Good Afternoon bloggers! After a very long day and night Leloo has given me 7 pups out of the nine she whelped. I smile and am filled with the love from and of my father, the man above, the spirit walker. Thank you again for such a wonderful, beautiful litter of DireWolves. I am so blessed.
At day one, puppies all look like big Rats to me, lol. Nothing like fluffy puppies they sleep and eat and sleep and eat, if they survive. No, not all puppies make it you see, puppies are born without a temperature setting and this makes them very vulnerable to dying of cold. Their bodies can not produce heat. Why? This is NATURES way of disposing of the weak. Well, just one of the ways, there are many more but this one is a biggy for breeders.
Under the frost line the mother earth warms all its animals and life can survive! A canines natural evolutionary defence from extinction is in the form of a dugout underground den and anything else will never work with 100% efficiency. Not if you want ‘strongbred’ (TM). Strongbred is what a breeder does to produce animals with the highest rate of survival and the highest level of immunity giving the highest chance to reproduce and bring in the next generation of more strongbred. I am headed towards that direction soon enough. It all takes time but it will be soon. Some of the older dens we used need to be cleaned up and large heavy kennel panels need to be replaced. Takes money too. Breeding is not as easy as most folks think it is. It takes a toll on your soul.
I have been breeding animals for over 60 years and I am getting tired. It has been a long run trying my best to do the best I can into the NATURE of it all. Breeding the best to me is not breeding for the show ring but for breeding for the breed or line of animals that I am bringing into the world, you see, that is my conviction, the person that I am and that I have been from the day I was born. It is what makes me, me.
I am writing this blog today because there is a slow down on the ‘demand’ of pups. This happens sometimes. When I was the only breeder, I could control the amount of dogs I brought into the world and the demand for the pups, today it is kind of different. As I am cutting back in my dogs here on the farm, selling some outcross giants that were needed to increase the size of the last generations, I am now at the end of the Dire Wolf Project. How I know this is through the 60 years of breeding animals or ‘experience’. I can see ahead. I can also see into each dog and what I see are the genes and this enables me to see ahead. I can not really teach this, I think it has to be learned. Sometimes you just have to walk the path. You can’t get everything out of a book, lol. Some folks do try though don’t they? Nope, you gotta walk at some point, so as a teacher, I have learned to just allow my student to get in there and do some walking before I can teach anything else. I just have to let them fly and take a vacation from me for a bit. Take 10 years and go learn about breeding by yourself cause we just can’t continue talking. Now you have to put it to use. You are lucky if you have me to fall back on and you have not pissed me off. My way of teaching doesn’t have government restrictions on it. It is just relationships and communications from one person to another so If you get upset at me or you take from me more than you give, you might just get booted. See, I don’t have to teach. Actually no one has to. All most all older folks are ‘teachers’. They teach just by being your friend, if you listen. Pearls. Some folks have a lot of Pearls. Time……….. Time is all we have to give. My time is valuable and who I choose to share my words and time with are up to me. Pay Attention.
Please read my book the Handbook for New Puppy Owners by L. E. Schwarz
It is the BEST book around until I make my next book. I best get on that. I have a gazillion in this computer. I figure when I stop breeding completely I shall have the time to finish all those books that are just waiting for me to get to them.
Yes, Leloo and Ironheart had a litter of pups and I am pleased. 7 puppies this morning and I shall be keeping 2 or 3 to co own with my daughter Amey Gage. We are only going to keep the best of my life’s work now and the other pups from these litter’s will be sold and that breaks my heart because I am going to tell you the truth of how I feel about all this. These puppies are the production of over 35 years of breeding for the DireWolf and to put a value on them for sale kills me. As far as I am concern there is no one on this planet that I have met (but a handful) that deserve one of my dogs. So, what am I to do? Here is my dilemma. They are fine tuned. They are “Stradivarius” of the violin, they are the best of the best and in today’s market, the price is too high. Here is my dilemma. For all I have prepared, for all I have thought, for all I have figured into the equation, I never foresaw this.
We will NOT be breeding for the public for a while. We shall continue to bring ME……… my dire wolves and some may be sold to the public if we have more than is needed here at the farm. EXPECT HIGH PRICES.
