Did Stanley Transition?

You have all seen Stanley from the time he was that endearing puppy, one white-gloved paw lifted up in a walk in the grass. You’ve seen photos of him and his extremely wolfy-looking facade that screams Dire Wolf.

Our kennel boss has finally made it home!

I recall the day Jennifer told me about Stanley. She was visiting the home farm in White City, Oregon where he was born.

“Jay! You have GOT TO SEE this puppy!”

I sat back on the sofa at home thinking, “Oh, no… not another dog.”

I’m searching my memory to see if I ever truly opposed her bringing home a dog or puppy from Lois’s place.  Nothing comes to mind.

Jennifer went on to describing the puppy’s black mask and how his body structure and coloring will be what everybody will want. And when Jennifer finds a milestone dog, there is no stopping her!

What I found most endearing about Stanley, the first time I laid eyes on him, were his white-gloved paws. Dressed in his butler coat, Stanley played every bit the part. He was one of the most handsome puppies either of us had ever seen.

From the get-go, Stanley decided he was to be the kennel boss.

Kennel Boss is a term of endearment we assign to the dog who pretends to be in charge of all the rest. For Stanley, all the girls were his. He seemed to demand having a special cabin to call his own. And he often voiced to all the others who was kingpin in this pack.

And that was with the OTHER kingpin dog, Essex. We had two males in those days who were the cream of the crop. Essex had his white and silver coat and larger frame. Stanley had that black coat , thick mane, and the menacing yellow eyes.

Both dogs were a joy.

Essex went on to live with a prominent British-born writer back east.

Stanley remained with us.

Seven years Stanley claimed Cabin One as his own. Seven years various friends and clients inquired about whether Stanley could be sold to them. And the question always arose, how would a dog, now set in his ways, adjust to a new home?

Now understand—not all adult dogs adjust well once they reach their second or third year. Essex required nearly eight months to settle into his new life in New England. And Stanley is way older than Essex.

Jennifer turned down multiple inquiries for his adoption, some from friends. Jennifer’s reasoning was that he needed a very special situation to go to. A dog of that many years would never settle into just any home very easily.

A year ago, I drove Mary and Merriwether to their forever home in Michigan. And boy have they thrived! Their advantage was having each other. No matter how strange the adjustment to a new home with unfamiliar people was, Mary had Merriwether and Merriwether had Mary.

After all, isn’t home the place where another loved one resides?

What many of you didn’t know is that Stanley’s Cabin One had three occupants for a couple of years: Stanley, Mary, and Merriwether.

These three dogs were kin to each other. They knew each other better than they knew their human masters. Jennifer’s genius was knowing NOT to send Stanley to just any home.

Stanley could enter a home already feeling at home!

Mary and Merriwether’s home was not just with a suitable family. Their home was set in a secluded forested landscape—quiet and serene and void of the city noises, just like here in eastern Washington.

There is a large fenced back yard that is open with plenty of space to run.

So, when Mary/Merriwether’s family expressed interest in Stanley, Jennifer jumped at the opportunity for this life-long kennel dog to enter the happiest of all places for a dog to live—in the loving arms of a normal, regular home.

The contrast in transition manifested by Stanley’s transitus compared to so many other adult dogs who took weeks or months to settle in was staggering.

Over the weekend, Jennifer pulled up to his Michigan home. And this is what she did:

After meeting up with Stanley’s new owners, she opened up the car door, leashed up Stanley, and led him around the house to the back yard. There, she released him into the back yard.

THEN… Mary and Merriwether were let out their back door. What followed would make your hearts melt. The three dogs knew each other immediately!!

Tails wagged.

Happy dances ensued.

Nose kisses went back and forth.

The three dogs dodged and chased. It looked as if Stanley had been born and raised in that back yard.

And when Stanley came around to meeting his new parents, he acted as if he had known them his entire life. There was no hesitation. There was no bowed head or tucked tail.

Stanley had come home.

Please note: we love delivering puppies. There is so much joy in seeing an 8-week-old arrive at their forever home.

But there is something even more endearing about seeing one of our pick-of-the-litter adults go from a relatively happy kennel life to an extraordinary forever home.

And adult dogs are much more affordable than puppies.

As Jennifer and I have a strong bond to our adult dogs, there is nothing we want more than for them to spend the rest of their lives in someone’s living room and bedroom.

You become their hero, their moon and their stars, the cream of their coffee…—(wait, dogs don’t drink coffee, poor deprived creatures, but you get the point!)

It’s what Yeti is to me. There is no greater joy for a dog than to live out their life with an amazing human companion.

Go to: https://direwolfdogs.com/dogs-for-sale/

Jennifer Stoeckl is the co-founder of the Dire Wolf Project, founder of the DireWolf Guardians American Dirus Dog Training Program, and owner/operator of DireWolf Dogs of Vallecito. She lives in the beautiful inland northwest among the Ponderosa pine forests with her pack of American Dirus dogs.