"Hard dog" - Page 1

Alright so, 

       Recently I delt with a "trainer" who felt female handlers could not handle a hard dog. Now, with that being said I am a young female and take slight offence to that. What exactly dictates what makes a dog "hard" or "strong" Ideally there's many different ideas on what makes a dog hard but what is peoples opnions and thoughts? I personally have a Malinois and a pit bull. I've also owned breeds considered to be "strong" such as the Black Russian Terrier ( a real one not some fluffy black dog prancing around a ring ) I do not wish to start arguements but I would like to know peoples thoughts and feelings on "Hard/Strong" dogs and on female handlers with "Hard/Strong" dogs. 

Personally I feel a female handler (Not that men suck! so please take no offence) sometimes will do better with a stronger dog due to patience and the ability to out will its K9 friend. I do not feel a woman can not give as hard of a correct and out muscle their dog as I have had to out muscle a very large BRT intact male while holding him back during his MR training (he weighed 140lbs all muscle and was 31in tall, i'm 5'5 and maybe 130) I was able to handle him quite well even with him being a "strong" dog because of the even stronger bond I have with him and his willingness to work with me. I know plenty of men can handle a dog and bond with said dog but I also know plenty of men that when OB doesn't work they sometimes resort to stringing the dog up or using brute force inorder to get the dog to obey. To me, that's not training thats forcing a dog to work not teaching him. I also feel that female handlers are sometimes in their own respect better in some ways as they will take their knowledge in training and take a dog that is a "shitter" and turn him into a well trained, titled dog while some men will throw their hands up and say screw it and sell the dog. This is just me. 

IMO if you have to regularly use brute force to train a dog you don't know how to train.  Gender is not the issue.  Mindset is.

XS says -  Recently I dealt with a "trainer" who felt female handlers could not handle a hard dog

Decided not to say what I was going to say............. trainers that think like that are just not worth dealing with........

See ya on the top.

Yogie

This topic came up here a while back. Guess who the common denominator is?

VonIsengard, was it wrong of me to laugh so hard that iced tea spurted out of my nose?

And to the OP, no, the laughter was NOT at you or your statements--it was directed squarely at the individual who told you this scat. See:

http://www.pedigreedatabase.com/german_shepherd_dog/bulletins.read?mnr=534084

http://www.pedigreedatabase.com/german_shepherd_dog/bulletins.read?mnr=534267

Frankly, if you were handling BRTs, you shouldn't have any problems with most other breeds--the shepherding breeds don't have the same degree of stubbornness that the Russkies have, for one thing! 

"women can't handle hard dogs" Bullshit.  

Aside from all the dogs that I've owned or dealt with on a daily basis (including my GSDs, the Neo Mastiff I had once, the nasty lil manchester terriers I had once and the filas I've known and handled.)  I've also a good deal of experience with breaking and training yearling and two year old race horses (many of whom were stud colts.)  Back when I used to work in that industry I was often given the nastiest horses in the barn to work with because I could handle them much better than the men could.  I'm 5'3 and I'm not a physically strong person.  It has a lot more to do with attitude and the mindset than muscle. 

I can out-snarl, out-glare and out-stubborn any man, dog or horse.  Though I concede that there are likely other women who can out-snarl, out-glare me and out-stubborn me.  LOL. 

I agree. You ladies couldn't handle something truly hard.

<clutches pearls> Why, Mr Reinhold, I do declare!

<fans at bosom with free white-gloved hand>

 I swan, you're all promises and but never a performance...

I have been waiting for this topic to come up again. I knew it would sooner or later, lol.

But I wanted to ask...

Would this be considered a "hard" dog?

I know that this particular method of training is controversial. I am asking about the dog itself and how she handles corrections.

Yes Kelly that is what we call a "Hard dog"  and this video also shows ( well!)  why people who actually train dogs have NO interest in dealing with a "hard dog" .  This dog learned absolutely nothing in this training session...  Yes they bite and hang on ...fantastic.  But they don't LEARN anything either !  Nope give me a balanced medium drive dog any day.  Why in heavens name would anyone want to work this hard !  The happy medium is always the best.  I stand by my conviction that people who want and desire a "Hard dog" have NEVER had their hands on one.  I will go to my grave saying that...... There is absolutely nothing fun about training an animal like this.