đ Could you handle a dog who had a high drive?
âWhen I first got Wafer, I got injured a lot while playing with him. It's not that he was trying to bite me, but he just didn't understand how high his drive wasâŚ
You really have to learn how to stay safe and communicate with the dog because if they donât have clarity on the command, they can do the wrong thing.â
Working dogs have high drive, endless stamina, and lots of intelligence, and theyâre typically not the top choice for a first-time dog ownerâŚ
Especially one who had never given dogs much thought in the past.
But what if your social media algorithm started feeding you more and more dogs, and you realized, âI kind of want one now.â
Would you jump right in, completely unknowing of what it takes to be a dog owner?
Thatâs exactly where Veronica Li, PhD graduate and dedicated âworking dogâ mom, found herself years ago. But instead of just getting one and hoping for the best, she had a plan.
Not only would she determine if she was fit to be a dog parent, sheâd take on one of the most sought-after working dog breedsâŚ
And become part of a community she never imagined being in.
First came the fascination with dog sport
âI wanted the consistency of having my own dog so I know how their training and lifestyle is. After watching a bunch of training videos, I gravitated towards the German Shepherd breed because I knew I wanted to do some form of training.â
When it came to getting her first dog, Veronicaâs approach looked a little different⌠And it worked.
For some reason, her social media algorithm started showing her videos of cute dogs, something she had never given much thought to.
But for someone who never had a dog before, she found herself being sucked in. Soon, she was convinced she wanted one of her own.
Instead of heading straight to the shelter, she had a better idea: petsitting.
âI wanted to get a sense of whether or not I would even like this, or if this is something I actually want.â
After some time dogsitting, she knew she was ready. She had spent countless hours learning about dogs and various types of sport training⌠She was hooked.
Wanting to adopt, she ran into a serious problem: shelters wouldnât let her take a dog home.
Most were looking for someone who had previous large dog experience or lived in a house with a backyard. She had neither.
Two perfect dogs with very different personalities
âI realized very fast that sheâs not the dog you want if you want to do a lot of training⌠and knowing I wanted to do dog sport and bite work, a year later I went looking for a dog specifically bred for that.â
Determined to get a German Shepherd, Veronica found Gracie on a rehoming website. She seemed to be pretty chill and easygoing, but also had known reactivity issues.
After a trial period, Veronica knew this was her dog. But she also wasnât going to let the reactivity go unaddressed.
To make life easier, and ensure training was done the right way, she hired a trainer.
Gracie had some private sessions and also did a âboard and trainâ for a few weeks, where she was able to build up confidence and work through the nervous behaviors she had developed.
Once home, Veronica continued working with her and eventually trained her in off-leash obedience too.
But as much as she loved Gracie, something was still missing. She kept going back to those dog sport videos she had become so fascinated with.
âI started looking into getting an actual working line German Shepherd or Malinois. I initially was going to get a German Shepherd because I thought a Malinois was too much. After talking to some trainers, I eventually ended up getting Wafer at eight months.â
Wafer (a Belgian Malinois) was part of a "raise and train" program with Mike Jones at Primal Canine where he was given a foundation in both obedience and bite work.
At eight months old, Veronica got him and continued his training with Mike as he continued to grow.
She also decided to take additional online courses from Haz Othman of Shieldk9, to supplement her training knowledge and work with Wafer.
Through her training experiences, she realized a new challenge in dog training: communication.
Because Waferâs drive was so high, the slightest miscommunicationâbe it verbal or via body languageâcould lead to injury. And it did⌠More than once. (She made this post about it!)
âThings happen quickly. You give them the wrong command or the ball pops out of their mouth and they're just not even thinking, they just go for it. They can accidentally get you and when these dogs bite, it hurts.â
The bites were never intentional, but served as eye-opening moments for Veronica.
And if she was going to take on more serious training, she needed to be 100% focused and clear in the way she interacted with her dogs.
When dogs are born to work
âFor the dog, itâs important for them to be happy. If they have that much drive, they want to do something. Whatâs the point in getting a dog who wants to do all these things, has all this drive, but then you donât actually do anything with that?
âŚThatâs not fulfilling for the dog at all. Itâs wasting their potential.â
When we think of basic training, we usually have our own interests in mind because yes, training does make our lives easier.