When anyone takes someone’s stock and breeds them for over three generations, the stock is now a NEW LINE or a new foundation, especially if the stock you got your dogs from was an early creation or f-1, 2, 3 etc. Such generations are loaded with a high % of combinations of genetic characteristics. In other words, the early generational outcrosses are not ‘SET’. No one can breed such animals and still stay the course of the founder. That is impossible. After 3 generations you will find that the breeder taking over has moved the center line of the breed either one way or another. What can be done (as in some breeds) is that after you create a line based on the breed standards, one could actually merge the two groups and then take only those that are the closest to the breed standards and strengthen the entire breed after about 3 or 4 generations. Then once again you are wobbly, but if you continue breeding such, will come into strong genetic bonds to the breed standards if the animals used were as close to the standards as possible.
I am the American Alsatian breed. I am the Breed founder. I am the National American Alsatian Club. I am the American Alsatian Registry. Any registrations that do not come from me, are not registered with the American Alsatian Registry. I OWN THE REGISTRY.
My dogs will be kept by me here at the Schwarz Kennels for the rest of their natural lives and shall be used to solidify my work here in southern Oregon. If you have one of my pups and your pup is registered with the NAAC with my 1987 NASC stamp on it, then you have a Schwarz Dog.
The Dire Wolf Project all started with the American Alsatian™ which was first developed by Lois Denny in 1987. The first litter between a purebred Alaskan Malamute (Buddy) and a purebred German Shepherd Dog (Swanny) was whelped on February 4, 1988 in Oxnard, California.
The name of the dogs that Lois has bred has been changed several times as her dogs progressed from a mixed breed of dog, the Shepalute’ in 1987 and then the North American Shepalute of 1988.
As the look of the dog advanced and the outcrossings drove the dogs into a more massiff girthier looking dog, the name changed again in 2000 to the Alsatian Shepalute.
When the dogs started selling over seas, the name changed once again to the American Alsatian.
Getting to know Lois you will find that she cares nothing about her dogs being classified and when one wants to classify the dogs, she balks. Her dogs are the Schwarz Dogs because so many would love to take the dogs and place them in a category. The only category Lois agrees to, is that her dogs are not working dogs but Companion Dogs with the only job being to be velcro and kind hearted.
Standards of the Breed American Alsatian
Standards are the blue prints of a breed therefore all pure breeds have standards. Are the Schwarz Dogs a breed? A breed of anything is consistant in repeating itself in all the young it produces.
Standards must describe the dog in a multitude of areas and may specifically state in increments how long or tall or how much the dog weighs. In reading a standard an artist should be able to sketch the dog accordingly. Any reasonable person would be able to ‘see’ the dog in their mind just from reading the standards of the breed.
Temperament and Temperament testing
Temperament is the character or actions that a dog displays when confronted with a situation. A temperament test is helpful in determining how to socialize and guide or train that particular pup/dog.
A companion dog is a dog that is bred only for companionship of the homo sapiens. Some of a ‘Companion Dogs’ temperament and character would be to tolerate human fondling, to be mellow and acceptable of many different human situations. To not be shy or nervous but of a calm nature. Such dogs may bond easily to the family unit and have a want to please attitude. Companion dogs easily adapt to wheel chair noises, cars, city life and make great Service Dogs
Outcrossing
OUTCROSSING introduces new traits for definite improvement. Our biggest failing is “throwing the baby out with the bathwater”. LINEBREEDING creates and establishes a pedigree which in degrees, incorporates and produces specific traits on a continuous basis. If a good female results from a breeding, she can be bred back to her grand-sire for consistency of type reflecting the sire’s side. INBREEDING sets type and simplifies goals. Inbreeding consists of mother to son, father to daughter, brother to sister, etc. Strengthening desirable dominants as well as hidden recessive, the breeder must recognize and correct once again through out crossing…
What do you think of when you hear the words “Dire Wolf” ?
The American Alsatian is a large Dire wolf looking dog that stands calm and alert. He possesses thick, dense bone, a broad stature, and an impressive head. His look includes that of a gentle intelligence with a bit of secrecy in his slanted yellow-eyed stare. He is powerfully heavy; aware of his surroundings; well muscled and calmly alert. He is well balanced and longer than he is tall. Exhibiting a unique combination of a wolf-like appearance and a calm, gentle disposition, his soundness of mind and body gives the impression of stability and loyalty.
Character
The American Alsatian is fearless and bold but never hostile, moving slowly in a sleek manner sniffing the air currents. He is self-confident, poised and inquisitive, but may possess a certain aloofness that does not lend itself to immediate friendships. He should never be timid or nervous, but hold a more solid and laidback temperament of curiosity. He should be approachable, quietly standing with confidence and willingness.
