My question is for those who have experience breeding AND choosing pups on a new owners' behalves.

So I hear dogs on the "hard" side are more appropriate for beginners because they can take ill-administered corrections better? Is that rationale pervasive enough to be considered a rule?

Despite our enthusiasm for getting into the working dog world, I have very little general dog experience, and my wife has none. Neither of us could be considered to have naturally dominant personalities either.

Would this be an instance in which a softer dog would be appropriate? Or is the near total lack of dog exposure even MORE of a reason to go relatively "hard"?

I can tell you from experience if you get a hard puppy it will challenge for dominance every chance it gets. I've had two in the last 15yrs and you have to establish the pack order early and keep the order, if you don't you will wind up with a dog that won't mind you are your wife. Hard puppies can handle mistakes from an inexperienced handlers better than a soft puppy. You didn't mention what breed you where considering. Remember working dogs improperly raised can be a liability I recommend you buy Ed's Puppies 8Wks to * mths and basic obedience dvds. Start early with obedience and be consistent.Join a Sch club or find a good trainer so you can have a support team to help you with little problems that pop up. Its easier when you have a problem if an experience person has had contact with your dog.

Tracy,

I don't think that we can say every Hard Dog will be a dominant dog. My last two dogs were Hard Dogs and neither one of them were dominant.

John, in the post Steven said he and his wife don't have dominant demeanors. I can tell you from my experience when you get a hard pup from working lines that pup will challenge sooner or later.The pup doesn't have to be dominant to challenge the pack order. Even the weakest of a litter will try to improve his standing when they sense weakness.Dogs are alot like children they will challenge you every chance they get when your weak or tired.You have to be constant throughout the lifetime of your dog to maintain discipline.

The "hard" dog, ie, one that can stand a harsh correction and bounce back, isn't always ideal for a beginner.
Hard dogs, by their very nature, tend to need a more firm correction to begin with, and while this makes them more forgiving of mistakes, if the handlers are soft people, they'd be less likey to give a harsh correction in the first place - in which case they'd be better served with having a softer dog.

Something to think about....

What a title, certainly got my attention! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

From the perspective of a person who has a very soft dog, I will offer this in light of my experience with her. The best way to handle a soft dog is with subtlety; it doesn't take much to correct them and, for them, less is more. Soft dogs require more art in training, if you use corrections, in order to keep them in drive.

If I had gotten her as a first dog, I most certainly would have screwed it up. Soft dogs thrive on exellent timing, clear direction, and a light touch (this includes the way you handle yourself around the dog), of which I had none when I got my first dog. They are not the best dogs to 'learn' on, because they remember everything, especially your mistakes. And if you do make a mistake with them, you must have a contingency plan, in order to recover them and keep the bond strong. If you do the wrong thing too many times, they shut down, and they have long memories.

However, I will say this in praise of soft dogs. A soft dog, with high drives and exellent nerves is pretty much my definition of a perfect dog (for me, that is). They learn super fast, you can easily train them to voice correction, and the bond is very strong. They live to be in synce with you. Not the best choice for a stud or foundation bitch, but working them is fun. Obedience is a snap. Drive work a breeze. The out 2 times and they've got it down. They make you look like a fabulous trainer, because your correction is a frown, and they are so aware of your signals that they react to the slightest nod of the head, turn of the finger. You can whisper to these dogs, and they react as if you are shouting. Which, of course, is good for me, but not a good dog for an extroverted guy, who is brusque in handling and tends to overcorrect.

So, if you can keep your ego on the mellow side, be very aware of corrections and your general attitude and how it affects the dog's drive levels, and be aware that just because the dog is soft, doesn't mean that you let it get away with murder, then maybe you don't need a hard dog. But the extreme handler sensitive dogs are kinda like the extreme hard dogs; it is best to have experience under your belt before moving on to that challenge.

Remember hardness and softness is a continuium, there are some in between. Most dogs are not either/or.

Hope this helps!

All replies helpful so far. Thank you.

You didn't mention what breed you where considering. In any case, I'm thinking female, and in the back of my mind I'm having a mal vs. gsd debate.

And I do have the 8 weeks to 8 months tape already.

Steven looks like your prepared now all you have to do decided which you breed you want. Make sure you research the breeder and pedigrees get as many references as possible. Everyone here have their own preferences Mal or GSD. For me there both great they have strengths and weaknesses. Be aware that working lines have 10 times the energy and exercise. Unsupervised pups can chew thru table legs like a beaver.

Steven,
I would think your individual personalities (yours and your wifes) could play an important role in dictating the type of dog that would best suit.

Ie, we have two gsd's in the house; we both trained in Sch. The bitch is my dog, and is handler sensitive; a velcro dog. The male is my spouse's dog and is dominant, sharp, and relatively hard; an independant dog.

I like training the bitch as I don't want to shout or be confrontational. I like to "bond", so we get along just fine.
But the male dog is very different and training always starts out having to settle the ranking order a bit before anything can be done. Fortunately my spouse doesn't mind this at all (a male thingy maybe...?) since he has a loud voice and is not adverse to giving strong corrections. If the dog bonds to him, fine, but it's not as important as the dog obeys him. His methods work for his dog, but not for mine, and vice versa.