But it makes our dogsâ lives easier, and gives them more freedom, too.
Though Gracieâs a shepherd through and through, she just never had the drive for more focused work.
Plus, with her reactivity in the past, Veronica decided to keep her training to basic obedience and tricks. For that, sheâs thriving.
Wafer, on the other hand, has always been ready to work. And Veronica was going to make sure he always had the best outlet to pour his energy into through sport obedience, personal protection work, and K9 Street League.
With her training under Mike Jones of Primal Canine, Wafer and Veronica learned alongside each other, discovering how to become an unstoppable team.
Veronica documents their progress by posting videos on Instagram, sharing their successes, things sheâs learned, and also, some of the hiccups along the way.
And through the constant building of trust and clear communication, the bond sheâs formed with both Wafer and Gracie has become one of the most rewarding aspects of the training journey.
The bond with a dog who has your back
âWhen Wafer and I are training, I feel like itâs just the two of us. I really donât notice anything else happening around us, and I really like that. It feels like a special moment.â
Even though Gracie and Wafer are two very different dogs who partake in very different kinds of training, she feels a strong bond with both of them.
Because they spend so much time together, theyâve formed an almost silent communication with each other.
While Veronica is training with them, even the most subtle shift in her body indicates she wants to see a new behavior or action, and they pick up on it.
If sheâs âheelingâ with Gracie, all she has to do is move her leg a little and Gracie understands âYou want me closer to you.â
When working with Wafer, his eyes are locked on her at all times. Everything around them disappears⌠Itâs just him and his human, and he trusts her so much, he waits for her command.
Sheâs noticed little things they do too, like how Gracie will continuously check in with her when sheâs off leash, instead of running off and being in her own world.
âThey're just very in tune with me⌠I love them and theyâre always super happy to see me.â
A working dog can change your life, ifâŚ
âFour years later, there are actually people who care about what I say and itâs surprising⌠People message me and theyâre like, âI really like your videos. I look up to you. Itâs amazing what youâre able to do.â
It makes me happy when I know my videos are helpful.â
Bringing these dogs into her life has opened up more doors than Veronica ever could have imagined.
In just a few years, she went from someone who never even thought about dogs to a person who does multiple types of disciplined training with them.
To her, theyâre not just a part of her life, theyâve become who she is as a person.
âI'm the girl with the two dogs. Without them, I guess I would have other hobbies⌠But they're just such a big part of my life.â
While her relationship with them has led to a feeling of unconditional love that only our pets can give, sheâs also been welcomed into a community of fellow dog trainers who are just as passionate about the sport as she is.
And through her own experiences, sheâs given hope and encouragement to those who have wanted to try training, but maybe felt scared or intimidated.
Posting informative videos (like this one!) and sharing bits of her personal journey, people feel like they can relate to Veronica. Her style is very welcoming and lighthearted.
The connection she formed with her dogs definitely led to some meaningful human connections too!
But all of this has highlighted something she feels very strongly about: responsible ownership of working dogs.
When it comes to high-drive breeds, some people bring them home without understanding the full responsibilityâŚ
What training is required? Does the dog fit into their lifestyle? What costs are involved? How big is the time commitment?
Choosing dogs based on their looks, many people end up with dogs theyâre simply not able to accommodate. And then what happens?
Does the dog live an unfulfilled life? Does the owner release the dog to a shelter?
Even those who are well-intentioned might not realize what kind of training will be most beneficial for their dogâs specific needs.
Understanding the theory behind dog training is one thing. Putting it into practice is another.
Working breeds are wonderful dogs and make great companions! But we need to make sure all their needs are being met too, so they can live their most fulfilling, purposeful life.
And Veronica, Gracie, and Wafer are a perfect example of how we can do that.
A plan for your pet that just makes sense
Whether your dog takes part in basic obedience or they enjoy something more demanding like various sport training, itâs part of their routine that theyâve come to expect.
But if you had to step away for a few days, would someone else know exactly what to do to keep their training going?
If something happened, could someone confidently step in and take your place?
Putting a Cotl plan in place ensures your pet is taken care of, just the way theyâre used to, no matter what.
Discover how the process works or book a call directly with Sean, our founder and CEO, to see what a plan could look like for you.
