It's a battle of the sexes

Whether you pick a dog or a bitch is a personal preference, says Ellena Swift, but what can affect the decision?

- Ellena Swift

Throughout my career, I have always preferred to run bitches over dogs. When I was a child my father tended to have bitches, only owning one working dog labrador. But why?

I have found that, growing up, bitches tend to mature a lot quicker than dogs and have a much better work ethic and attitude. The dogs tend to be more playful for longer.

I have also found that dogs have a tendency to become distracted as their hormones kick in. A lot of handlers find this phase frustrating and often really struggle, particularly inexperienced and novice handlers. I am rather impatient and have always lent towards bitches, as I have found I can push them that little bit sooner in their career.

However, if you look at the top-level handlers, you will find a great deal more lean towards dogs over bitches.

I was recently extremely lucky to be selected for the England retriever gundog team with my home-bred bitch, Briar. It was not until I was home that I realised something — the other members selected were all running dogs. It did get me wondering why more prefer dogs over their female counterparts.

Retriever championships are dominated by dogs over bitches, with nearly all the winners being male. The obvious reason for preferring dogs over bitches is their inconvenient seasons. Most bitches come into season twice a year. Their seasons will last anything between three and four weeks, with the actual effect of it often lasting longer.

This can be infuriating for both the owner and the bitch, as it often interrupts the working season. Not only this, but walking and training become difficult, if not impossible, if you have to rely on public ground.