He kept waiting by the door

Cookie Monster and his sister

Oh boy!

We’re going for another car ride.

Just like the other day when Jay opened the sliding side door, and I got to go to town.

I can’t wait!

When Jay slid that door open, I hopped in just as excited as could be.

And when the familiar engine roared, I stood up next to Jay’s right side so that my fur touched his shoulder.

Then, I leaned in and gave him a big ol’ wet sloppy kiss on his ear.

SLURP!!

We passed an endless row of pine trees as the van swayed this way and that down the road.

I knew it well.

And everything was right in my world.

But as time rolled on, I started to feel queazy inside.

That feeling you get in the pit of your stomach like something is wrong, but you can’t place how.

Getting to where we're going normally doesn’t take this long.

At some point, I knew we had gone too far.

Wasn’t it time to turn around now and head home?

I leaned onto Jay’s shoulder for support, and to remind him that maybe it was time to stop driving now.

He reached back and pet my ears, speaking softly to me…

But we didn’t stop, and we didn’t turn around.

Eventually, my feet got tired of standing still anticipating our destination.

And my mind became weary from trying to figure out where we were.

As the rolling hills drifted by, I laid down, closed my eyes, and slept.

When I awoke, the temperature had changed.

It was warmer.

And the outside rushing past the window didn’t look like anything I remembered.

I sat up and licked Jay’s ear again for comfort.

I might have whined a little, too, just to let him know I was worried now.

Jay pet my neck and pulled the van into the next stop.

When I got out, nothing smelled the same.

I was so curious about this new place when all these new scents.

I marked everywhere I could to make sure I could find this spot again, should I need to return.

This was only a short stop, though.

Jay led me back to the car for lots more driving.

I leaned on Jay’s shoulder like before.

Jay felt steady and sure, like an anchor tethering me to safety and security.

“As long as I have Jay, that’s all I need.” I told myself.

Hours passed.

We stopped several more times.

And each time, I marked the spot thoroughly in case I should ever return to that spot.

The van was now my home…

Because Jay was there.

I watched the sun set from the side window.

And when darkness fell, Jay shifted in his seat, pulled off the fast road, and stopped at a tall building with lots of other parked cars.

Just like before, I waited for Jay to put my leash on so we could find out all about this new place together.

But when I hopped out, a strange man stood nearby.

I saw him look at me, then shift his gaze to Jay’s tall frame.

Jay and the stranger spoke for a bit.

Too long, if you ask me.

I was thinking about marking that bush off to the right.

I just had to find out who this man was first, though.

Curiosity got the best of me, and I walked up to the man’s hand.

SNNNNiiiiiiiiFFFFF!!

The man was polite and didn’t cross my boundaries without asking if it was okay first.

I heard Jay say it was okay, so I leaned into the man.

I could feel his body quiver slightly, and his heart race with excitement.

Ever so gently, he pet my long mane.

I responded with a very respectful kiss on his hand.

Jay and the man spoke for a while longer, so I figured I would sit and wait…

RIGHT ON THE MAN’S FOOT! haha!!

I bet he didn’t know I was going to do that.

I felt his body’s energy surge again.

He liked me.

And I liked him.

When the man left, he pet me good-bye.

Then, I followed Jay up all those stairs to the top of that tall building.

I didn’t even know buildings could be that tall.

Jay and I slept peacefully side-by-side.

Now, I know I can be anywhere as long as Jay is with me.

The next morning, Jay led me into the van again.

This time we only drove a short distance and then stopped again.

When Jay slid the side door open, I peered out.

This was a quiet place.

With grass and concrete and a big house.

Jay led me to the front door.

Along the way, something smelled familiar.

It smelled like something I liked.

My mind tried to place where I knew that smell from, but I couldn’t quite remember.

Then, the front door opened, and I remembered exactly where I knew that smell.

THE STRANGE MAN FROM LAST NIGHT!

He was standing right in front of my in the doorway.

I wagged my tail in a gentle way to let him know I remembered him.

Jay let me through the house to the back door.

And when I walked out onto the cool, green grass, I knew there was a most familiar smell that was sure and steady… warm like a summer’s day.

Jay unleashed me, and I floated all around that yard.

The warm aroma was everywhere!

But I didn’t know the source of the smell.

It wasn’t there.

I went up to the strange man, but I knew it was him.

He pet me for a bit.

Then, I approached the strange woman, but that warm aroma wasn’t her, either.

She pet me for a bit more.

I eventually found a most comfortable spot on the cool, green grass where I could smell that warm aroma all around me.

It was like a comfortable straw bed mixed with soft heated blankets.

I closed my eyes and dozed dreaming about whom that pleasant smell to.

Then, I heard the sliding glass door move.

I lifted my head, and standing there before me was the most beautiful creature I had ever seen.

And emanating from her floating on the wind directly to me nose was the familiar warm aroma that saturated the backyard.

There she was in radiant beauty.

