Lori Beth's Big Day
By Jennifer Stoeckl, MAT - Dire Wolf Project CEO, Aug. 7, 2025
Today, the red-collared starlet of the Happy Days litter, Lori Beth, had her grand going-home moment.
Three of her packmates had already left the den, their tails wagging into new adventures.
And now... it was Lori Beth’s turn.
But let’s rewind for a moment.
Just before her family arrived, this fiery little female had been subject to the ultimate betrayal…
A bath.
The indignity!
The wet fur!
The towel rubdown!
Her usual soft snuggles were replaced by low grumbles of protest as she sulked on the porch, looking every bit like a drenched Ice Age pup who’d been caught in a glacier stream.
Then came the moment her new family stepped onto Dire Wolf Project territory, hearts full and arms ready.
They had flown all the way from sunny California to Washington’s wild heart just to meet their newest companion.
And what a meeting of the packs it was!
They were already part of the DireWolf Dog™ family.
Proud companions to Eeyore and the dearly departed Pooky, who, funnily enough, was a mirror image of Jengu, Lori Beth’s mother.
How rare and beautiful to see generations ripple forward like that.
One DireWolf Dog™ echoing the next, lineage howling through the years.
When Lori Beth's new mama sat in the porch chair and opened her arms, Lori Beth hesitated.
She was still damp, betrayed, and mildly offended.
But then…
The sulky pup snuggled in close.
Her big brown eyes lifted.
She locked gaze with her new human, tilted her head, and leaned in slowly.
kiss, kiss, kiss!
The gentlest, softest kisses you’ve ever seen.
Just like that, all was forgiven.
The bath? Forgotten.
The towel? Ancient history.
This was her person.
She melted into her new mom's lap, safe and content.
The look on her face said it all: This is where I belong now.
Lori Beth will fly home in a soft-sided crate, nestled in the cabin with the hum of the engines and the warmth of her new family beside her.
We can’t wait to hear of her grand California adventures, her first play bows in a new yard, her first howl under unfamiliar stars.
A new habitat, a new territory, but the same loyal, tender spirit.
Let the puppy training begin!
For all our DireWolf Guardians wondering what comes next, don’t wander the wilderness alone.
We’ve gathered our best trail markers and training tips for you here:
May your days be filled with soft kisses, damp paws, and wagging tails,
===
P.S. Little Heather has decided she’s feeling remarkably better. Her fever has disappeared, and she has much less mucus coming from her eyes and nose. She has eaten a good deal yesterday and had a firm bowel movement for the first time in a week. I think the worst is over, folks! I will continue to monitor her hydration, but everything is now maintenance. She loves to be outside and wants more than anything to be in with her siblings again. But maybe in another day. Let’s see how she does throughout today first.
Jennifer Stoeckl is the co-founder and CEO of the Dire Wolf Project™, founder of the DireWolf Guardians™ American Dirus Dog Training Program, and owner/operator of DireWolf Dogs™ of Vallecito and the DireWolf Express™. She lives in the beautiful inland northwest among the Ponderosa pine forests with her pack of American Dirus™ dogs with her husband, Jay.