Developed solely for companionship, he is not a working or herding dog and does not possess high prey drive or the extreme willingness to work or do work. He does possess a strong desire to be close to his master. Therefore, he cannot and does not wander or roam.
As a puppy, this breed is clownish and loving with a tendency to get as close to his owner’s body as possible even leaning into his master to be sure of his master’s attention and presence.
Sound
The Alsatian has a deep and low pitched guttural tone. Barking is infrequent. They do not have a tendency to whine. A high-pitched bark is undesirable. Serious Faults: Elaborate barking for no reason and/or a high-pitched, yippee, amplified vocalization is a serious fault.
Size, Proportion, Substance
Size: The height at the highest point of the withers should be no shorter than 26 inches in males and 25 inches in females. Dogs may reach as tall as 32 inches in males and 28 inches in females. The weight should appear heavy due to the large bones, with a minimum weight of 90 pounds in males and 85 pounds in females.
Proportion: The length of the American Alsatian is longer than tall. He is a balanced dog with a solid structure. The overall length of this breed is to be measured from the chest bone to the tip of the tail.
Substance: The American Alsatian is a dog of considerable substance, which is determined by a broad back, chest, and thigh area, heavy bone, and strong muscle.
Serious Faults: Small or thin bones, a shallow chest, and/or a thin chest or rump are serious faults
Head
The Head of an American Alsatian is very broad and large sloping slightly from between the yellow eyes down to the deep black nose, closely resembling the wolf of yester-years. The head is of distinctive importance, as it is this head that holds the wolfy yellow-eyed stare. The head is broad and deep, never thin or small in proportion to the body. The skull is longer than the muzzle. This head must rest on a large, short, thick neck and must be held parallel with the ground almost on a level with the shoulders and the back. The American Alsatian should have a short coat of hair on the head and face. The coat should begin to lengthen as it starts down the neck to the shoulders where the hair is the longest.
Skull: The skull is measured from the point of the stop to the far most point of the occiput. From the occiput to the stop should be 6 to 8 inches. The skull is broad and should allow an extended hand between the ears. From the broadest part of the skull around the head closest to the throat should be 18 to 22 inches. It is slightly rounded, never domed, gradually narrowing and flattening as it approaches the eyes. The stop should slope gently from the eyes down to the muzzle.
Muzzle: His muzzle should be large and thick, the lips should be close fitting and deep black in color with large white teeth. From the stop between the eyes to the front teeth should be 4.5 to 6 inches. The upper and lower jaws should be broad with his large teeth closing in a scissors bite. The total muzzle should be slightly shorter than the head is deep. The circumference of the muzzle should be between 11 to 13 inches.
Eyes: His eyes are an almond shape, medium to small, and set obliquely. Light eyes are preferred with colors ranging from yellow to light brown that gives him the unique wolfish stare. The eyes should have a look of deep black eyeliner around the eye and out from the outer corners of the eyes.
Ears: His ears are triangular in shape and slightly rounded at the tips. They are set wide apart and set on the outside back edges of the skull. The ears are wedge-shaped, erect and small in comparison to the head as well as tipped with deep black hairs to form an outline around the ear. When alerted his ears turn forward. When shamed his ears will turn sideways and lay back along the sides of the skull. From the inside of the skull to the tip of the ear should not be more than 5 inches in length.
Teeth: 42 in number, 20 upper and 22 lower, the teeth are strong and large and come together in a scissors bite in which part of the inner surface of the upper incisors meet and engage part of the outer surface of the lower incisors. The jaw should never be over or undershot.
Serious Faults: A large round eye is a serious fault, as is a small, refined head, dark eyes, or a long narrow muzzle.
Neck, Topline, Body
Neck: The neck is robust, well muscled, strong and powerful. It is short in length and thick in circumference. The carriage of the head is forward and in line or slightly higher than the shoulders, never held high with extended reach or propulsion.
Topline: The topline is level from the back of the withers to the croup. The back is solid, broad, and muscular. When gated, the back should remain level, with the dog seeming to float across the ground.
Body: The chest is broad. The rib cage is well sprung and of sufficient depth to reach below the elbows. The back and loin are broad and strong. The tail is an extension of the body and comes out from the top of the croup. The impression is solid and well-built.
