Questions for the experienced and very knowledgeable re: temperament and nerves - Page 1

Would you say tempermanent and nerves are two completely different traits or do they go hand in hand? In other words does soft temperament equate to weak nerves? Does hard temperament equate to strong nerves? Please define what the two terms mean. I know this has been discussed here before, but there is a discussion taking place on another board and I would just like to hear opinions.Thank you so much!

I personally think they are different but used oftentimes simultaneously. I had a dog come through rescue that was very hard but I considered his nerve week. I couldn't turn my back on him or had any trust in him nor could I place him for fear that he would really hurt someone. This dog could take hard correction and come right back and do the job but overall  he wasn't sound. I link nerve to overall mental soundness though. Interested to see what others think.

Good question Star as I am always somewhat perplexed about the two.  Like also to see what others have to say.  Nan

Bhaugh:  so what did you end up doing with this  particular dog?  What type person did he compliment?  Just curious.  Nan  Thx to both

I have a rescue GSD who is very handler soft, but has tons of confidence in every other area. She does not react to new people, places, things, noises, surfaces,etc. Experts: How would you label her? Soft temperament, strong nerves?   On the other hand I know a dog that is handler hard, yet reacts to everything. Hard temperament and weak nerves?

I see temperament as a broad term with "nerves" falling within this broad area. I would call "nerves" a dog's way of handling stressors (or stressful situations). How quickly the dog recovers from a source of stress might be another aspect.

A golden retriever that is used for visually impaired work has to have great nerves but is not a hard dog. Same with our breed....they can go hand in hand but don't have to.

They are two very very different things.  I would be considered a hard dog, but I have weak nerve.  You could correct the shit out of me, and I would still do it my way or the highway :)  but drop a pan behind me and I am going to startle.  ( weak nerve)  I know when we are going to shoot off a gun and I still jump ( my weak nerve again) but the hardness of my personality prevents me from bolting :)  Does that make it a bit easier to understand?  Nerve can never be improved upon as it is there, it is what we are born with.  A soft dog can have excellent nerve.  A hard dog can have poor nerve.  WIth a hard dog it is much easier to hide poor nerve.  A soft dog will present more if paired up with weak nerve.  A high prey dog without a solid nerve base will collapse in on itself.  It will develop neurotic behaviors such as kennel pacing, spinning teeth clacking when waiting for a bite.  All signs that the dogs nerve base can not hold up. Put the real pressure on and boomsky collapse. 

LOL@brynjulf!   If I were a dog, I'd most likely be of soft temperament and strong nerve...what do you think? And I'm the opposite, drop the pan, I want to bolt, but I don't because I need to know where the sound came from, first! Now, once I figure that out, I may bolt if it hasn't stopped clattering already. 

agree with what the others have said.  it would appear that your reference to hard & soft is in reaction to the handler.  and yes, it is entirely possible for a handler soft dog to have
quite strong nerves-----excellent herding dogs come to mind.  the handler softness gives them the desire to please the handler and to do their work, but the strong nerve gives them
the ability to accomplish the task.
pjp

Nan, I placed him with a trainer friend. He was a beautiful dog but if I cant trust them, they cant stay.