I am looking at rescuing a newfoundland st bernard mix do you suggest male or female and why?

well if you have a male dog in your home right now i'd suggest a female, because that male may practice his dominance over a male.

however, the same goes for if you have a female dog currently, if you get another female it may be difficult to get them to cooperate with one another.

but if you don't have any dogs in your home currently, it's really which ever you prefer.

the sex doesn't have any major impact on the temperment in dogs.

I am happy you are rescuing rather than buying from a breeder! Newfoundlands are special dogs and so are St. Bernards. I just recommend you do some research - there's plenty on the internet. They are both large dogs so I hope you have a big yard for them to play. They are not the type of dog(s) to be cooped up in a house or apartment. Just make sure they are a good fit and then put then into obedience school to learn basic doggie manners. Good Luck!

The females are moodier and a little more stubborn, I've found. Males are transparent - whatever their personality you will see it clearly and right away.

Personally, I've got to say that I wouldn't buy from this lady without knowing that both the parents were health tested/actual show dogs, even if they weren't supposed to breed. With VERY few exceptions, an oops litter is unacceptable.

i suggest you go by their personality. i've always had female dogs personally, i don't like the whole peeing on everything phase that the males go through and female dogs are supposed to be more loyal which i have found in my experience to be true.

there are a few good ways to work out which puppy you want though, sit down and let the dog choose you. my puppy came up and sat in my lap and i knew she was the one for me! but you should also roll them onto their back and rub their tummy, if they don't like it it's because they don't like you dominating them. as you have kids i suggest you also gently pull the dogs tail, if it turns around and snaps at you then this is not the dog for you. you want a dog who pretty much won't react to it. kids do silly things sometimes and pulling a dogs tail can be one of them. but if your dog doesn't react to this then chances are there are other things it won't react to like being poked with a stick and things like that.

these methods, although a bit silly have worked for me twice now. my first dog was amazing. my mum always tells the story of how she looked out the window into the backyard and saw my 2 year old brother hitting the dog with a stick and the dog just stood there looking at him. she just loved our whole family. and now i have a 12 month old puppy who so far loves kids and isn't dominating. good luck

It depends. If you want a more submissive, smaller dog FEMALE. If you want a bigger, no mood swings, no heat periods MALE. Hope this helps <3