How to Determine the Sex of a Dog

We can determine the sex of an adult dog quite easily by observing their body and behavior. However, for dogs younger than 6 months, this will be more difficult. To determine the sex of a puppy, you will need to look closely at its body to distinguish the type of genitalia. You can also rely on their behavior to distinguish, but based on physical characteristics will be more reliable.

Table of Contents

Be careful when examining newborn puppies

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Wait a few weeks before testing. The older the puppies are, the easier it will be to check their sex. You should wait until the dog is at least 3-4 weeks old before conducting the test, at which time the accuracy will be higher. ^{[1] X Research Source}

It is easiest to wait until the dog is 8 weeks old, after 8 weeks of age, the male dog’s external genitalia has become quite obvious.
If the puppy still has the umbilical cord, look about 1 cm behind the umbilical cord to see if you can see the penis. For about the first few weeks after birth, a puppy’s penis looks like a small lump in the middle of its belly. Unlike male dogs, female dogs do not have external genitalia on their abdomen.

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Pick up the dog carefully. Newborn puppies are very soft, so you need to be very gentle when picking them up. Before touching them, you need to wash and dry your hands; Remember to be gentle and hold your dog carefully to avoid accidentally injuring them. ^{[2] X Trusted Source American Kennel Club Go to Source}

Make sure the mother dog is comfortable when you touch the puppy. Some mother dogs can become very aggressive when strangers touch their pups.
If the puppy or the mother dog seems worried, return the puppy to the mother dog and have it checked another time.

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Keep the puppy warm. You should check the sex of the dog in a warm place to avoid catching a cold, and make sure your hands are warm when holding the puppy. If they get cold, they will get sick very easily. ^{[3] X Trusted Source American Kennel Club Go to Source}

You should also only check your dog for about 5 to 10 minutes. Keeping your dog outside for too long will make it too cold.
If the puppy begins to tremble or whine, you should return it to its mother or put it in a warm nest.

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Place the puppy on its back. You can spread a clean, soft towel on a stable surface for the dog to lie on, or hold the dog in your hand and examine. Carefully lift the puppy and place it on its back to observe its belly.

You should only hold the dog on its back when it is small and obedient.
Don’t forget to support the dog’s head while holding it on its back.
If your dog is lying on a towel, use a warm towel. If necessary, place the towel in the dryer for a few minutes before laying the dog on it. Do not use cold, hot or damp towels.

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Distinguish between penis and umbilical cord. When determining the sex of a puppy, many people often mistake the umbilical cord for a penis. They all look like a small lump on a dog’s belly, but the dog’s umbilical cord (umbilicus) is located just below the rib cage, and the penis is further down, between the hind legs. ^{[4] X Research Sources}

Furthermore, note that both male and female dogs will have at least one abdominal bump as they both have navels. Male dogs will have another lump between the navel and hind leg. Male dogs, on the other hand, have only one hole under the tail, while female dogs will have two.
It’s best to ask your veterinarian, breeder, or other canine specialist for help if you want to determine the sex of your dog at a very young age.

Examination of external genitalia

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Find the male dog’s external genitalia. You’ll look between the dog’s belly and tail for the penis and scrotum. In adult dogs, these parts are clearly visible, but in puppies they are very small and almost non-existent. ^{[5] X Research Sources}

The scrotum is located just below the anal opening, almost midway between the hind legs.
Male dogs that have been spayed, no longer able to reproduce, will no longer have a scrotum.

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Find the female dog’s external genitalia. If the puppy is a bitch, you’ll see the dog’s vulva when it’s on its back. Gently separate the dog’s hind legs until you can locate the vulva. Above the anus, between the hind legs, you will see a leaf-shaped part, which is the bitch’s vulva. ^{[6] X Research Source}

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Recognize the signs of a pregnant dog. To determine for sure that the dog is a bitch, you can observe if she is pregnant or not. Pregnant dogs will have a large belly, even though the diet is unchanged, and will give birth.

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Avoid using other physical characteristics to determine a dog’s sex. You will tend to want to rely on other characteristics to determine the sex of the dog; However, male and female dogs are not much different or very difficult to tell unless you are an expert in your breed. These very vague differences are also not the same in different dogs, so it is best to distinguish male and female dogs based on other characteristics. ^{[7] X Research Sources}

For example, both male and female dogs have nipples, so assuming that dogs are female dogs based on nipples alone may not be accurate. ^{[8] X Research Sources}
Also, due to species characteristics, dogs can have large or muscular bodies without necessarily being male. The body size of female dogs and male dogs usually does not have much difference.

Be aware of behavioral differences

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Observe the urinating habits when the dog is at least 6 months old. Both female and male dogs when young have the same way of urinating. However, after 6 months of age, most male dogs will lift their paws when urinating and female dogs will remain in a squatting position. ^{[9] X Research Source}

During the first few weeks, puppies will not be able to control their urination, so you cannot use urine to determine the dog’s sex at this time.
Even when puppies are strong enough to stand and control their habits, they will all squat to urinate for about the first 2 months of life.
Many puppies need to be 6 months old to develop adult dog peeing habits.

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Notice the behavior of marking the territory. When male dogs are about a few months old, they will begin to exhibit territorial marking behavior. This is a behavioral sign that can be used to distinguish the sex quite clearly, since female puppies do not have this instinct.

The territorial instinct is especially strong in puppies that have not been spayed and will decrease significantly after spaying.
Puppies begin to show territory at different ages, but most will begin between 2 and 6 months of age.
Dogs often mark territory when they urinate quickly in different places, especially when they urinate intentionally after smelling each of them closely.
Dogs urinating only once or twice are not usually territorial, although they may stop to sniff a variety of places during a walk.

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Observe for signs of heat in the female dog. Female dogs that have not been spayed will enter heat twice a year. The first estrous cycle will occur when the dog is 6 to 10 months old, each cycle will last about 3 weeks. Signs of a bitch in heat include behavioral changes, breast tenderness, and vaginal discharge. ^{[10] X Research Source}

Bitches often exhibit restless and clingy behavior when entering heat. ^{[11] X Research Source}
Female dogs in heat will have clear, brown or bloody vaginal discharge depending on the time of the breeding cycle.

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Do not rely on personality or general behaviors to determine a dog’s gender. Both male and female dogs can be equally affectionate, defensive, hyperactive, and calm. These personality traits say nothing about their gender. ^{[12] X Research Source}

For example, even the behavior of jumping up to mate, often thought to be common in male dogs, is exhibited in female dogs. ^{[13] X Trusted Source American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Go to source}

Advice

Frequently holding puppies under 3 weeks of age can cause them to have too much human breath. If the puppies smell too much like “human smell”, the mother dog may abandon them. At the same time, holding puppies too much also puts them at greater risk of catching colds and getting sick.
Remember that both male and female dogs have breasts, so you can’t rely on this to distinguish their sex.

Steps

Be careful when examining newborn puppies

Examination of external genitalia

Be aware of behavioral differences

Advice

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