You should change your name to wolf knockoff program
By Jennifer Stoeckl, MAT - Dire Wolf Project CEO, Dec. 27, 2023
Yesterday, I received a message on our “DireWolf Dogs of Vallecito” Facebook page.
The exchange baffled me, but I wasn’t shocked. It’s a typical conversation from this type of person.
“I am interested. In your wolf pups. Could you please let me know if you have any upcoming litters? We live in the mountain of Durango Co and I have hand 2 wolf dogs over the year and love them. Thanks, Tom”
Here was my reply:
Hello Tom -
Thank you so much for writing to us. It is important to let you know that our dogs do not have any wolf blood in them. We only breed our dogs to replicate the bone and body structure of the extinct dire wolf.
Here is our website:
Thanks so much! If you are still interested, we do have a little puppies right now. But we do have a waiting list the first thing to do would be to complete the puppy adoption questionnaire.
Let me know if you have any questions.
Here's my email: jennifer@direwolfproject.com
All the best,
Jennifer
Tom’s Response:
“Ok well send pics so mainly malamute with shepherds”
Even though I gave him the website address where information and photos abound… and he is writing to me on my business Facebook page where he could easily click the photos link, I sent him a few pictures of our dogs.
I really don’t like lazy customers. Buying a dog is not something to trifle about. It is a serious 12-14 year commitment. It’s important to do your research first.
But I am always kind. That’s my way.
My response:
“Here are some examples. There are many more on the website.”
Tom’s reply:
“I would not say they look like a Dire-wolf.
Mr Bigs what was 72% wolf looked much like a fire wolf but they are rare. I ended up being 140 lbs and that’s the kind of bloodline that I am seeking for. But good look on your quest
I have been searching for quite an awhile the main thing is to get a true McKenzie Valley Wolfe , they are the largest and calmest wolf and are extinct out in the wild, and breed it with malamute shepherd must totally avoid any husky traits.
Your dogs are cute, who knows maybe will go with one of your males, what to they weight on adverage”
AAAHHH!! Now I get it!
He wants to breed wolf dog hybrids.
And is looking into the possibility of using a puppy from the Dire Wolf Project to breed to a full-blooded McKenzie Valley Wolf.
Oh dear. Now my spidey senses are really tingling.
So… it’s time to get direct with him.
Kind, but direct.
After all, we do have standards over here at the Dire Wolf Project.
Here was my reply:
“Our males weigh around 120 lbs.
We are strongly against wolf dog breeding, though, so if that’s your intention, best to keep looking.
It is estimated that 200,000 wolf dogs end up euthanized every year.
They are often abandoned and wolf dog sanctuaries and rescues are full with waiting lists years out.
The world doesn’t need anymore wolf dogs.”
Well, you wanna take a guess at what happened next?
Yeah… let’s just say he wasn’t happy.
And… the real Tom… the one he’d been suppressing to stay on my good side… came out.
Tom’s reply:
“Your numbers are so far off it’s sad.
There is less than 3000 wolves in the entire country.
You should change your name to wolf knockoff programs your pictures of your most recent pups are horrible and your philosophy
Is
Disgusting.
I’m actually doing the opposite and sharing the beauty of the wolves with is the most misunderstood animal in the planet and the OLNY animal hunted to extinction on purpose
Very sad
I completely disagree with you and stop pushing around those fake numbers please”
If Tom thinks our puppies look horrible and our philosophy is disgusting, why was he looking for a puppy from us in the first place?
I do not respond to personal attacks, so that’s where the conversation ended.
I find it extremely sad that there are so many people in our country who believe wolf dog breeding is somehow “sharing the beauty of the wolves.”
When the opposite is true.
Wolf dogs are MORE DANGEROUS than full wolves.
This is because wolf dogs are confused animals; neither dog nor wolf.
They can be initially friendly and then become defensive, possessive, or aggressive.
Wolf dogs are not the same as wolves.
Wolves are properly shy of people. This keeps wolves away from humans; thus they are much less likely to become aggressive, possessive, or defensive.
Wolf dogs and wolves are two VERY different creatures.
Here are some facts:
- In the United States alone, there are an estimated 250,000 to 500,000 wolves and wolf dogs owned as pets. (wolfsanctuary.co)
- An estimated 150,00 to 250,000 wolf dogs are born in the U.S. each year. (wolfeducation.org) + (wolfsanctuary.co)
- Roughly 1-in-10 wolf dogs are able to exist, and even sometimes thrive, in the human world. (missionwolf.org)
- The vast majority of wolf dogs are shy or scared of people and are unable to rehome successfully. (missionwolf.org)
- Wolf dog sanctuaries and rescues are only able to save a small percentage of wolf dogs. (missionwolf.org)
- Even with all of the refuges and sanctuaries in the U.S., there is only enough space for a few hundred wolves and wolf dogs to be cared for. And of those few hundred spaces, only a very small handful are open to new animals. (missionwolf.org)
- Yamnuska Wolf Dog Sanctuary: “While we do accept surrenders, we are at capacity based on the number of enclosures we currently have, and sadly have to turn many wolfdogs away.”
- An estimated 90 - 95% of wolf dogs are euthanized by the time they are 2 years old. (wolfsanctuary.co) + (missionwolf.org)
- According to a 2018 Colorado Public Radio Article by Rachel Ramberg, around 200,000 wolf dogs are euthanized each year.
Many people are grossly misinformed about wolf dogs, including many wolf dog breeders.
Every time I hear another heartbreaking story of a wolf dog being abandoned or euthanized, my heart aches for the senseless tragedy.
You wouldn’t know many of these true statistics about wolf dog breeding and ownership if it weren’t for the brave wolf dog rescues and sanctuaries speaking out.
The vast majority of wolf dogs are dangerous.
And they certainly are not safe around children.
On December 1, 2023, a wolf dog mauled
a 3-month-old baby boy to DEATH in Chelsea, Alabama.
Click here to learn more about this recent tragedy:
The danger of owning a wolf dog is one of the major reasons Lois began the Dire Wolf Project in 1988.
She wanted to counter the growing trend of wolf dog ownership at the time by creating an alternative 100% dog that had the most beautiful features of the giant wolves of old.
Little did she know embarking on such an endeavor would take her an entire lifetime to achieve.
It turns out breeding back to a wild type from purely domesticated dogs is NOT easy.
Especially when one refuses to breed in modern day wolf lineage, as every single other wolf look-a-like breed has done.
After all, we are countering 15,000 to 30,000 years of domestication evolution.
Some of our DireWolf Dogs may not look as wild as others, but we are dedicated to producing the highest quality in health and companion dog temperament first before the wild canid outward appearance traits of the extinct, prehistoric dire wolf.
But… our “philosophy is disgusting?”
Right.
Do not place your family at risk, when there is a perfectly safe alternative.
100% Dog, 0% Wolf™
Dire Wolf Project
I am scheduled to leave on the next cross country trip TODAY to deliver Trixie, Vlad, and Gladys (Zola) to their new homes.
The vet appointment is for 11:30 this morning and then I head out on the road with the dogs.
You can follow me in real time.
This is the free tracking app we use:
https://direwolfproject.com/direwolf-dogs/direwolf-express/direwolf-express-tracking/
And tomorrow… let the dad jokes commence!
Jay will be with you until I return from the trip.
Enjoy his wittier stories.
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.