What is a male dog term, like ‘bitch’ is a female dog 2024?
Alright, kids. It’s time to learn some canine lingo. Prepare to be enlightened:
- A “dog” is an intact male who is not currently being used for breeding.
- A “stud” or “stud dog” is a male who is being used for breeding or “standing at stud.”
- A “gelding” is a castrated male. This term is correct but seldom used anymore. You can use it, but you might get some odd looks.
- A “sire” is the father of a litter.
- A “bitch” is a female who is not currently nursing a litter, is too young to breed, or is retired from breeding
- A “brood bitch” is a female in her prime and being used for breeding.
- A “dam” is a mother dog who is lactating.
- A “puppy” is a baby dog less than a year old.
What is a male dog term, like ‘bitch’ is a female dog?
The term “bitch” is used for a female dog, while the term “male dog” is used for a male dog.
This can be confusing to some people who are not familiar with the terminology, as the word “bitch” has a negative connotation.
What is a male dog term, like ‘bitch’ is a female dog?
“Bitch”, in its strictest sense, refers to a breedable female dog or a female dog that recently had a litter. See bitch – Wiktionary. So a female dog that has been spayed is not a bitch in a sense.
So, the term “bitch” is used mainly by breeders (or was, I’m not in any breeder social circles). The other end of the spectrum – male dogs intended for breeding – is stud. There’s also sire, which usually refers to a dog father.
Note that these male dog terms (stud and sire) are also used to refer to other animals as well, especially horses.
What is a male dog term, like ‘bitch’ is a female dog?

