You want a Border Collie puppy, so now you have to make some more decisions about the type of puppy that will fit in with you and your lifestyle.
What sort of dog do you want?
Will your Border Collie be a working dog, compete in dog sports or in the show ring, or be a beloved pet and best friend?
What colour dog do you want?
What about sex?
Do you want a male or female puppy?
If you already have another dog give careful consideration to the sex of the new puppy to help the household settle into its new routine.
Mostly the sex you choose is a matter of personal choice, but males and females both have distinguishing characteristics the other does not have.
When you choose your Border Collie puppy, you must consider these characteristics to decide which sex will fit best in your home.
If you have another male or female dog, choose the sex of your new puppy that best fits with the dog or dogs you already have.
Bitches have a number of distinguishing characteristics that make them different to males, including:
Independence.
Bitches always want to be in control. For example, they may come to you for affection but leave when they get what they want.
Stubbornness.
In most dog packs, the Alpha dog is a bitch. Because bitches crave control, they tend to be quick to respond fiercely to what they perceive as a challenge
Territorial.
A female, whether spayed or not, will mark their territory for their entire life where a dog stops marking his territory after being neutered and their testosterone levels drop.
Reserved.
Bitches tend to be less affectionate than males and, as they get it older, they tend to be even more reserved.
Mood Swings and Behavioral Changes.
If you do not de-sex your bitch you can expect mood swings and behavioral changes when they come on heat. Females come into heat at about 12 months old and then keep coming on heat every 6 months. When your Border Collie is on heat, she will bleed and have mood swings.
If you are not going to breed your Border Collie then spaying her is recommended.
What sets males apart from bitches is the following:
Affectionate.
Dogs tend to want more attention from you and display more affectionate behavior than bitches.
Exuberant.
A male dog tends to maintain his puppy-like outlook on the world as he ages compared to a bitch that often becomes more reserved and aloof as she gets older.
Food Motivated.
Dogs are usually very motivated by food which makes them easier to train as you can reward them with a treat when he behaves as you want him to.
If you already have other dogs in the house a female dog is more likely to tolerate a male Border Collie puppy and vice versa.
But if you have well socialized dogs it will not matter what sex your new puppy is.