Dire Wolf Project founder, Lois Schwarz, disagrees.
By Jennifer Stoeckl, MAT - Dire Wolf Project CEO, Feb. 26, 2024
Lois, the Dire Wolf Project founder, and I have recently been speaking about the future of the Dire Wolf Project.
If you did not know, I learned most everything over the last twenty years from Lois’s guidance, but our founder does disapprove of certain things I do.
Lois always allows me to explore breeding on my own so that I can learn by experience; it is the way of apprenticeship and the mark of a great teacher.
But while Lois monitors my breeding of certain unwanted traits, she can also be a very harsh critic.
Lois Schwarz has always striven for perfection.
Her standards are very high.
I have always been expected to rise to the occasion.
However, if you weren’t already aware, I can be quite stubborn.
So…
In this email, I want to share how I stubbornly deviate from our founder and why I deliberately choose to do so.
Here is a list of the breeding traits that I include that annoy the heck out of Lois: *wink
- White Faces
Lois can’t stand the white mask (like the Alaskan Malamute). She allowed me to breed it because I had a theory about canid wolf mask (or self mask) inheritance (presumably including the dire wolf) as it related to the white mask.
The master breeder didn’t want to squash her pupil’s aspirations, so she tolerated my defiance.
On the phone the other day, she recently asked me with a snicker, “So, are you done breeding the white faces yet?”
My short answer is yes.
Because…
I have now found the wolf mask hiding in the recessive behind the white mask.
(NOTE: It is ironic, perhaps, that I would not have found the wolf mask gene had I not bred the white mask, but that’s for another email.)
Now that I have isolated the wolf mask gene in the breed, I will be increasing the wolf mask phenotype in all lines.
I showed the wolf mask trait to Lois the other week, but she did not respond to my show and tell.
I take that to mean she is still keeping an eye on me for now.
… - Increased confidence
Lois doesn’t like a dog that is (in her own words) “too happy”. When a dog wags its tail, licks, spins or jumps with excitement, etc. it annoys Lois to know end.
Her vision for the perfect dog is a calm, collected, gentle, more serious/civilized type of canine.
That is also my vision, as well.
This ideal is even written in the standards of the breed.
(NOTE: To my knowledge, Lois was the FIRST to include specific breed-wide inherited temperament standards in a breed’s official documents.)
From the very beginning, her ideal was an easy dog that had low energy and acted in a naturally respectful, docile, calm way.
This was because, as far back as 1987, she knew full well that the normal, everyday, “non-dog trainer” family had a difficult time dealing with the working energy of the average large dog breed.
In her pursuit of this ideal, some have said Lois has been able to isolate and perpetuate the “Omega Dog” type throughout the breed.
An “Omega Dog” is the self-sacrificial member of the pack that willingly takes on the emotional/physical abuse of the other pack members in order to keep the peace in the family structure as a whole.
As a result, the average DireWolf Dog (both Lois’s and mine) have an uncanny way of identifying and responding to human emotion.
They are highly submissive in nature, as well.
Lois has said that in order to obtain this trait breed-wide, it was necessary to breed in a certain small amount of nervousness - i.e. lack of confidence.
And while I do not disagree that a genetically cautious dog can be an EXCELLENT dog to own… with the right socialization training… there is also something difficult to decreasing a dog’s lack of confidence. One must become a strong leader and lead with a keen mindfulness of the dog’s emotional state. To do otherwise can push a somewhat nervous dog into outright fearful anxiety, and that causes its own set of issues for the family.
In my own pursuit of Lois’s temperament ideals (calm, gentle, submissive, devoted), I have chosen to increase the overall confidence level in my line of dogs.
I have deliberately chosen breeding dogs that genetically show a more inquisitive nature; slightly more confident than cautious.
As a result of this shift, some of the puppies that I do not keep for breeding, have a bolder, overall “happier” disposition. It can look like more energy, especially as puppies, because they don’t simply lay still when placed on the ground in an unfamiliar location. Instead, American Dirus puppies may explore the new area with tails wagging.
