I'm not pet owner and I don't spend much time around animals in general. (Don't get me wrong, I love them, It's just I know I would be a terrible pet owner.)

How common it is for people to see, let's say, a dog and immediately just know whether it's "she" or "him"? If two dog owners meet in a park, would it be awkward for one of them to misgender the other's dog?

Of course, I mean without looking at the "obvious" traits.

Are there behaviors that are typical for male/female pets outside the one directly related to mating?

I recognize that within the animal kingdom, the traits are not always clear, and I guess gender is quite more flexible than sex. I would be interested in both aspects.

What about cats or other animals?

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] 2 points 7 months ago (15 children)

Nope unless you see them pee. People are wrong about the sex of dogs all the time. they don't care.

  • source
  • hideshow 15 child comments
  • [–] 8 points 7 months ago (2 children)

    Some males don't even do the leg lift and still just squat.

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 2 child comments
  • [–] 2 points 7 months ago (4 children)

    Nope unless you see them pee.

    nonsense

    People are wrong about the sex of dogs all the time. they don’t care

    people can be wrong about what is 8+7, that doesn't mean it is impossible to tell what the result is.

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 4 child comments
  • [–] 1 point 7 months ago (3 children)

    I don't really get your comment. the dog and generally owner usually around me do not care if you call a girl dog a boy or a boy dog a girl. that is all I meant. it had nothing to do with accuracy on the don't care part.

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 3 child comments
  • [–] 1 point 7 months ago (2 children)

    point of my comment is: "you are wrong. it is possible to tell sex of a dog. whether some people around you are wrong all the time is no proof one way or the other."

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 2 child comments
  • [–] 1 point 7 months ago (1 child)

    youu know the thing is I took the op's comments to be like in general. I did not mean to suggest its impossible just that most people don't from a distance without something that would make it more obvious.

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 1 child comment
  • [–] 1 point 7 months ago

    it is not a personal attack on you, but it still doesn't makes sense.

    if someone asks "can i find good french restaurant in this city?" "no" is not the correct answer, just because i, or even majority of people, don't know one.

    it IS possible to tell sex of the dog. it depends on the breed, it may be easier with some, and people who are well familiar with the specific breed will be more successful than just random person.

    but the fact that lot of people will answer incorrectly, or don't care, doesn't imply it is not possible.

  • source
  • parent
  • [–] [S] 1 point 7 months ago (4 children)

    unless you see them pee

    You mean see/not see the "pebbles"?

    Or do they tend to pee differently? I know dogs typically pee by raising one leg, but sometimes they just crouch by both back legs and just release. Is this what you mean?

    I vaguely recall when I was a teen we had a dog (he/him, and a mutt) and he would usually do the "this lamp post is mine now" pee but when he really needed to go he would just crouch and leave a big puddle.

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 4 child comments
  • [–] 3 points 7 months ago

    Generally speaking, male dogs tend to lift a leg to pee while the females tend to squat. It's nowhere near foolproof, of course, but you can usually say for sure that a dog is male if it's lifting a leg. That said, I know plenty of male dogs that squat, or do the "lazy lift" where you can't quite tell. So y'know...

  • source
  • parent
  • [–] 1 point 7 months ago (2 children)

    if you own a female dog you can tell the difference between the pee and poop by the arch of the back. A male dog doing a puppy pee also looks different. Its possible female dog owners can tell easier.

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 2 child comments
  • [–] [S] 1 point 7 months ago (1 child)

    i ... i don't know how i left you with the impression that i can't tell poo from pee. ... i must have done something horribly wrong. 🤣

    Actually I think for pretty much all mammals it's as easy as telling liquid the difference between liquid and solid.

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 1 child comment
  • [–] 1 point 7 months ago*

    with a female dog its a bit hard to tell. At night I often have to check the area she was in just in case. So if you see them pee then you know the sex. I was not commenting on your ability to. You know I sorta took your question to be a general thing. Like most people in general can't but if you own one you are a bit more likely to but even then to just glance at a dog and know its sex is basically a superpower to me. I had someone comment like I was making a definitive statement about the human capacity to tell the sex of a dog at a distance.

  • source
  • parent