PUPDATES and Patch's Homecoming!

PUPDATE: Jennifer is returning home late tonight. She had a successful journey delivering dogs and puppies and rescuing a dog out of New England who has bonded very strongly with Jennifer.

I won’t steal her thunder as she has so much to tell you about her trip. Her, and Henry’s conclusive tale will be told in tomorrow’s email. Can’t wait to hear her perspective!

A couple of days ago, a wonderful and very energetic person named Jamie came to pick up Pumpkin Patch!

For starters, I LOVE the part of seeing puppies and dogs find their forever home.  

It is like a beautiful sunrise after a week of rain.

I absolutely loved Jamie. She is everything we want in an American Dirus owner! Just the perfect mindset when it comes to our beloved dogs as so many of you out there possess! Positive, sincere, and honest!

Jamie had her eyes on Patch ever since Jennifer decided not to keep him. I don’t recall the back story on Patch as he is such a beauty with his wolf mask and wolfy look.

Jamie fell in love right away.

But she could not take Patch until after her terminally ill dog passed away. He finally did just around May 2nd.

I know what some of you may be thinking.

What happens often when one of our beloved heart dogs passes away? We have to spend time grieving. At least that appears to be the case most of the time.

I don’t know if Jamie’s buddy passed naturally at home or if she had to have him put down. What I do know is that she looked at the empty room where he had been and, like all of us, felt the emptiness—

—that empty food bowl that would no longer feed his hungry tummy. That empty dog bed that still carried remnants of his fur.

And I’m sure a few toys that had been his favorites.

And so many other reminders. To me, that’s the hardest part—coming home and seeing what still remained to sustain him/her and now they are gone.

What occurred next could make you tear up as it did me.

Jamie regarded her own bed. A feeling of that emptiness consumed her as she realized she would have to go to bed that night without her beloved boy by her side.

So…

With complete abandon, she jumped into her car and drove six hours in our direction! On the way, she called Jennifer and asked if Patch would be available right away.

Jenn was uncertain I would be available the following day as I had a charter trip to drive for. Perhaps Saturday would be better.

Friday morning I received a phone call. Jamie wanted to know if I would still be around or should she wait another day. I told her I wasn’t leaving until 11:00.

Jamie fled from her hotel and beelined to Fruitland. It was about a 90 minute trip. There would be plenty of time to fetch Patch before I had to drive to Spokane for my day assignment.

Patch was still sharing a space in Cabin 5 with Mustang, Licorice, Lincoln, and Dell. The moment Jamie arrived, I came out and opened the front door of that cabin and went in. I closed the main outside door, and cracked open the inside door, the one that leads into the dog space.

Five dogs to contend with…

How many would be scampering for opportunity to go through an open door? I realized just then that I would have to juggle the dogs back and forth until Patch was closest to the door and hoped to get him to follow me out.

That was NOT to be the case!

In fact, it went off with perfection, something I did not expect.

Upon opening the inside door, PATCH, and only PATCH, stood at the doorway.  I think he knew it was his turn as so many puppies I have delivered knew when it was their turn to be dropped off. It’s an uncanny sixth sense that they have.

Patch came with me out the door without a single challenge. None of the cabin mates followed. Just Patch!

I purposefully did not leash him up. Patch had yet to be leash trained and I wanted him to get his puppy energy out before settling down to business.

After preparing Jamie (and myself) a deserved morning cup of coffee, we sat outside on a metal park bench and let Patch come to us.

After sniffing the perimeters, that is exactly what Patch did.

Jamie’s heart leapt! He was everything she hoped he would be!

We eventually loaded him up. Homeward Bound!

This is Patch at his new home!

I am telling this tale in part because of Jamie’s choice not to grieve her beloved dog for long. I respect any dog owner’s decision to wait until they are ready before acquiring a new dog.

That is each person’s individual and unique decision.

What I have found in persons who decide to get another dog right away is that the grieving process is eased in the presence of the new dog. Some feel guilty about this, because it feels like they’re disrespecting the life of the previous dog.

But ask yourself this question: does the dog who loved and loved and, (oh, let’s add one more love) loved you want you to be sad for them? I know my Cricket wouldn’t when she passed.

I did not wait for Yeti out of respect for Cricket’s passing. I waited for Yeti, because Yeti did not come to me for (yet) another two years.

No other dog called out to me like Yeti did. In this case, I was glad I waited.

Here is what Jamie had to say after Patch got home:

Hi Jennifer!

As I’m sure you know, I picked up Patch, now “Parce” (Pronounced Par-seh). It means “Bro” in Spanish. I’ve named him after the Jaguar in “Encanto” who can communicate with Antonio without words, because of Antonio’s special gift with animals.

Training him is so easy, it feels a little like cheating.

He’s doing just great. Learning at the speed of light.

Thank you for building such wonderful companions, I absolutely love him!

—Jaimie

Oh, and she texted me:

Once we arrived he quickly realized I’m his person and he’s home.

Parce is not the only one still available at Dire Wolf Project Headquarters. Go to: https://direwolfdogs.com/

There just might be the perfect puppy or dog waiting for you to say, “I’m his person and he’s home!”

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.