"I can get this type of dog at the pound"

Challenger is now Marshmallow

We’ve been receiving quite a bit of correspondence from new inquirers lately.

And with that influx, we’re bound to find people who haven’t yet done the research to learn about the reality of the Dire Wolf Project.

They come with all kinds of preconceived notions.

One of the most baffling to me are those who are hoping for a wolf dog.

We plaster “100% dog, 0% wolf™” on every page and email newsletter correspondence, but still we often receive something like the following response from a woman hoping for a 50/50 wolf/Malamute:  

“I don’t want to put a deposit of $600. Those sound like dogs that I can get at the dog pound I want a half wolf and half malamute puppy but I guess it’s not possible I don’t want just any kind of dog thank you anyways.”

Well, thanks for stopping by.

Even though 250,000 – 500,000 wolf dogs are born every year.

And there are literally thousands of wolf and wolf dog sanctuaries teeming with abandoned wolf dogs throughout the U.S. and Canada.

With thousands of other forsaken wolf dogs waiting to join them.

If they even make it to a sanctuary.

Because 90-95% of wolf dogs are estimated by some to be euthanized by the time they are two years old.

And as for the statement that someone could find a mix like the American Dirus dog at the pound…

BWAHAHAHA!!!!

You could try.

I was reminded just the other day that one lucky soul in all our 35+ years of breeding actually found his real DireWolf Dog at a local shelter.

It must’ve been like winning the lottery!

So you might even find a real nice dog at the pound that will give you many years of love and devotion.

There are many wonderfully misunderstood or badly trained dogs just waiting for you to give them a chance at a real family who will not give up on them.

In fact, in all seriousness,

I encourage you to go and visit the pound first.

You’ll just have to look past the fact that over a million dogs are literally trafficked into the U.S. and Canada, picked up in third world countries to find themselves in your local shelter.

Make sure to ask the shelter where your dog was picked up off the streets (or surrendered) and when.

If they can’t tell you exactly where that dog’s origins came from, be very suspicious that that particular dog did not originate from your local community.

And good luck asking for the dog’s ancestry or if there is any longterm medical history.

Did the shelter provide a DNA test to prove the mix of breeds they claim the dog to be?

But you could save a life.

Isn’t that what they claim?

It’s true, though!

Literally, you would be saving a life.

Because what do you think happens to dogs that don’t find a home after a certain period?

Yep…

~390,000 dogs (and 530,000 cats) are put down in the U.S. each year.

It’s pretty gruesome stuff when you take a few seconds to think about the entire system surrounding shelter dogs.

On the contrary, the Dire Wolf Project:

1. meticulously breeds toward a strict standardized temperament,
2. has documented ancestry all the way back to the beginning of the breed,
3. DNA tests every single puppy born into the breed, and
4. never euthanizes a dog because it doesn’t find a home in a timely manner.

It’s taken 35+ years of breeding to get the health, temperament, and outward appearance we have now.

But… yeah.

Go ahead.

You might get lucky.

Here’s an update from a couple of our most recent puppy families.

“Marshmallow is doing great here, eating constantly and growing fast. I think his paws are already bigger than our husky’s! The two dogs are getting along well, Marsh is getting braver and more playful every day. He definitely knows he can play more roughly with Penny our husky than with Eda our toddler. I think I only had to tell him off once for tugging at her sleeve and that was it! He’s been a little angel, super sweet with everyone, human and dog alike.

Thank you Dire Wolf Project for creating such wonderful dogs! I couldn’t be happier with our pup.

Here are a couple pictures of him outside with a tasty stick. He’s becoming a very handsome boy!”

“Just a quick pic and note. 

River Monster is now 80lbs at his 6 month check up and doing amazing. He’s blowing out his coat and it keeps getting darker. Loves chasing his ball and bothering his big brother Clark Gable. He wants to be outside all the time but he has a horrible appetite for rocks, so he’s limited. Graduated from his second training class with flying colors. He’s fairly timid but not fearful, just cautious which we’re working on his confidence without Clark by his side. Such an amazing big boy!”

And when you are ready for your own designer mutt not found in your local shelter, the first step is complete our puppy adoption questionnaire and become approved.

Here’s the link in case you ever need it:

https://direwolfproject.com/puppy-application/

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.

Challenger is now Marshmallow

River Monster

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