The problem is that knowledge doesn't always translate into action, so even the most well-read first-timer may not turn out to be even adequate as a dog owner. My example is when I was young, so age did have something to do with it, but I read about Yorkies for 5 YEARS before I got Missie. And yet I still bought from a pet store (hey, my book said it was one of the options, so long as the puppy had bright eyes and a clean nose!), took 7 years to housetrain her, and raised a holy terror with a diva attitude.
And Yorkies aren't even supposed to be bad first-time dogs. LOL Point being, nothing I read translated to action, and what I was reading wasn't necessarily correct. I visited dog shows and breeders, too, so it wasn't like it was all off of pages (showing my naivete` in still not getting it right!).
I really think a first-time dog owner wanting a "difficult" breed should live with a dog (any dog!) first, even if it means pet-sitting for someone or fostering for several months. And if they can hang out with a breeder of their breed of choice and watch how they interact with and train their dogs, that would probably be the best thing they could do.
I think humans just sometimes have a tendency to overrate their abilities, so a reality check before leaping in with both feet is always a good idea.
