Idiom question

[Natalie Maynor]

Aaron writes:

> The main reason I'm fascinated by the discussion is because of another
> four-legged creature: the dog.  In Britain, a "dog" is male.  It's
> generic, as well, but people advertising puppies list "3 dogs and 2
> bitches".  I thought in American, the term was "stud", but looking at my
> AHD, "stud" is another generic for any breeding male animal.  What is the
> term for a male dog?

"Dog" is also the U.S. term for a male canine.  But its generic use
is more common.  Mainly just breeders or other dog professionals use
"dog" and "bitch" to distinguish the sexes.  An ad worded like the
the one above would be unusual in the U.S. (except maybe in specialized
publications).  In a regular newspaper it would almost certainly say
"3 males and 2 females."