I do not believe this equates to an overall increase in energy, because American Dirus dogs remain content with minimal physical exercise. Their highly intelligent, problem-solving minds coupled with a slightly more confident nature do mean that American Dirus puppies enjoy learning by doing just a bit more.
I know this, though, and work hard to choose puppies with a calm, even temperament, not prone to fearfulness, shyness, stubbornness, or dominance.
… - No feathering
Feathering is the long hair between a dog’s toes, behind its legs, ears and rump. This hair is fine, like human hair, and mats easily. It also catches debris like stickers, thorns, sticky plants, and snow.
It is NOT a wild canid trait. Instead, it is a trait specifically established from years of dog domestication.
But, man, its so FLUFFY!!!
and ADORABLE!
Especially that cute pudgy puppy face.
Lois has said on many occasions that she doesn’t mind breeding this trait in the least.
And, in fact, many of her breeding dogs not only carry this recessive trait, but show the trait (meaning they are homogenous - carrying two copies).
Many of you, as well, have told me that you love the long feathering and don’t mind the constant grooming requirements of this coat type.
Despite that clear opposition from two sides, I am a wild canid purist.
I am a “God’s Breeding Plan” purist, too (as created and defined by Lois herself).
NO wild canid living today has feathering.
This is because it cannot be sustained in the wild. Feathering requires express access to humans who regularly groom them.
Therefore I fervently believe the extinct, prehistoric dire wolf also did NOT have feathering.
I do believe, though, that the dire wolf had a long coat type. (as did the wooly mammoth, musk ox, cave bear, and possibly other Ice Age mammals)
As I have proven in my own breeding, long coat types can be bred without feathering, which is my aim.
The long mane and fluffy tail are indeed important to increase within the entire breed.
Feathering is not required to produce a long coat type.
Furthermore, feathering MASKS the long coat type because long feathering can appear very similar if you aren’t familiar with the differences in texture and placement… especially in puppies, which is when I need to make my decision on which dogs to keep for breeding.
Luckily, the recessive feathering trait can be tracked through DNA. As a result of DNA testing each and every puppy born into the Dire Wolf Project, I have now almost completely eliminated it from my stock. At the same time, I am actively working on lengthening the overall coat type. Time will tell if I can achieve this cute, fluffy, long-haired goal in all American Dirus dogs.
Lois has criticized me for other things through the years like: excessive white spotting, curled tails, taller/thinner bones, small feet, round eyes, etc. but all of those issues I also agree are faults. I actively work on eliminating those unwanted traits from the breed whenever I can.
So there you have it.
I do have a method to my madness.
In my lines currently, I am working on increasing:
- the reverse black silver wolf gray (dominant black - i.e. Stanley’s coloring)
- solid coloring (no white spotting)
- wolf mask
- long straight coat type (no feathering/furnishings)
- overall genetic confidence (without increasing energy levels)
- giant size
- heavy muscling
- short, straight tails
- erect ears
- highly slanted yellow eyes
- quietness (no barking/high-pitched whining)
Each trait above requires consistent monitoring and planning.
When I saw the dominant black Lab/Shepherd cross (fka: Black Opal) with the striking bright yellow eyes, short, thick, straight tail, and happy disposition, I immediately asked Lois if she thought it would be a good next crossbreed. She was excited about the addition, and so I jumped at the opportunity.
With the birth of the Luck of the Irish litter, the Dire Wolf Project is now in the second generation from this newest crossbreed.
What an opportunity to see the develop of this new line, right before your very eyes.
You can check out the newest updated notes and pictures of these puppies on their litter page.
Here is the link:
https://direwolfdogs.com/litters/27/
If you are on the official waiting list, you can go active for this litter now.
This litter will be officially for sale in another three weeks.
If your name isn’t starred on the waiting list, I will assume you wish to pass on this litter at that time.
Simply reply to this email to let me know you want to go active, and I will star your name on the waiting list.
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.
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Dreamer another beauty!
Harpo