Soft Dogs and Hard Corrections - Page 1

I was reading somewhere on here, an opinion that soft dogs don't do well in bite sport competitions because their temperaments don't take hard corrections. I was wondering what people consider are hard corrections, and why they are necessary to get a dog to top level competition. 

I also understand that a dog labeled as "soft" does not equate to being fearful. Personally, I believe they are just very intelligent. A better definition would be appreciated. Thanks!

When most people talk about a soft  dog they are speaking of the dogs ability to take a correction today and not remember the negative aspect of it tomorrow.  Its the ability to work through corrections. Has nothing to do with intelligence in fact some may say a soft dog is the opposite of intelligent.
There are some top motivational trainers who can make these soft dogs look pretty good in obedience until the need for a correction comes about and they seem to fall apart.

beetree, have you read the articles from Armin Winkler?  He explains this very well.

www.schutzhundvillage.com/arminhome.html

I hope you find these as interesting as I did.

a lot of people cannot see the difference between a truly soft dog and a handler sensitive dog.  i've seen dogs that are both, but i've seen dogs that are handler sensitive and appear to be soft, but aren't.
pjp

Soft,hard,and sharp......it takes all 3 to make up a dog
with good civil zone.


What Winkler is referring to has been a round at
least as long as the 3 quirks make up a neutrino theory.
(There may be 6 quirks) up, down and sideways.

Soft dog is a good mind that learns well and
relaxed but does not have the qualities the other 2 have.
Note you want your dog soft and supple, partly
from training and partly from breeding.

Hard dog can stay in the fight and take pressure.
But does not have what the other 2 have.


Sharp dog is in your face kind of dog that will
not avoid a fight and will be more likely to bite
for real.....Something confused with civil drive.
But does not have what the other 2 have.

It is the combination of these 3 traits the
breeder will use to get the perfect  German Shepherd
for work. Which what this breed is for.
At least in the Max zone.

I think of a "soft" dog as a dog that has a lower threshold for being startled or stressed and a longer recovery time.  I think of a "handler sensitive" dog as a dog that can't take hard corrections from the handler, but isn't necessarily a "soft" dog.  There's a lot of dogs that I think are fine sport or working dogs that show handler sensitivity either as an age/phase thing or maybe even forever but still have good drives.  To me a "soft" dog is sensitive to the point where its drives cannot carry it through the conflict and stress and thus is too "soft" to be a good working or sport dog.

MAINLYMAX
as always good discription, Thanks

VKGSDs

Soft and supple is what you are looking at.  Think of it
as taking a wild mustang and taming it to ride.
You want that mustang to be soft and supple so
he turns, stops, backs off. This requires a good
mind. Something that needs to be bred in.

I don't understand why a hard correction would be needed on a soft dog. I am pretty novice to all this as relates to Sch., but I do have quite a few years dealing with soft dogs.

In what I was doing, I found that patience had better results.

Max, I want to say thanks for your input.

Rik