In general terms, a dog is a dog, whether male or female. However, when speaking in terms of animals used for breeding, a distinction needs to be made for clarity’s sake. Female dogs are referred to as bitches. Once bred and having whelped a litter, this same female is then called the puppies’ dam.
Intact males that are being considered to father a litter with a bitch are referred to as studs. Stud dogs are, obviously, reproductively intact and capable of producing offspring if bred to a female at the correct time in her season. If a stud dog is mated to a female and that pairing results in a successful litter, the dog is then called the sire. The difference between a stud and a sire is simply whether or not the union yielded puppies.
What is a male dog term, like ‘bitch’ is a female dog?
I see several other good answers here, but just a little addition-
For most mammals, the name we use for the species is actually the male because they were valued more. Horse, dog, etc. For most birds, it’s the opposite. For example, a falcon is female and about a third larger than a male (tiercel), so it is more desirable to falconers. Ducks and geese lay eggs, but drakes and ganders are only useful dead. (Other than as bug control and burglar alarms.) Oddly enough, a chicken is actually the name for a baby, not a hen or cock. Hen or cock also applies to most wild birds, but not raptors nor waterfowl, as far as I know.
Pig really means a young hog. There are, as someone else pointed out, a slew of names for poultry, hogs, and bovines, reflecting their importance to our ancestors. Age, purpose, sex, reproductive status, and so on result in different names. I know there is no gender-neutral, all-purpose word for bovine. Cattle really means living property and originally included human property. It isn’t singular, anyway. I can’t think of a word which really means what people mean when they say chicken, either. Hen, cock, cockerel, rooster, chick, pullet, capon — all specific. Plus, in English, Saxon names were used for the live animal, but Norman was used for the meat. Hence, swine vs pork. Saxon enslaved people cared for the livestock, but the Norman gentry ate them.
What is a male dog term, like ‘bitch’ is a female dog?
Katie Bjorkman’s answer made me curious as to the derivation of the word ‘dog’. So, as usual, I turn to my favourite bite-size educator, Wikipedia (you can see the etymology for the word quoted below)
And just to clear up some of the misconceptions people have, here’s the following explanation for the dog/bitch/sire/dam usage:
- A male canine is referred to as a dog, while a female is called a bitch.
- The father of a litter is called the sire, and the mother is called the dam.
- The process of birth is whelping, from the Old English word hwelp; the modern English word “whelp” is an alternate term for puppy.
- A litter refers to the multiple offspring at one birth, which is called puppies or pups from the French poupée, “doll”, which has mostly replaced the older term “whelp.”
Etymology:
The term “domestic dog” is generally used for both domesticated and feral varieties. The English word dog comes from Middle English dogge, from Old English donga, a “powerful dog breed”.
The term may derive from Proto-Germanic *dukkōn, represented in Old English finger-docce (“finger-muscle”).
The word also shows the familiar petname diminutive -ga, also seen in frogga “frog”, picga “pig”,stagga “stag”, wicga “beetle, worm”, among others.
The term dog may ultimately derive from the earliest layer of Proto-Indo-European vocabulary.
In 14th-century England, hound (from Old English: hund) was the general word for all domestic canines, and dog referred to a subtype of hound, a group including the mastiff. It is believed this “dog” type was so common that it eventually became the prototype of the category “hound”.
By the 16th century, the dog had become the general word, and hound had begun to refer only to types used for hunting.
The word “hound” is ultimately derived from the Proto-Indo-European word *kwon-“dog”.
This semantic shift may be compared to German, where the corresponding words Dogge and Hund kept their original meanings.
What is a male dog term, like ‘bitch’ is a female dog?
A dog is, by default, assumed to be male.
Many languages do make the gender distinction (masculine/feminine/neuter). In Germanic languages, the default gender of a dog is assumed to be male. This is reflected in the German language itself: der Hund.
Since a dog is assumed to be, by default, male, there is no need for a separate term for a male dog, but the distinction is made by giving a female dog a separate name (bitch, die Hundin). [Note that a repulsive woman is not called “Hundin” in German, but “Hexe”.]
The same goes inverse with cats. A cat is assumed by default to be female, and we have no separate name for a female cat, but a male cat is called “tom”.
What is a male dog term, like ‘bitch’ is a female dog?
A male is simply referred to as a “dog”, and as you stated, the female is called a bitch. Quite original, huh?
What is a male dog term, like ‘bitch’ is a female dog?
The term for a male dog actually IS dog. Some animals have different terms for males and females, but some don’t. Dogs have a female term.
In the breeding world, some people use ‘stud dogs’ for males meant for breeding. Not everyone does, though.
What is a male dog term, like ‘bitch’ is a female dog?
It sounds like you are taking the modern insult that some people use as calling a woman human a bitch and thinking this is why female dogs are called bitches?
Well, the truth is a female dog was called a bitch a very long time before people used the term bitch to insult women humans. A bitch is just what female dogs are called. At the time of a female dog being named a bitch the term was never used as an insult to anyone. It is only since then people have decided to use it to insult people, mostly insult women.
However, later came the idea of using the term bitch to insult women humans you hate. When you call a woman human a bitch you are calling her a dog, that is actually what you are calling her. Men get called dogs by some women as well.
However, the truth of the matter is calling a female dog a bitch is not insulting the dog. It is just what a female dog is, just like we have terms for females or males of any other species of animals. It is us humans who have taken the female term for a dog and turned it into an insult to insult women humans.
What is a male dog term, like ‘bitch’ is a female dog?
It’s just the term for them, like a lioness for a female lion, vixen for a female fox, mare for a female horse, etc. When used for a dog, it is not an insult since it has been the name for the dog much longer than it has been a bad word aimed at women. When used as an insult to a human woman, it intends to suggest doglike qualities in the woman, either a bad temper (snarling, snapping, etc.) or a fixation on sexual feelings, like a dog in heat.
What is a male dog term, like ‘bitch’ is a female dog?
It’s just the name given to them.
Language evolves according to what is important to know and distinguish. It’s also the reason why you have the separation of Horse into:
- Mares (female horses)
- Colts (male young horses)
- Fillies (female, young horses)
- Stallions (male horses who are meant to sire new horses)
Or why you have the distinction of:
- Cow (female)
- Heifers (female, with offspring)
- Bull (intact male)
- Ox (castrated/old male)
- Calf (young, lactating)
But you don’t often see a distinction for, say, turtles or fish.
The word became an insult over time, describing a person (more often than not a woman) who may or may not be promiscuous (dogs often mate several times or with different partners to ensure a litter), cowardly/submissive, or defensively aggressive (bitches with litters are often very protective of their puppies).
What is a male dog term, like ‘bitch’ is a female dog?
Absolutely, especially those who are involved in the ‘dog world’, whether breeding, showing, or training dogs.
I don’t breed dogs, but I do have a chosen breed and follow bloodlines in that breed. I use the term ‘bitch’ quite often when describing my dogs (two bitches, one dog).
That said, I tend to use the correct terminology more around other dog people because I’m aware that non-dog folks sometimes take offence.
Here’s one of my bitches, who is also known as trouble-on-paw.

