What gender dog shall i get next

Hi All. Im hoping you can give me some advice.
Ive finally managed to persuade the missus to get another staffie! (its only taken me 6 months. haha) But we are having trouble decide whether to get a Male or a female. We currently have a 2 and a half year old male. When we first got him, he was very nervous around people and also other dogs. Since then, he seems to have relaxed a little bit. We can take him for walks and he's happy to have a sniff at another dog, but as soon as one comes from behind and he doesnt realise, he jumps and starts to get a bit angry(not agressive though). My missus dad recently got a staffie x who is a 2 year old female. When we first introduced the pair off the lead, there was a bit of shouting at each other but then she bit him and everytime we go to their house now, he does all he can to avoid her and will only growl and bark if she corners him. Recently, we have been taking them to the local field and letting them off the lead together. Blade absolutely loves chasing her, and because shes so quick (think shes crossed with a lurcher so shes quite skinny and rapid!) he can never catch her. We distract them with a ball each so they are never going after the same thing. Blade has slowly started to get more confident around her off the lead so much that we went out last weekend and while they were playing with their own toys, he kept running up to her and nudging her, as if to say "run, i want to chase you again". Now and again though, if they get too close they will bark and sort of snap at each other and try to bite each other. Im not sure whether this is them warning each other or actually being agressive. Due to this, my missus thinks we should get another male staffie but i think they will be more likely to fight with each other rather than if we got a female. Any suggestions/advice? baring in mind, they will be left alone from approximately 9am - 1:30/2pm during the day so i dont really want to come back to any injuries. Also do you think it will be wiser to get an older staffie than Blade or a younger one?

younger and female from experiance although same sex will mix okay it can mean a little more work. my girl looks to my boy for guidence as she came into his terrorty. she often emulates him which is both good and bad lol

I'd go younger and female (at least one of them should be fixed or you are going to have to be really careful when in season). I do recommend seeing if Blade can meet the prospective new dog though. Doesn't sound like he is aggressive (but he doesn't seem overly fond of other dogs either), but it may be a bit of work getting him to be ok with another around all the time. Also, do not leave them alone unsupervised (especially at first). Two males are completely different. They tend to see each other as rivals more than with a female. Mine work out fine, but they both love other dogs and we have a very definite order. When Frosty challenges Monte, I do have to step in...

Yeah they will both be fixed. Dont really want anymore than 2 staffies (for now anyway) i dont think hes agressive, its just that i dont think hes had much time with other dogs as people see staffies as agressive and dont want their dogs to mix with him. Considering he wouldnt go near any other dogs when we first had him, to playing and nudging the other dog could only mean hes getting better right? my plan is to split the house in 2, with the help of a baby gate so that during the day 1 can have upstairs and 1 downstairs and slowly start to leave them alone with each other more. The only thing im worried about is that as Blade seems to take a while to adjust to a new dog, when he first meets the new dog, whether he will frighten the foster carer off too much as hes going to get very defensive i think. Thanks for your advice both. Definitely leaning towards a female.

Gender doesn't matter it is the health, temperament and personality.

Generally, opposite sex dogs get on better, but it depends on the individual dogs. Definitely meet any potential dogs first though, so you can see how Blade gets on with them.

If you are worried on how he will react to the new dog (from what you are saying it seems you are planning on rescue?), you could try taking them for a walk together first, next to each other, and no face to face meeting until they are comfortable with each other. I think that will make him less likely to become defensive!
Also I would say it's better if you are honest with the foster carer about how he is so they can match you with a suitable dog. It might create problems if you get a dog that is the same as him, but if you find a friendly bomb proof dog it is a lot more likely to work out!

It is generally said that opposite genders get along better, provided they aren't siblings. I agree with Annie about the walking to allow them to get to know each other first. Unless it's a young pup, in which case you'll be able to introduce them to each other gradually.

It might be better to get a younger dog, as it will allow the dog you already have to set some boundaries. You might want to avoid getting a dog of the same age though.

It is usually the case that opposites get along better than same sex. So long as they are well introduced under control and on neutral ground you should be OK.

If you decide to go for a rescue dog take yours in with you and the centre staff can then match you up with a compatible dog there under controlled conditions in a safe environment with experienced members of staff on hand to deal with any behavioral issues should they arise.

Wishing all the best you are so lucky.

It is generally easier to mix male/female so I'd advise a female. However, it isn't set in stone the gender will mean smooth sailing.

The gender of a dog doesn't bother my Logan, it's more the overall behaviour of the dog when they meet that he responds to.

In all cases it's best to have a meet and greet, and a walk if possible before considering. If you go to a rescue centre the staff will be able to help you to find an appropriate match