A whole new world of training
By Jennifer Stoeckl, MAT - Dire Wolf Project CEO, June 18, 2024![Monstro9.jpeg](https://direwolfproject-public.s3.amazonaws.com/images/DSC_2843.width-350.jpg)
In the exclusive, invite-only American Dirus Owners Facebook group, one owner recently commented,
“This is a whole new world of training for me. Totally different then with working or hound breeds.”
This owner has lived with many purebred dog breeds throughout her life; breeding, showing, and training, yet her American Dirus dog is unlike them all.
It’s often said, “You can’t know what we are talking about until you actually own one.”
And that’s so true!
I try hard to capture it in videos and stories.
Until you experience the difference for yourself, there may always be a lingering thought in the back of your mind whether all of these American Dirus owners have simply just “drank the kool-aid” and become brainwashed by a cult-like following.
I understand.
Truly, I do.
If you think that, you aren’t the first.
Many people, including professional dog trainers, inquiring about the breed have come and gone from our owner community in utter disbelief of our claims.
How can a dog breed be so fundamentally different?
They are just dogs, after all.
Well, that’s the problem, right there.
Yes, they are still dogs.
They still do doggie things.
They still conform to the “Canine Culture”.
But, they are a different type of dog… unlike any other dog breed out there.
They truly are the WORLD’S FIRST large companion dog breed.
Not simply a working breed living as a companion dog.
But a truly unique, genetically-altered, inherited temperament.
The owner above’s adult American Dirus dog is named Shiloh (fka: Monstro; Essex/Razar).
And after four months of helping Shiloh transition to her home, she has learned a thing or two about this new type of dog breed.
She reports that Shiloh is:
- extremely intelligent
- does not like mindless repetition
- highly emotionally sensitive
- eidetic (has a very long memory)
- baffling to professional dog trainers
- not shy/fearful, but truly aloof to strangers and other dogs
One time, her daughter, who lives upstairs, shouted “No!” at one of her dogs (upstairs).
Even though Shiloh was downstairs and couldn’t see what was going on, he assumed the correction was meant for him.
It took Shiloh weeks before he was comfortable going near that space below the stairs at that same time of day when he first heard the correction.
SO SENSITIVE!
And now I have the privilege and honor to train Shiloh for mobility service work.
Yesterday, I formally began working with him.
Every Monday I will travel to Shiloh’s new home for another training lesson.
Peering into a dog’s mind by teaching them how to speak human is one of the most amazing experiences I have ever done in my life.
I absolutely love connecting with a dog in such a deep way.
I will be filming and documenting Shiloh’s training to add to the Canine Culture Shock™ companion dog training series.
Hopefully, it will help other people learn to connect with calm, gentle, emotionally sensitive dogs in a more intimate way.
But first, learn the fundamental differences between a working breed living as a companion dog and a true companion dog breed.
Click below to go through the free lessons:
https://direwolfproject.com/direwolf-guardians/companion-dog-training/what-is-a-companion-dog/
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.