What is a male dog term, like ‘bitch’ is a female dog?
A male dog is called a “sire.”
In the breeder’s world, a male dog is simply called a “dog.” (Females are called “bitches.”) In the breed ring, you have classes for “dogs” and classes for “bitches.” Only males show as dogs, and only females show as bitches.
The father of a dog is called a “sire.” Since not all male dogs necessarily sire litters, not all would be considered sires. Incidentally, mother dogs are called dams, but again not all bitches are dams.
A male dog is called a sire.
In rural Australia, any where outside the politically correct circles of larger urban centres a male dog is called a bastard. Especially working dogs trained for the management of herd animals.
A male dog that refuses to listened to a command is referred to as a Bastard and a female dog that refuses to respond to a command is a Bitch.
However, politically correct people will not accept this because the female equivalent is a bitch, and that is not acceptable to feminist sensibilities.
Why is a female dog called a bitch?
It sounds like you are taking the modern insult that some people use as calling a woman human a bitch and thinking this is why female dogs are called bitches?
Well, the truth is a female dog was called a bitch a very long time before people used the term bitch to insult women humans. A bitch is just what female dogs are called. At the time of a female dog being named a bitch the term was never used as an insult to anyone. It is only since then people have decided to use it to insult people, mostly insult women.
However, later came the idea of using the term bitch to insult women humans you hate. When you call a woman human a bitch you are calling her a dog, that is actually what you are calling her. Men get called dogs by some women as well.
However, the truth of the matter is calling a female dog a bitch is not insulting the dog. It is just what a female dog is, just like we have terms for females or males of any other species of animals. It is us humans who have taken the female term for a dog and turned it into an insult to insult women humans.
Why is a female horse called a filly/mare? Why is a female sheep called an ewe? Why is a female goat called a nanny? Why is a female bovine called a cow? Why is a female cat called a queen? Why is a female chicken called a hen? Why is a female human called a woman? Because that is the proper term for them. Bitch is the proper term for a female dog. It isn’t a dirty word or an insult.
What do we call a female dog in English?
We call it Jessica… no, sorry, my mistake, that’s the name of my ex.
A female dog is called a bitch
What is the female word for a dog?
As the choice is obvious…
Leila. Leila is a good name for a beautiful female dog.


What is the female word for a dog?

