My two picks revealed!

Hey! Some of you are great guessers!

So, in yesterday’s email, I asked you what your predictions were on which puppies I might choose to further this line and why.

If you watched our latest YouTube video, you were able to experience each puppy and my thoughts about their individual personalities.

Some of you even put together what I said in my latest “trait chart” from a few weeks ago where I revealed how we are splitting the breeding dogs into three lines in order to preserve genetic diversity while increasing population over the entire breed.

I am so proud of my little cherubs who’ve been paying attention!

Here are some of the guesses and reasons why they thought that particular puppy would be ideal to move the breed forward.

1. Everyone guessed Chachi (green). You all mentioned his overall size and muscular build, as well as his super chill and quiet temperament. Well done! You are all correct! Despite his black/silver bi-color, he has some excellent qualities I simply can’t pass up. In the Dire Wolf Project, we have our priorities straight. We breed for outward appearance last when health and temperament are not factors in the decision. In this third generation litter from the most recent Lab/Shepherd cross, I have to focus on health and temperament before superficial things like coloring. Plus, we have many dogs with the right coloring. Chachi will set us back in the coat color part of the equation, but a great, bonded, loyal, loving, intelligent companion dog like no other is much more important than whether he has a wolf sable coat type. Our unwavering devotion to breeding for the most important inherited traits you can’t see before addressing the outward appearance traits is a hallmark of the Dire Wolf Project breeding integrity. And Chachi is a prime example of why.
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2. Some of you guessed Heather (light blue). She is a beautiful puppy with a fantastic laid-back temperament. I also wanted a female with a white mask to move on with this line. She is practically perfect in every way. I like her a great deal. But in this puppy’s case, I have to consider health before both temperament and outward appearance. This puppy required assistance for a few days after birth. She was not affected by anesthesia from the c-section (because she was born naturally), but as with three of her other siblings, it took 24-hour surveillance just after birth to make sure she learned how to find the available nipples at the milk bar. There may be several reasons for this, but one of them may be a lack of ability or persistence due to being initially confused, underweight, too submissive, or lack of intuitive sense of direction. Without human intervention, this puppy and three others would have perished in the wild. As you know, we practice “God’s Breeding Plan” where only the fittest will be able to procreate and continue their genetic legacy. And while she is not unhealthy with a great temperament and wonderful wolfish outward appearance, stubbornly adhering to nature’s rules for breeding is more important than our own desires for advancements toward dire wolf replication. It’s not about rushing to get to the finish line. It’s about integrity all the while we run the race.
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3. A few of you guessed Potsie (brown). This puppy also impresses me, too. He is equally as chill and quiet as Chachi. He also has the giant size and muscular build. He would go on to breed and give us great future litters. However, he is a black and gold bi-color, instead of a black and silver. If I’m going to keep one unwanted bi-color, the preference would be black and silver. But you are right that Potsie is otherwise breeding material. Love this pup!
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4. Still others guessed Joanie (pink). Another great guess from our most involved Inner Circle members! Well done. Unfortunately, Joanie is also a black and silver bi-color, but it can’t be helped. Her other sisters (other than Heather above) all have a tendency to talk or vocalize, which is unwanted as we move away from the more talkative/vocal Lab/Shepherd cross three generations back. The American Dirus™ dog is meant to be a silent observer, not a barking alerter. They should quietly stare at you with those striking yellow eyes. Much more intimidating (even if they aren’t mean or aggressive in any way) than a barking dog. She is a gentle giant, not prone to getting excited or anxious. Plus robust and muscular in her build. She is the full package except for her color, so I will simply have to adjust my plans as they were previously written. So be it.

No one chose any of the other puppies.

And you were right not to.

Again, it’s important to say this outloud…

Just because I don’t choose a puppy to help us bring about the next generations of DireWolf Dogs™ doesn’t mean the puppies I do not choose are somehow inferior as companion dogs.

That’s not the case at all.

First of all, I help match your puppy to your family, so I’ll tell you honestly if there is a puppy that’s not for you.

Secondly, you don’t have to think about future generations. You only need to think about a companion dog that has the potential to be the best dog you’ve ever owned.

And ALL of my dogs will be the best companion dog for the right family.

So don’t think of the others as rejects.

That’s simply not true.

Tomorrow I am going to produce a video for you that I will place on the Dire Wolf Project Learnistic app that will delve deeper into my thinking on each of the puppies and my thoughts on the future of the breed from here.  

But for today, if you haven’t seen the latest video of these adorable one-week-old puppies, check out the Happy Days Litter page here:

https://direwolfdogs.com/litters/68/

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.