My family is in the process of adopting a chihuahua and we can’t agree on a boy or a girl. Are there any big differences? Do you prefer one or the other?


There is a lot of debate on this topic and many people definitely prefer one over the other. I have one boy and two girls, and I have fostered many chihuahuas of both sexes. I have noticed certain trends, but I wouldn’t say that one is better than the other. More important is to evaluate the individual chihuahua on its own personality.

Males:

• Most lift their leg to pee, this could be a problem if you are trying to housebreak your dog to go indoors or you don’t want them to pee on anything but the ground.
• Prone to humping other dogs and people, although this is more of a problem in unneutered males.
• Tend to mark objects to claim ownership, they might do this to things in your house, especially any new objects lying on or dangling near the ground, like a pair of shoes, a suitcase, a TV stand, bedskirts, etc. Again, more of a problem in unneutered males.
• Generally more submissive, especially if you have another female chihuahua in the household.
• Some people find that protruding genitals get in the way of petting their chihuahua’s tummies (I think this is silly).
• When males get excited (both neutered and unneutered), their little “lipstick” may come out which can be pretty embarrassing, but also very funny, depending on your sense of humor.
• Unneutered males have a high risk of developing testicular and prostate cancer.

Females:

• Tend to be more bossy and independent, easily assumes alpha role, especially over other males. Two females might get “catty”.
• Squats to pee, this could make indoor potty training easier.
• Not immune to marking! I have a female who lifts her leg outside to mark trees and fire hydrants, and I have seen other females do the same thing. Luckily, mine does not do that in the house because she thinks everything is hers anyway, no need to mark.
• Less prone to humping. Females do hump occasionally to assert dominance over another dog. Unneutered females also hump when they are in heat.
• Unneutered females have periods every five to seven months that can last 3 weeks. They have swollen genitals that they lick, and they bleed (you’ll notice small dots in their bedding or your clothing.)
• Unneutered females have a high risk of developing uterine and breast cancer.