In the world of canines, as in the human realm, gender carries its distinct nomenclature. When it comes to the female counterpart of a man’s best friend, the term “bitch” is often used to refer to a female dog. However, the connotations and implications of this word have led to discussions about its appropriateness and alternatives. To explore the female word for a dog and its broader implications, we must delve into the linguistic origins, social context, gender-neutral language, and respectful terminology for addressing these furry companions.
The Etymology of “Bitch”:
The term “bitch” has an ancient linguistic history. It traces its origins to Old English, where it was used to denote a female dog. Over time, the word evolved to encompass broader meanings and associations. However, its primary reference to female dogs remained intact.
While “bitch” is linguistically accurate for referring to a female dog, it has developed additional connotations that are often negative and derogatory when applied to humans. These connotations have led to discussions about using alternative and more respectful terms when referring to female dogs.
Navigating Connotations:
The challenge with the term “bitch” arises from its double entendre. While linguistically accurate in the context of female dogs, its derogatory use, when applied to people, makes it a term fraught with negative undertones. This has led to a growing movement toward more neutral and respectful language, even in the context of animals.
Alternative Terminology:
To address the linguistic sensitivities surrounding the term “bitch,” various alternatives have emerged for referring to female dogs. These include:
- Female Dog: This term is a straightforward and neutral way to refer to a female canine companion. It avoids the potentially problematic connotations associated with the term “bitch.”
- She-Dog: This term retains the gender distinction while avoiding the use of “bitch.” It directly references the dog’s gender without invoking the derogatory overtones.
- Feminine Canine: A more formal and descriptive term, “feminine canine”, communicates the dog’s gender while emphasizing its biological aspect.
- Female Companion: This phrase emphasizes the companionship and relationship between humans and dogs without focusing solely on the dog’s gender.
- She-Pet: Similar to “she-dog,” this term uses “she” to denote the female gender of the dog without using the potentially problematic term “bitch.”
Embracing Gender-Neutral Language:
As society becomes more attuned to the importance of inclusive language, the use of gender-neutral terms gains traction. While “bitch” is specific to female dogs, adopting gender-neutral language can contribute to a more respectful and considerate discourse. Terms like “dog,” “canine,” or “companion” can be used for both male and female dogs, ensuring that language remains inclusive and free from negative connotations.
The Power of Respectful Language:
Language holds the power to shape perceptions, attitudes, and interactions. The careful selection of terminology not only reflects our values but also influences how we engage with the world around us. When it comes to our canine companions, opting for respectful and neutral language contributes to a more positive and considerate relationship.
Choosing words that honour the individuality and companionship of each dog, regardless of gender, underscores our commitment to treating all creatures with kindness and dignity. In this light, the conversation about the female word for a dog is not merely about semantics; it’s a reflection of our evolving understanding of language’s impact on our interactions and relationships.
Paws and Possibilities
The journey through the linguistic landscape of referring to female dogs reveals a nuanced interplay of historical origins, evolving connotations, and the desire for respectful and inclusive language. While the term “bitch” remains a linguistically accurate descriptor for a female dog, its loaded connotations have prompted the exploration of alternatives that prioritize respect and sensitivity.
Whether opting for gender-neutral language or utilizing alternatives like “female dog” or “she-dog,” the ultimate goal is to communicate our appreciation for these furry companions in ways that resonate with our values. As we forge deeper connections with our dogs, we embark on a linguistic journey that parallels our evolving understanding of respect, compassion, and the potential of language to shape the world around us – one pawprint at a time.
Why don’t people call their female dog “bitch”?
People who breed and show dogs refer to female dogs as bitches all the http://time….no (http://time….no) big deal. But the general population has a problem with the word…context is important. But today, the standards of what is acceptable language have slipped so far (down) it does make me long for the old days….
Why don’t people call their female dog “bitch”?
I hate dogs. Especially the one that lives with my wife and me.
He forces me to throw his toys for him every morning. Sometimes, he brings them back to throw again, and other times, he walks off and does his own thing with them. Sheesh!
He also makes me pick him up every morning and hold him in my arms so he can snuggle me as the sun comes up.
I hate that!

And every night, before he goes to bed, he lays on my chest and stares into my eyes until I give him a treat. Always trying to get his way.
He also comes to me whenever he is scared, sick, or in pain so I can hold him until he feels safe.
What a selfish jerk!

And during the day, he carefully hides his toys under the blanket on my side of the bed! So when I go to bed at night, I have to move a large rawhide bone (that he’s been chewing on for the last 5 years), a red rubber duck with devil horns, an old green tennis ball and a dead bird (we call it ‘dead bird because it looks like one).
But the worst thing is whenever I’m not home or I have to work late, he starts making the moves on my wife. He tries to be the man of the house when I’m not there.
Look! Here he is, taking my wife out to dinner while I’m stuck here at work!
What a backstabbing asshole!

