Health check-up completed!
By Jennifer Stoeckl, MAT - Dire Wolf Project CEO, Jan. 24, 2024
Today, we took the seven Giants Litter puppies, Monstro, and Narissa to the vet for their pre-trip check-ups.
Everyone did great!
The puppies ran around the yard first before being placed in the car for the first time.
They were not happy with the initial car’s rocking and bumping on the ice, but once we got out on the open road, they settled quickly.
The puppies ranged in weight within 2 pounds of each other.
Here they are in descending order:
- Patagon weighed the most at 18.2 lbs!
- Orion and Hayk - 17.8 lbs.
- Elatha - 17 lbs.
- Phoebe - 16.8 lbs.
- Goliath - 16.6 lbs
- Anak - 16.4 lbs
All of the puppies, except one, were confident, wagging their tails at Dr. Dale and giving him kisses.
The only one to show any lack of confidence was Patagon. Her body was slightly stiff at first, but she was brave and wagged her tale softly during the exam.
That’s okay. She’ll get lots of exposure to the big, wide world in a few days. It’ll just take a little socialization training and her confidence in strange places will increase.
The puppies now have their first set of shots with a few days to build up antibodies before the long trip across the country.
All of the boys have two descended testicles. Yay!
Only one puppy showed anything out of the ordinary.
Goliath’s left eye was weeping a bit. It appears his face is so pudgy at this time that his bottom left waterline tucks under slightly causing his lower eyelashes to tickle his eye.
It’s called entropian.
Dr. Dale believes this will correct itself as his face develops and the skin tightens around his eyes.
It can be hereditary, though none of our other dogs have this feature.
We will note it in the health database.
…
The star of the show today, though, was MONSTRO!
What a great dog he is.
All of you who passed him up, well, you missed out on one heck of a dog.
I guess you’re just gonna have to sit back and drool behind your screen now.
And… the next time I tell you how great a dog is AND you see a high price on an ADULT, you’ll believe me! (Can you tell I’m proud? My buttons are BURSTING!)
Here’s his fantastic story.
As you know, our dogs live in the beautiful Ponderosa forests of northeastern Washington state.
Instead of sirens, taxi horns, babies crying, loud music blaring, and motorcycle engines revving, we have…
- birds chirping
- wind whistling
- rain pounding
- coyotes yipping
Instead of rooms in a house with a fenced in backyard, we have cedar cabins attached to 30 foot covered dog runs.
It’s such a different lifestyle than most.
According to the 2022 U.S. Census, the northwest and northeast parts of the country are 88.9% and 84% urban residents respectively. The average urban/rural ratio for the entire United States now stands at 80/20.
What’s more, we are probably in the lowest 1% of people in the U.S. who live without being on the grid or having running water.
Despite never having ridden in a car or walked into a vet’s office before (or any ordinary looking building, for that matter… ), Monstro took everything in stride.
A true testament to his superior stable temperament.
He laid his head on my lap while we drove, lying down quietly the entire time. I think he loved the head squitches. HAHA.
He walked steadily by my side on the leash, allowing me to lead, but following right behind.
Monstro only hesitated slightly at the open door to the vet’s office. But after a few seconds to observe the situation, he walked right in.
Jay led him to the scale.
Monstro walked straight on and stood - as if we had trained him.
(He weighed 132.2 lbs!!)
Slippery floors… no problem.
Strangers with weird lights on their head and metal instruments around their necks… no problem.
He was not one bit nervous of Dr. Dale bending down to look into his eyes or touching every part of his body as he checked Monstro over.
Then, he snuggled up next to the female vet tech and wagged his tail, asking for a pat on the head.
He walked right back into the car when it was time to go home, again, as if he had always done it.
Now, I know, some of you may be thinking…
That kinda sounds like bragging and no one likes a braggart.
I AM!!
Because… not many dogs could have done that under the same isolated circumstances.
Most dogs take training!
Now, I’m not saying all of our dogs can do that… because they wouldn’t all be able to do that.
But, Monstro is one special dog!
He is going to live near us, so if we ever feel the urge for another litter from him, that’s a possibility.
And… I can visit him. YAY!
Today, we’ll be preparing the Chrysler Pacifica for tomorrow’s journey.
Join Jay in REAL TIME for the WOLF MOON TRIP as he travels our great country delivering puppies to their waiting families.
DOWNLOAD the FREE PolarSteps app!
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/polarsteps-travel-tracker/id947925763
With a 4.8/5 star rating and over 2,727 reviews, PolarSteps is our choice for a free option to share the journey in real time with you!
Jay will post daily photos, videos, and stories as he travels around the country with the puppies.
See the heartwarming first-time meeting with their new families.
Share in the excitement when the new owners finally meet their puppy for the first time.
So, what are you waiting for?
Don’t miss out on all the fun!
Once you have the FREE app loaded on your phone,
follow Jay Stoeckl and let the adventure begin!
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.
Pategon
Goliath