Hey, I'm Svenja

Diary entry, 03.02.2012, guest

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Hey! I am Svenja and I am doing an internship at the WSC. I study Biology with main focus on zoology in Tübingen which is a small town in the south of Germany near Stuttgart. Since I was a child I have been interested in animals and ethology. When I was nine years old I was finally allowed to have my own dog which I was training for many years.
It is very interesting to watch the trainers working with the animals and to learn more about handling them. I have always been fascinated by wolves and I think that there is hardly a better place to get into so close contact with these animals. It is astonishing to see that even hand-raised wolves are behaving so differently towards humans than dogs. The “wild” wolves are shyer and a lot more careful towards strange people than the boisterous dogs and give very gentle “kisses” ;-)
I enjoy joining the walks with the wolves and explain the visitors why they have a wild animal in front of them, even when it looks like it is walking on the leash like a dog.
I like very much that in the WSC all the work is done on the basis of cooperation without force. Usually the dogs as well as the wolves are working voluntarily and enjoying it. Nevertheless it can happen that an animal decides for a day without work. Like Nanuk a couple of days ago who did absolutely not want to come on a walk… Instead we took Yukon in the end who had been begging all the time to come with us. These are the situation when you are reminded that you are working with living creatures and not with perfectly working machines. But I think, exactly this makes the work with animals so extraordinary and lovely.
I have been enjoying my internship at the WSC very much and I have learned a lot. Thanks very much to all my colleagues for giving me such a nice welcome and for the amazing time I could spend with you, and great thanks to all the wolves and dogs for a couple of fascinating and exciting weeks!!!