Anyway, I’m not sure why other people like dogs so much because I sure don’t.
UPDATE 1:
Recently I spent about an hour looking in a pet store window pondering how much I dislike dogs, especially puppies when this little white beanbag filled with poo started staring at me.
I am not sure why; I guess she must have cast some spell on me, but I bought her and took her home.

And now this new dog, which we have named Bianca, insists on watching movies with me but always falls asleep (except during the parts where there are other dogs on the screen), and then I have to explain the plot to her when she wakes up.
It’s annoying when people do this, let alone dogs.

She has also tricked our other dog into falling in love with her, so now they gang up on me as a team. It may be hard to tell, but in the photo below, Bianca is getting ready to attack me.

But most of the time, Bianca looks like this.
What a waste of space!

UPDATE 2:
Thanks for all the upvotes. Hopefully, my hard-earned lessons in dealing with dogs will help others who are about to make the mistake of bringing one of these “companions” into their home.
Why don’t people call their female dog “bitch”?
I used to drive to drop my golden retriever off at my friend’s house if I was going out of town.
Every time I did this, they said he would stare out the front window after I left—for six hours—waiting for me to return.
When I would leave the house for a quick errand, he would flip out with happiness as soon as I got back.

Dogs don’t take you for granted. Every time you leave, they will worry you won’t come back.
If you are sick, they will sit by your side and know something is wrong.
The evolution of dogs began 130,000 years ago and happened adjacent to humans. They have evolved to be emotionally available and loyal to us in a way that other humans often aren’t.
People who haven’t lived with dogs often don’t understand our love of them. They see them as disruptive, stinky, and a lot of work.
To be clear, they can be all of those things. But they are so worth it.
Why don’t people call their female dog “bitch”?
In the Russian city of Tolyatti, there stands a monument called Loyalty.

In 1995, a man, a girl and their German Shepherd were involved in a car crash. The girl was pronounced dead at the scene, and the man was taken to the hospital but later died, leaving the dog as the sole survivor.
This dog went its way and, for a time, was forgotten.
It wasn’t long before he attracted the attention of the city’s residents, though, as they started to observe that he frequented the crash site and would stay there. Once they worked out his identity, they realised that he kept going back there because he hoped to see his owners again.

The dog’s devotion and hope were so strong that, even if it was cold and the ground buried under snow, he remained undeterred and would still wait hour after hour in anticipation of a reunion that would never happen. The people would even watch as he ran into the road as cars approached, only to find his hopes dashed when they continued to drive past him.

Nothing could kill his spirit, though.
Word spread amongst the city’s folk, and the dog found himself many fans. People built doghouses for him, tried to adopt him into their homes and even tried to house him in shelters. Still, this GSD’s love for his owners meant that he couldn’t bear to be away from them, couldn’t bear to miss the chance of a reunion, and so would always return to that same spot after each attempt to rehouse him.
So the people of the city banded together and informally adopted him and nicknamed him “Kostya”, an affectionate diminutive form of the name “Constantine”, which means “constant” or “steadfast”. For the next seven years, they fed him and watched over him as he kept to his post for all that time.
Then, in 2002, he was found dead in the woods.
Initially, the residents erected a billboard in memory of him, with the epitaph “Dog, teach us love and devotion”, but the wind would often blow it away, and vandals kept throwing stones at it. So, the city initiated a campaign to erect a statue for him, which was successful. Members of the city’s Rotary Club, journalists and other private citizens all chipped in, enabling them to hire Oleg Klyuyev to create this faithful canine’s monument.
In 2003, the Russian sculptor’s finished work was unveiled:

As you can see from the first photo, it looks over the very spot where Kostya kept his years-long vigil. Today, it has become a tradition for newly married couples to visit it and rub the dog’s nose as a symbol of their devotion to one another. As a result, the dog’s nose has become highly polished:

This is why people like dogs.
Do black people find the phrase “dindu nuffin” offensive? If so, why?
What black people? Over here in Nigeria, we are not familiar with such kind of a phrase. And there’s over 200 million of us here.
Why would I?
I’ve only heard White people use it… and some of you guys seem to like to use it a lot. So that obviously is a phrase that belongs to you all.
It sounds a bit ignorant to me, but hey… do you.
Is a spayed female dog still a bitch, or is that term reserved for intact female dogs?
Yes, she’s still a bitch. A bitch is a female dog, wolf, or fox (though they are usually referred to as vixens), according to the definition of bitch.
A “bitch” is a female dog…. spayed or intact, while a male is a “dog”…. intact or not. He could also be called a “stud” if he has been used for breeding.
I see several other good answers here, but just a little addition-
For most mammals, the name we use for the species is actually the male because they were valued more. Horse, dog, etc. For most birds, it’s the opposite. For example, a falcon is female and about a third larger than the male (tiercel), so it is more desirable to falconers. Ducks and geese lay eggs, but drakes and ganders are only useful dead. (Other than as bug control and burglar alarms.) Oddly enough, a chicken is actually the name for a baby, not a hen or cock. Hen or cock also applies to most wild birds, but not raptors nor waterfowl, as far as I know.
Pig really means a young hog. There are, as someone else pointed out, a slew of names for poultry, hogs, and bovines, reflecting their importance to our ancestors. Age, purpose, sex, reproductive status, and so on result in different names. I know there is no gender-neutral, all-purpose word for bovine. Cattle really means living property and originally included human property. It isn’t singular, anyway. I can’t think of a word which really means what people mean when they say chicken, either. Hen, cock, cockerel, rooster, chick, pullet, capon — all specific. Plus, in English, Saxon names were used for the live animal, but Norman was used for the meat. Hence, swine vs pork. Saxon enslaved people cared for the livestock, but the Norman gentry ate them.
Is a spayed female dog still a bitch, or is that term reserved for intact female dogs?
A dog is, by default, assumed to be male.
Many languages do make the gender distinction (masculine/feminine/neuter). In Germanic languages, the default gender of a dog is assumed to be male. This is reflected in the German language itself: der Hund.
Since a dog is assumed to be, by default, male, there is no need for a separate term for a male dog, but the distinction is made by giving a female dog a separate name (bitch, die Hundin). [Note that a repulsive woman is not called “Hundin” in German, but “Hexe”.]
The same goes inverse with cats. A cat is assumed by default to be female, and we have no separate name for a female cat, but a male cat is called “tom”.
Is a spayed female dog still a bitch, or is that term reserved for intact female dogs?
Just because a dog is spayed or neutered, for that matter, does not change the dog’s sex. So no, the term ‘Bitch’ is not reserved for only a bitch that is intact.
Is a spayed female dog still a bitch, or is that term reserved for intact female dogs?
It sounds like you are taking the modern insult that some people use as calling a woman human a bitch and thinking this is why female dogs are called bitches?
Well, the truth is a female dog was called a bitch a very long time before people used the term bitch to insult women humans. A bitch is just what female dogs are called. At the time of a female dog being named a bitch the term was never used as an insult to anyone. It is only since then people have decided to use it to insult people, mostly insult women.
However, later came the idea of using the term bitch to insult women humans you hate. When you call a woman human a bitch you are calling her a dog, that is actually what you are calling her. Men get called dogs by some women as well.
However, the truth of the matter is calling a female dog a bitch is not insulting the dog. It is just what a female dog is, just like we have terms for females or males of any other species of animals. It is us humans who have taken the female term for a dog and turned it into an insult to insult women humans.
Do people still use the word “bitch” about female dogs?
Yes, they do. It’s not a dirty word or an insult. “Bitch” is the correct term for a female dog, just as a female chicken is a hen, a female pig is a sow, a female deer is a doe, a female horse is a mare, a female fox is a vixen, a female elephant is a cow, and so forth. Dog people do understand that the word is touchy and easily misconstrued, so we may not use it in casual conversation with non-dog people. (I refer to Eve as my girl-dog or my Dobergirl.) With other dog people, they and I know exactly what is meant by “bitch.”
What is a male dog term, like ‘bitch’ is a female dog 2024?
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