If your Pregnant Pug has just delivered a litter of puppies, you might be wondering, “how to tell if a Pug is male or female?” If you have an adult dog, all you have to do is look at the dog’s anatomy and behavior to determine the gender.
How To Tell If A Pug Is Male Or Female?
If the puppy still has an umbilical cord, look behind it. If it’s a male, the male parts will be behind the cord. A newborn female Pug will not have any genitals on the belly.
The pictures below to help you understand what to look for on a newborn puppy. We’ll also discuss some other physical characteristics you should watch for to help you determine the gender of the puppy below.
Is it better to get a male or female dog? It really all depends on what you want so be sure to read this article to find out the differences between a male and female Pug.
Girl Puppy Parts
Boy Puppy Parts
Important: When checking the sex of your puppy, make sure you hand them gently to avoid any injuries. I’ll provide some tips on how to properly handle a newborn Pug puppy below.
When To Check The Sex of Newborn Puppies?
As long as the mother doesn’t mind you handing her babies, you can check the sex at birth. It may be challenging to determine the sex, but if you know what to look for, you should be able to find out the sex of the puppies right away by looking at the genitals.
To get a more accurate determination, you should wait until your puppy is at least 3-4 weeks old. There are a few physical differences that might help you determine the gender without scheduling an examination.
Male or Female Puppy How To Tell
It’s not as easy to tell the difference between male and female puppies at birth. With some breeds, it can be challenging to know the gender of a mature dog, unless you look at their anatomy. If you’ve ever been to a dog park, you may notice that some grown boy dogs still squat to use the bathroom.
We’ve all been conditioned to believe that all boy dogs lift their legs while girl dogs squat. That’s not always the case. If your puppies are less than 6 months old, pay attention to other physical characteristics to help you out.
Check For Male Sex Organs
As I mentioned above, the penis will be just below the belly and will be covered with the foreskin that surrounds most genitals of both humans and some mammals. It can be difficult to locate as it looks like a small dot. (refer to the image above)
Many people who have never whelped puppies before making the mistake of thinking the umbilical cord is the penis, however, you’ll need to look behind the umbilical cord to determine the sex.
The male parts are not as noticeable in a newborn puppy as it is an adult dog, so you’ll need to look closely.
Check For Female Sex Organs
Unlike males, the females’ parts will be situated lower than that of the male puppies parts. The female pup will have two rear-end holes, the anus, and the vulva.
The vulva is a leaf-shaped structure that is located above the anus and between the pup’s legs.
Will Watching A Puppy Urinate Help Me Determine The Sex?
No, newborn puppies will not have the ability to control their bowel movements. They are also not strong enough to hold their body weight up to urinate. During the first two months, all puppies will urinate while squatting, even the boys.
As a boy matures, most of them develop a different habit of urinating. Most male dogs will start lifting their legs to urinate when they are around 6-12 months of age.
However, it’s not unusual for a boy dog to continue to squat, especially, if they have been neutered. This article will explain everything you need to know as well as the best age to neuter a Pug.
Male dogs urinating habits all come down to their personal preference.
Do All Pug Puppies Have Nipples?
Just because a newborn Pug has nipples, doesn’t mean it’s a female. In fact, both male and female puppies have nipples. In fact, most mammals have nipples.
The biggest difference is that boy nipples do not possess the reproductive function that females do.
Does A Big Newborn Puppy Determine It’s Sex?
While it’s true that males dogs are slightly bigger than females. You can’t determine a newborn’s sex based on the size of the puppy. While it’s true that there is always a larger pup with more muscle tone in every litter.
It doesn’t necessarily mean that the larger pup is a male. You will still want to check the anatomy of the puppy to help you determine the gender.
My Female Puppy Looks Like A Male
Don’t be fooled by the personality or gender behavior of a puppy. Every Pug puppy is unique and can develop characteristics of being aggressive, calm, affectionate, and active. A dog’s personality does not indicate their gender.
It’s not unusual for a female puppy to try to hump another dog or even her favorite toy.
What If I Still Can’t Tell?
Don’t worry, you’re NOT the only one who wasn’t able to determine the gender of a newborn Pug. Determining the sex of a toy breed of any small dog breed is challenging as the anatomy parts are much smaller than on the larger dog breeds.
If your puppy is 6 months old and you still can’t tell the gender, I suggest you contact your veterinarian. They will be able to help you determine the gender of your puppy.
As your pup gets older, you’ll start noticing signs such as marking and females going into heat.
Hopefully, you are able to find out the sex of the pup before you run into those issues, as they are not very pleasant to deal with.
Here’s a video to help you determine the sex of a puppy.
How to Handle Newborn Whelps Properly
It’s so exciting to get a litter of puppies and want to hold them and love on them. However, it’s important to take into account how the mother feels about you handling the pups. Some dogs have even been known to reject their pups after coming into human contact.
If you’ve never handled a newborn puppy before, you may want to consult with your veterinarian to ensure you don’t injure the pup.
However, if you want to determine the puppies gender on your own then make sure you adhere to the following:
Wash Your Hands: Make sure you wash your hands with lukewarm water to ensure you do not pass on any germs or bacteria to the pup, as young puppies can become sick easily.
Keep Them Warm: Use a towel or heat pad to make keep them warm while you are handling them.
Rest Them On Their Back: With small breed like the Pug, you should be able to safely hold the puppy in your hand. However, if you think that you might drop them, lay them on their back on a warm towel.
Limit The Time: Never handle a newborn puppy for more than 4 to 8 minutes at one time.
Listen To The Puppy: If the puppy starts to cry, return them to their mother’s side, as they are most likely cold, stressed or nervous.
Final Word On Boy Or Girl Puppy
Determining the sex of a newborn Pug puppy can be challenging, as their anatomy is smaller. If you get it wrong, it’s okay.
When your Pug turns six months old, you should be able to determine what the gender is.
References and Further Reading
Pet Informed – Veterinary Advice Online – Sexing Puppies and Dogs