I knew her immediately.

Not because I had seen her before, but because she was pack.

She was another American Dirus™ dog, just like me!

And not just any American Dirus™ dog…

She was my sister!!

Once introductions were over, oh how we played!

Tag and chase were our favorites.

She showed me all around the yard.

Where her favorite spots were…

And what her favorite toys were…

And where the squirrels travel.

It was so much fun!

Then, I noticed something was missing.

A very important something, in fact.

I searched all around the yard.

My heart began to race.

I couldn’t find him.

Panic started to set in.

Where was he?

My anchor.

My rock.

My support.

My security.

Jay was gone!

I ran to the back door and scratched.

Then I stopped and listened.

Nothing.

I turned in a slow circle and looked across the yard again, just to be sure I hadn’t missed him somehow.

He wasn’t there.

The grass didn’t feel as soft anymore.

The air didn’t feel as warm.

Everything had changed in a way I didn’t understand.

I walked to one spot and stood there for a while.

Then I moved to another.

Then back again.

Each place felt like it might be the right place to wait, but none of them were.

The strange man came outside.

He said something softly, but I didn’t go to him.

Instead, I watched him.

He took a step toward me.

I moved away.

I didn’t go far, but just enough to let him know I wasn’t ready.

I didn’t know what he wanted yet.

And I didn’t know what I was supposed to do without Jay to guide me.

So I chose a spot where I could see the yard, the door, and the path where Jay had walked.

And I stayed there.

The sun moved across the sky, and the shadows stretched.

still, I waited.

At some point, the strange man came out again.

He moved slower this time.

And he didn’t come straight to me.

Instead, he stood near the door and waited.

I watched him.

He waited longer than I expected.

Then he turned slightly, just enough to open the space between us.

I stepped forward.

I took one step, then another.

The man didn’t move.

When I reached him, he lowered his hand slowly, so I leaned in.

He smelled the same as before.

Steady.

He clipped the leash on me.

And for the first time since Jay left… I felt something settle inside my soul.

We walked inside together.

I paused just after the doorway, though, because the house still felt unfamiliar.

But I wasn’t standing there alone this time.

The strange me stepped forward, and I followed slowly behind.

He led me to a place in the room and stopped.

I stood there for a moment.

Then I laid down.

The strange man sat in a chair next to me.

After a little while, he reached over and touched my neck.

I didn’t move away and his hand stayed there.

Steady.

I let out a breath I didn’t realize I had been holding.

Time passed.

I don’t know how long.

Then…

A sound.

Faint.

Then clearer.

My ears lifted.

I stood up.

I knew that sound.

The DireWolf Express™ van!

I stood up before anyone said anything.

Then, the door opened, and there he was.

Jay!

My Jay!

I walked to him, calm and certain.

When I reached him, I leaned into him the way I had in the van and everything came back.

The feeling of certainty returned.

Jay was here and that was all I needed.

Everyone went back outside, and I played with my sister again.

But this time…

I stayed closer to the house.

Closer to the door.

And closer to where I knew he could return.

Because now I understood something I hadn’t before.

This place…

Was not where we were visiting.

This was where I was staying.

When Jay left again, I felt it.

But I didn’t run as far.

And I didn’t search the whole yard, either.

I simply went to the spot near the door and waited.

Tony came out.

He didn’t rush or call me.

He just stood there giving me space.

I looked at him for a while.

Then I walked to him.

He pet my neck and clipped the leash on.

And this time…

I followed him inside without hesitating.

I still listen for that engine.

I still look toward the road sometimes.

But when the strange man moves…

I’m starting to follow him, too.

And when my sister runs past me with that same warm scent drifting behind her… I run with her.

Because I think…

I think I’m starting to understand.

This is my pack now.

As you might recall from last week, Cookie Monster has left for his new home in Utah where he will live out his retirement years with his half-sister and a wonderful, loving family who understands well our uniquely beautiful emotionally sensitive dog breed.

I know he will love it there, but right now he must find his anchor once again, and develop that bonded trust with a new family.

It will come, but it does take time for an older dog to transition.

There is always a bit of mourning and grief for the loss of the pack they’ve known for their entire lives.

But Cookie Monster has made significant progress already.

So just like Dublin before him, he will come around.

Other adults still await their forever home.

They are magnificent, and just as soulfully sweet as Dublin and Cookie Monster.

You can see them all here:

https://direwolfdogs.com/dogs-for-sale/adults/

MOVIE MONDAY!

And now for some sweet puppy updates!

This week’s movie highlights another week older for the beautiful puppies developing into stunning examples of the breed. Two are already sold, with one more pending, so if you are interested, now’s the time. We’ve gone down the starred active waiting list, so the puppies are now available “off the waiting list” on a “first come-first serve” basis.

You can watch this week’s updated puppy video on the Dire Wolf Project™ Learnistic app by following this path:

Crafting the Dire Wolf —> Current Litters —> March 22, 2026

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.