What should I get? A Male or a Female?

When people as look for Shih Tzu puppies, the majority of the time people want a girl. In general most people think that a female makes the better pet. However, from my experience and from talking with other owners and breeders, we have found boys to be more loving, affectionate, and eager to please their owner! Not to say girls are not loving. They may also think females will be smaller. There are puppies of all sizes and the smaller ones are not always the females! Lets look at some of the pros and cons of each sex:

Males	Females
More affectionate and loving (wanting to be close to owner)	Affectionate but slightly more independent
Eager to please owner.	Again, slightly more independent. Likes more time on their own.
Instinct to lift their leg to mark their territory (can be significantly decreased or prevented by neutering early before the instinct kicks in).	Has usually two heat cycles a year during which the female will have discharge and behavior changes (can be eliminated by spaying early).
May roam or try to leave boundaries determined by owner (can be decreased or stopped with neutering which eliminates the urge to find a mate).	May roam or try to leave boundaries determined by owner (can be decreased or stopped with spaying which eliminates the urge to find a mate).
Tend to be more dominant and territorial (can be reduced with neutering and proper training).	Slightly more aggressive (may be instinct to protect young- can be reduced with spaying)
Easier to potty train.	Easier to do behavioral training as females mature faster than males.
	Looks cuter in a bow?

Every dog is unique and a pet's personality and behaviors are most likely to be influenced by their environment and how the owner trains them, not by their biological sex.

The decision of whether to get a male or a female puppy is entirely dependent on the preference of the owner-to-be. Keep an open mind when choosing your puppy!