There's a Gentle Giant in the Puppy Pile

This morning I watched a tiny lesson in courage unfold on the puppy pen floor, and it made me laugh because it also made me proud.

When the Candy Crush litter was younger, they treated “Mom left us” like the end of the world.

The instant Maggie stood up, you would have thought someone had stolen the sun, and the whole pen would erupt in squeaks and protests as if she had joined a traveling circus and planned never to return.

So we started a simple rhythm.

Maggie leaves for a moment, and we wait.

We do not rush in to soothe the little demanding squeaks.

That way we also do not accidentally teach them that panic is the fastest way to summon comfort.

Instead, we let them feel the discomfort, because even little puppies must learn life doesn’t always have to go their way, then we let their little squishy minds work through the problem.

It still amazes me just how fast even four day old puppies can learn the routine.

The second the last fussy sound fizzles out and the pile grows quiet, Mom returns as a confirmation that calm brings safety back faster than chaos ever will.

Over time, the change in each one of those puppies has been unmistakable.

Now when Maggie steps away, they still notice she’s gone, because they are not numb little robots.

They are sensitive, thoughtful puppies, after all.

But instead of spiraling into a frenzy, they gently scoot closer together, tuck themselves into the warm puppy pile, and settle into that quiet, steady breathing that tells you their little nervous systems are learning safety remains even without their mom nearby.

Watching it feels oddly ancient, like a kind of canine instinct at work.

They build a tiny den out of each other and decide, together, that their world can wait.

Especially the giant of the litter, Bubblegum Troll.

Even as a newborn, he has that “built like a brick house” look about him, and when the others curl up like little pebbles, he somehow becomes the boulder that completes the circle.

What cracks me up is that he skips the tough guy routine entirely and simply pancakes himself into the cuddle heap, as if the official plan is to out snuggle the problem.

Then he falls asleep among the smaller ones like nothing in the universe could possibly be amiss.

If you have ever wondered what a gentle soul looks like in a large body, it looks exactly like Bubblegum Troll.

I bet you know exactly which puppy he is in this picture…

I also cannot help myself, because once you see Bubblegum Troll doing his gentle-giant thing, your brain starts writing the future for him.

In my head, he grows up, strolls into spring wearing a 3XL “Leprechauns Fear Me” shirt, and looks like he is about to compete in a strongman contest, except his true athletic event is leaning into your legs for affection and staring at you until you tell him he is magnificent.

The sleeves will be cut off too, not because he is trying to be intimidating, but because his shoulders will refuse to be contained by mere fabric.

Meanwhile, his siblings will be in an XL with room to spare, eyeing him like, “Would you please stop taking up three zip codes?”

That right there is the DireWolf Dog™ paradox, and it is one of my favorite things about our breed.

These dogs can look powerful, and they often carry themselves with that calm confidence that makes people stare, but what lives at the center of them is tenderness.

They love in a way that feels steady and sincere, and when they decide you belong, you are not just welcomed; you are absorbed.

I can already tell Bubblegum Troll is going to have the sort of presence that makes small mythical creatures squeal, drop their ale, and sprint for their mum like their little green trousers are on fire.

He will have that big, calm gravity that turns heads before he even does a thing, and his size alone will feel like a warning label to anything tiny and smug.

Then, just when the leprechaun thinks he can outsmart the situation, Bubblegum Troll will do what our dogs always do once they decide you are safe: he will offer friendship with the full force of his affection.

And by the way… that affection is going to come with a tongue that could probably qualify as a piece of gym equipment.

That is the whole joke behind our “LEPRECHAUNS FEAR ME” design, and it makes me smile because it captures the truth about this breed.

The power in our giant dogs is real, but the heart is softer than it looks, and the tongue is absolutely enormous.

Click the link to see for yourself:

https://shop.direwolfproject.com/products/leprechauns-fear-me-design

Once you’re there, picture Bubblegum Troll wearing it someday like a walking billboard for calm confidence and questionable levels of slobber.

Because if a leprechaun ever does wander into your home range this March, you’ll want to be properly dressed for the occasion.

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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.