likely to pick up on them.
Dr Alex Crow is a small animal veterinarian based in the UK, who creates pet content on social media, including advice and tips, as well as informative videos. He is the chief veterinary officer at The Net Vet, which provides pet care, and the official vet behind Pooch and Mutt, a pet supplies company, so he has expert knowledge and experience when it comes to dogs.
He shared a video on TikTok to discuss an interesting finding about female dogs. The vet referenced a 2022 study that identified how female dogs are more likely to judge their owner’s level of competence.
Speaking in the clip, Dr Crow explained: “A study in 2022 was done that looked into how dogs view different human behaviours and their ability to recognise competence, but it also looked into whether they change their own behaviour depending on that person’s level of competence and what’s really interesting is that they found that female dogs are far better at recognising competence in us humans than males.”
During the study, dogs watched two people attempt to open containers with food or treats. One person consistently managed to open the containers, while the other purposely struggled.
The researchers evaluated the dogs’ reactions and they found that the male dogs had no preference towards either person, but the female dogs chose to approach the “more competent person” in 83 per cent of cases.
Dr Crow added: “The study also showed that female dogs looked at the person attempting to open the container for longer, indicating that they’re far more perceptive and pay far more attention. So, the moral of the story [is] if you’ve got a female dog make sure you’re always on your A game because they are watching and, apparently, they’re judging.”
Studies have also shown that there are some gender differences between a dog’s greeting behaviour, according to Positively. It shares: “When dogs first greet each other, males are more likely to greet another male or female dog by smelling the behind first before moving to the face, while females tend to greet face first before gathering more information from behind.
“Both genders will scent mark or leave urine, feces, or other bodily fluids on an object, in the air, or on the ground. Male dogs tend to lift a leg and mark vertical surfaces while female dogs mostly squat and leave a dribble of urine on the ground.”