I disagree with your disagree!
I think it can be true, but it very very easily can not be true. There are a ton of second time, third time, 7th time dog owners who in no way shape or form should have a certain breed. But I think there are a good number of younger or well researched and prepared people that could pretty much handle any breed they set their sights too.
I think it strongly depends on the person and the dog and it's one of those broad generalizations that I don't like because it gives way to much credit to people who "have owned a dog" and not enough to the would be dedicated and well researched novice who may stumble along the way but puts everything into it and flourishes. Especially if they have the support of a good breeder or community.
Yep. Sally was my first dog as an adult. She fell into our laps, we were not planning on a dog. I knew horses, not dogs and DH had never owned a dog. We had an apartment and Sally was a one year old pit bull who wasn't even house broken. I still thought you rubbed dogs noses in accidents to house break. I learned how to teach her to sit and lay down from Google. When we got her I was convinced that grocery store food was absolutely fine and only dogs with health problems needed the "specialty" foods at pet stores. I was also very wary of pit bulls and was not entirely convinced she wouldn't "turn" on us for the first week or so that we owned her.
However, we made it work and I wouldn't trade her for the world. Nine years later and she hasn't eaten us in our sleep. Sally is a much easier dog than Jack in many ways actually. DH has told me repeatedly that she is the perfect dog and the next dog we get needs to be "Just like Sally."
Generalizations that drive me nuts:
Dog kills a stray cat: "OMG! Put it down! Next time it could be a CHILD!"
Dog is fed raw meat: "Once they taste blood, they're ruined!"
If you buy from a breeder, you are killing a shelter dog.
All shelter dogs have issues.
Labs are mindlessly obedient idiots who lack personality and not a breed "real" dog people would want to own.
Labs love everyone and therefore are not loyal to their owners. Not true. Jack definitely has his favorite people in order of priority. He does like to greet strangers, but he certainly shows a preference for those people that he knows and gets bored with greeting after a while.