I always thought that male dogs would be stroppy...fighting their owners for dominance and doing lots of doggy things like marking their territory, digging holes & being generally uncooperative. But when we got our male sheltie, Danny, I realized that was a stereotype. Danny was biddable, cooperative, sweet...the works! It was the female sheltie with whom we had the battle for dominance...& still do. So now I believe there's no general answer to the question...which is best, male or female...and that it may even depend on the individual dog. And on how it's treated & trained by people, as well as on its temperament.