De Saarloos Wolfdog responds alert and cautious around strangers and unfamiliar circumstances. Though they should not show any sign of nervous.
In order to grow up to be a very well balanced dog the Saarloos Wolfdog need very good socialization, otherwise he could become extremely reserved.
In the house the dogs are very calm, sometimes even lazy. Though they do need space and exercise.
The Saarloos is a pack animal and his human companions are part of his pack.
Even if they could live in the open air with other dogs, they prefer to be inside with the family.

Normally the Saarloos can be quickly house trained; of course there are exceptions. You have to be alert when strangers (people and or dogs) are visiting. They could dare to place a scent to mark his territory.
The Saarloos is a very social dog to the dog living with him, no matter what breed of dog.
It’s very difficult for him to be without other dogs, he is not a loner. In that case he needs a lot of attention. The Saarloos is very social to dogs he knows; even the male dogs are friendly to each other.
You must be alert during dominant situations, but that is a general rule for all breeds of dog.
When the Saarloos encounters a stranger he will display friendly behavior en even start playing with him.

This is completely different when you have a pair of Saarloos Wolfdogs, they will form a pack and reject the stranger completely. This problem is less apparent when the Saarloos lives with another breed.
The Saarloos Wolfdog has many mannerisms that are found in wolves in a wolf pack.
They will pin down a lower member of the pack by grabbing his nose and pushing him downwards.
A lower member of the pack will crouch down and grovel when a higher-ranking member approaches. They don’t howl often, as a matter of fact they don’t make much noise at all.
When strangers arouse them they will warn you with a reserved woof.
Only when the doorbell goes or impending danger will the Saarloos begin barking.

His is caring an affectionate towards his family members. He likes nothing better then to be stroked and patted the whole daylong. He has an extremely gentle character and a deep desire to belong to the group.
When the Saarloos grows up with children, he can be very affectionate and gentle.
He likes to see people he knows and he will greet them with enthusiasm by jumping and pushing, but after a couple of minutes have past he will calm down to his usual self.
His attitude towards strangers will depend on his degree of shyness.
If he is shy he will creep away and hide. He will the keep a watchful eye on things from a safe distance. Even if they are not shy, they will never totally uninhibitedly approach a stranger, preferring instead to cautiously study a stranger and slowly warm to their presence.

If you want the Saarloos to live with another pet, then you must let them get use to each other at a young age. This applies to farm animals as well.
Otherwise they will just simply go after their prey.
Their reaction to strange places depends if they feel at home or not. In the forest they open up and show the full glory of the breed. In other places is depends if they are socialized or shy.
The shy dogs will crawl away and hide. Good socialized can go with you just about anywhere.
They will show signs of discomfort if they are not at ease with their surroundings.
Even so they will tolerate the situation and not react adversely.

Their reaction to traffic depends again on the degree of socialization. Just about ever Saarloos Wolfdog pup will suffer from motion sickness. The only remedy is to preserver and a word of warning; it can take considerable time before they are over it.
It is difficult for a Saarloos to stay at home alone.
Most dogs will begin destroying everything, which is something they are very good at.
Their wolf like teeth can bite through just about anything. If this will be a problem, get the dog use to a kennel or a dog run at an early age. The Saarloos is a dog that cannot be regularly left alone. If this is typical of your situation you would be doing yourself and the dog a favour by choosing another breed. If you leave your dog in the backyard, then you must have a fence at least 2 to 3 meter high. If he cannot jump over it, he will climb it like a cat.
They can dig as the best and this must also be taken into consideration.

They will take your food from right under your nose, before you even realise it. Just about every Saarloos owner can tell you similar stories. Even when you keep a close eye on it, they are mostly faster then you. Like most pups the Saarloos will chew on just about anything. They tend to be more original in their choice of items to chew when compared to other breeds.
Your shoes and wooden furniture are just as susceptible as steel or even glass to a good old chewing. They will find things that you try to keep out of their reach and hide it on you so you can never find it.
A door or a draw offer little to their curiosity and desire to explore. If you cannot tolerate this intrusive behaviour then you should not choose a Saarloos.

Obedience

The Saarloos Wolfdog is not a watchdog. At best they will warn you of an intruder or danger and quickly run away and hide. They will never attack.
They are difficult to train and you must patience with them.
Boredom is their biggest problem, you can through a stick once or twice and they will fetch it.
Try it a third time and they lose interest completely and stop playing the game.
They will not put energy into activity they seems to them unnecessary.
Their will to please their owner is lacking and you have to be cunning and witty to get them to do things for you.
A Saarloos can participate in basic training, but will never be good enough to perform it competitions.
You train your dog for the please in doing so and that’s all.
Obedience, agility and rescue training can be done but without exerting to much pressure on the dog. When walking in the forest, you can let you dog run of the lead.
They will run away, but will also quickly return. The biggest problem is their instinct to hunt and they are good at it. You have to keep your eyes constantly open for not only for rabbits but also mountain bikers, joggers etc.
In a group they will hunt in an organized pack.
In places where wildlife is in abundance you will be forced to leash them.

Conclusion.

De Saarloos Wolfdog is a special breed that through his recent connection with his wild ancestors can test your ability to tolerate to breaking point. Only people that want to win respect instead of breaking the dogs will can take on such an animal. They are not wolves but they are not your average dog. If you want an obedient dog, then the Saarloos is certainly not the right dog for you. He will only drive you crazy. If you can respect and live in harmony with this breed of animal, then you will have the most gentle and most wonderful dog you could wish for.