Unlocked Petential

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Astrid is actually pretty biddable for a Wolfdog, imo, but I think this video is a good example of a medium drive dog compared to a breed like the Belgian Malinois, which is generally much higher drive.

Astrid is happy to work, she’s willing to learn, and she clearly enjoys our training sessions…but she wants to know what’s in it for her 😂

If the paycheck disappears, so does her motivation

That’s one of the many reasons Wolfdogs generally aren’t well suited for jobs like service work. They can absolutely learn an impressive amount of behaviors, but their motivation and engagement can look very different from purpose bred working dogs.

A high drive breed like a Belgian Malinois or Doberman is often much more intensely motivated to engage with their handler and work for the sake of the interaction itself, in addition to whatever reinforcement is being offered.

But Astrid? She’s basically like, “I would LOVE to do that trick… but first, what’s in it for me?”

Back when Symphony was still in Astrid’s belly 🥹🥹

Have a break 🥰🥰

Zen Frenz®️