Spike's Breakthrough
By Jennifer Stoeckl, MAT - Dire Wolf Project CEO, June 19, 2025
Yesterday, little Spike—a pup so small he could curl up in the palm of your hand—was fading.
He had lost an ounce in weight.
His skin felt brittle.
His body, which had been trudging along with quiet resolve, suddenly gave the signal that it was running on empty.
But this morning, he had a breakthrough.
As many of you know, Spike is the smallest of our Happy Days Litter, born under a pound and forever playing catch-up against his giant-sized siblings.
Most of the time, he doesn’t bark or complain.
He just tries—quietly and faithfully.
But yesterday, his body could no longer keep pace with his spirit.
That’s when I stepped in with subcutaneous fluids.
Now, I’ll be honest with you.
These needles are not small.
And Spike, being the size of a fledgling starling, had every reason to protest.
But while he winced when the needle pierced his skin, he didn’t fight.
He simply trusted.
I administered lactated ringers—an electrolyte-rich solution that mimics the body’s own fluids.
It’s something I’ve used before, a technique borrowed from veterinary medicine and experience earned through years of caring for pups like Spike.
It’s not heroic, nor all that drastic.
It’s really just basic hydration.
It’s giving a fragile pup the water he needs to live.
And live he did.
About an hour after the fluids settled beneath his skin, Spike woke from a nap and—without any help from me—waddled right over to his mother and latched on.
He suckled with such force, such determination, that I was nearly in tears.
His belly swelled into a round, milk-filled drum.
I even gave him a little burp, just to ease the pressure.
He looked so proud afterward.
And then, like any well-fed baby, he curled up and slept for hours.
Later, he got up again—on his own—to nurse.
No, he’s not out of the woods yet.
He’s still tiny and still vulnerable.
But he's not giving up.
And neither are we.
This is what makes us different.
We’re not just watching from afar and crossing our fingers.
We watch. We weigh. We act.
We do not force our puppies to survive at all costs.
But we do provide life-giving nourishment—water, food, warmth, safety—until each pup tells us, in their own way, whether they are meant to continue.
Spike’s body said “help.”
And today, his body says “maybe.”
That’s all we need for now.
If you haven’t yet met Spike and his siblings, I encourage you to visit the Happy Days Litter page, where you can watch the full video introducing each pup, one by one. It’s a sweet and meaningful way to connect with the little lives you’re now cheering for.
Thank you for walking beside us through these tender, uncertain moments.
Your love and support are felt, even by the tiniest paws in our den.
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.