well I can't really say they are easier than labs tho I think so
) I'll put it this way, my sister is the "lab" person, she has always had labs, I have always had gsd's and aussies. She has obed/hunting/agility titles on her labs.
She constantly tells me she could never 'live' with my gsd's, they are to 'busy' for her
) It would also peeve her to no end, when she would practice practice practice her obed/agilty, I would just do a few run thru's before a trial, and usually score higher than her,,wasn't 'me' it was the 'dog'
))
And they CAN be mouthy, they CAN be chewers, and the do need alot of socialization, they are all different. Gsd's are far from being like labs.
If you've never lived with one, I highly recommend going with either a rescue/an older puppy, more of what you see is what you get
)
Good luck in your search
Diane