Even I make mistakes!
By Jennifer Stoeckl, MAT - Dire Wolf Project CEO, June 20, 2025
Okay. I have a confession to make.
You know me—Jennifer Stoeckl, alpha of this den, head of the Dire Wolf Project, Dire Mother to all things four-pawed and prehistoric...
I like to think I have a pretty good nose for sniffing out a pup's future.
After all, I’ve spent decades tracking bloodlines, analyzing temperaments, and stalking the ever-elusive "perfect pairing" across generations like a saber-toothed tiger on a frosty mammoth trail.
But this?
This was a whopper!
Let me tell you about Lucky Charms.
You may remember him from the Luck of the Irish litter (Chisel x Dreamer).
Sweet, gentle, calm little guy.
Not the flashiest in the den.
I looked at this squishy pup and thought to myself: Here’s a big dog in a manageable package. Large? Sure. Giant? Nah.
Prediction: 90 to 100 lbs, tops.
Fast-forward to today.
Current status:
185 lbs.
31 inches at the shoulder.
Eats like a glacier devouring a forest.
and STILL GROWING!
Folks… we are now officially in Clifford the Big Red Dog territory!
His owner, the wonderful Sarah, wrote in with this hilarious and heartfelt message:
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“At his last vet weigh-in, Pete was 185 lbs! There’s a huge difference between a 90 lb dog and a 185 lb puppy. He isn’t done growing! We joke he’s our own personal Clifford. Even a calm, well-mannered boy like Pete is not for the average family… these pups are for people who are committed, serious, and deeply bonded with their four-legged family.”
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Oh, Sarah.
First of all, bless you for still calling him a puppy.
That’s like calling a mammoth a “woolly kitten!”
And second—WHOA!!!
How did THAT happen?!
Dreamer (his mom) is only about 115 lbs.
Chisel (his dad) is only about 120 lbs.
His brother, Dublin?
Somewhere around 130 lbs.
Totally respectable.
Totally within range.
But Pete??
Pete decided to go full Ice Age Titan!
He’s stomping through the neighborhood like he’s got dire wolf DNA mixed with a T-Rex on a bulking cycle.
I told Sarah this was the biggest surprise we’ve had in the entire breed.
He may literally be the heaviest American Dirus™ dog on record right now!
And friends… this is the part where I eat a nice, juicy slice of humble pie.
I. Got. It. Wrong.
Dead wrong.
My predictions this time?
As off as Embark's weight estimates (you know the ones—“Your dog will weigh 72 lbs full grown,” meanwhile you’re looking at a 105 lb floof with paws the size of dinner plates).
But hey… that’s the mystery of genetics!
Sometimes a pup reaches back into the ancestral gene pool and pulls out something extinct.
Pete is the walking embodiment of recessive trait roulette.
He's the family member who shows up to the reunion with red hair, green eyes, and a deep voice that makes thunder jealous—while everyone else in the family is quietly sipping sweet tea at 5'3".
It happens.
Albeit, rarely.
But magnificently.
And when it does?
Well, you just stand back and say, “WELP! That’s a big dog!”
Pete may be a marshmallow, but he's a mighty one!
Wanna see the beast behind the myth?
Check out Lucky Charms (aka: Pete)'s full pedigree here:
Pro tip:
You can type in the name of any American Dirus™ dog and see their family tree, right down to the original dire-flavored ancestors of the breed.
It’s like digging up fossils—but easier on the back.
Who knows?
Maybe your pup has a secret giant in their past too.
'Til next time, keep those bowls full and your dens warm.
And remember: not even the alpha is perfect... but she does own her mistakes with flair.
Pack Leader, Pedigree Miscalculator, & Lover of All Things Fluffy!
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P.S. A few days ago, I uploaded an in depth review of why I chose Joanie and Chachi from the Happy Days Litter (Dublin/Jengu), but there were some technical difficulties. The Learnistic tech staff are working on it. Hopefully it’ll be up by today sometime, but if not, I’ll let you know when.
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.