Chien or chienne

Question

Without being specific, would one say “j’ai une chienne” or “j’ai un chien” when the dog in question is female?

Accepted Answer

Bonjour Kate,
I would agree with Maarten, when writing / reading. In everyday French / conversations etc, most of the time, people would tend to use the masculine word 'chien' (same with 'chat'). But there is nothing wrong with using 'chienne' when talking about one's dog.
See previous discussion on this topic: questions/use-the-female-for-a-cat
I hope this is helpful.
Bonne journée!

Answer

Not sure what you mean by 'without being specific' - but if you have a female dog you would be specific and say "J'ai une chienne".