Which is better as a family pet, male or female?

My response to this is to say to someone, that is like asking people if they prefer to have boy children or girl children....it depends on the individual and their experiences with that given sex. Both make loving family companions.

Often people assume a female would be easier to handle. This is untrue as it really depends on the character of the given puppy/dog. A 65lb female who is very active and always underfoot is not as easy to live with as the 85lb male who is a real couch-potato. But, each dog, like humans, have there own personality and can be different than the "Usual".   Try and chose a personality, not a sex. Also how much time and traning you put into your dog really makes a difference.