The Dire Wolf Project has been mercilessly ridiculed for this over the years

By Jennifer Stoeckl, MAT - Dire Wolf Project CEO, March 18, 2024

Female - Lucky - Vallecito's Lucky Charms

There is a LOT of controversy over whether an informed, experienced breeder following a breed-wide standardized temperament test can tell what a one-day old puppy’s genetically inherited temperament is, but the chatter doesn’t bother me one bit.

The proof is in the pudding.

The Luck of the Irish litter is a SECOND GENERATION from the latest Lab/Shepherd outcross.

Temperament MUST be chosen above looks, no matter the consequences for the breed’s overall outward appearance requirements.

The Dire Wolf Project has been mercilessly ridiculed for this over the years with statements like…

“Your dogs don’t look anything like wolves.”

“Just German Shepherds with yellow eyes.”

“There is no consistency of type despite the high inbreeding.”

And on and on it goes.

This is where most every other breeder fails.

After all, the eye wants what it wants.

And breeders know what sells puppies to the majority of folks looking for that quintessential cute puppy vibe.

i.e. The Goldendoodle only sells if it has that “hypoallergenic” (cough) coat type and that teddy bear face. Without that… it’s not worth the price tag.

But, strongbred™ breeders at the Dire Wolf Project are inherently different.

We know that if health and temperament are compromised, the breed, as we know it now, would cease to exist.

Lois’s vision of the world’s first large breed of family companion dog would be forever lost.

The stakes are extremely high.

In this 2nd generation outcross litter, there are so many different facets to consider in order to advance the breed, but they are not all in one puppy.

Each puppy carries something unique in its temperament and/or looks that we need.

I cannot keep them all, however.

A choice must be made.

If we make a mistake here, it can have permanent breed-wide consequences.

It is crucial that we put aside our feelings about which puppy is the prettiest, largest, most wolfie-looking, etc.

Because this outcross litter is so diverse, we have to choose on temperament alone, regardless of size, bone thickness, tail length, head shape, etc.

(NOTE: As long as health is not a factor.)

And the earlier we know aspects of a puppy’s inherited temperament, the sooner we can make an informed choice on which puppy will be the one to lead this line into the third generation.

And as I said at the beginning, I can already tell some important things about the inherited temperament of these puppies just from performing the standardized temperament test, observational data, and many litters of previous experience.

This is because a newborn puppy has NO outside influence or experience to alter their raw reactions to certain stressors they encounter just after birth.

I have now added my personal take on each puppy’s personality on their personal pages.

Click the link, then click on each puppy to learn more about my thoughts on their reactions within the first 24 hours of life.

https://direwolfdogs.com/litters/27/