Serious Faults: Long tail
Forequarters
Shoulders: The shoulders should be slightly sloping, wide apart, heavy and muscular without any tendency to looseness of shoulders. The shoulders are well muscled, and lie close to the body. They may be slightly more pronounced and therefore slightly taller than the straight level of the topline.
Forelegs: The leg bones are straight to the pasterns, which are short and strong being bent only slightly. The black coloring may extend upward from the pads into the leg. The forelegs are heavily boned and set wide apart because of the width of the chest. When walking or trotting, the forelegs should not come together in the middle of the body, but should fall straight down as much as possible to be in line with the shoulders.
Front Feet: The feet are large, heavy, round and slightly splayed or wide with well-arched toes. The pads on the bottom of the feet are black as well as thick and tough. They should have black toenails. The American Alsatian is sure footed even when stalking. The imprints of this breed’s feet are huge and spread out well to carry the heaviness of this dog. The imprint can be measured as wide as 7 to 8 inches.
Serious Faults: Small feet. Any indication of unsoundness in legs or feet standing or moving is to be considered a serious fault.
Hindquarters
The Alsatian is broad and powerfully muscled through the thighs. The rear assembly is powerful, muscular, and heavily boned. Viewed from the rear, the legs are straight and parallel. Viewed from the side, the thighs are broad and fairly long. His stifles are moderately bent. His hocks should be set wide apart.
Rear Legs: The legs of the Alsatian must indicate an unusual strength and tremendous propelling power. They are broad and heavily muscled through the thighs. When viewed from the rear, the hind legs come straight down from the hips to the ground.
Hind Feet: The feet are very large and wide with compact toes, well-arched pads, thick and tough. He is sure footed even when stalking. The pads of the feet are always dark in pigmentation. The imprints of this breed’s feet are huge and spread out well to carry the heaviness of this dog.
Tail: The tail should only reach down to the hocks, never sweeping, curling or long. Shorter is more acceptable than longer. The tail should be wide at the root, tapering to the end. The tail should be well furred, hanging down when at rest and not curved. The tail should never hide under the body or between the legs in a gesture of fear or discomfort. He may carry his tail high when excited yet never curling tightly and never curled over the back. A straight tail is the ideal.
Serious Faults: Rear legs too close together
Coat
There are almost two distinct types of coat on the same dog depending on the weather.
Winter Coat:
The outer coat is moderately coarse (harsh) and thicker during the winter months. It should not be too long, but moderately dense, slightly oily and slightly woolly with the thickest and longest fur around the neck. The winter coat is the prize of any fur trapper as it is full and thick. Fault in the winter coat: too long
Summer Coat:
The coat is shorter and thinner during the summer months as the undercoat almost entirely sheds out. The head, inner ears, face, legs and paws should be covered with short hair.
Serious Faults: Faults in coat include soft, silky, too long outer coat, too woolly, too much undercoat and/or curly
Shedding: This breed sheds heavy during the longer days of the years cycle. Usually beginning to shed in May or June. Shedding takes about a month and ALL undercoat is shed completely out leaving only the top coat. The dog will appear darker in color and much thinner because of the complete loss of the undercoat.
Shedding will begin at the hocks, legs and rear of the dog. The soft lighter colored undercoat will die out and will be seen as clumps of hanging fur caught up in the dogs coat. This shedding will make the dog itchy and he/she may rub up against trees, bushes or kennel wire to remove this undercoat. The owner can help the breed shed by using a wide tooth comb and combing only the dead or loose undercoat out as the dogs coat is shedding on the different sections of his body.
The next section of the body to shed its undercoat is the belly and up into the back or top line and the tail. This section will take about two days to fully come out and may linger as you continue to comb out the undercoat every other day.
The front legs , chest and back of the neck are the next to come out and the last is the throat area.
This process is a slow one and an owner needs to realize this and may help by combing once a week or once every other day.
Once all the undercoat is gone, no shedding is left and the dog is practically shed free. The undercoat will come back in and thicken the dog up with the shorter days of September and October.
There are no health or mental concerns and your dog should be his normal everyday self. This breed sleeps mostly during the afternoon heat and is most active in the very early mornings and late evenings.
Color and Markings
Noses always remain black and the skin should be dark in pigmentation. Ears are outlined in black as well as the tip of the tail. Muzzles can be white or cream. All muzzles lighten with the years, but the nose should always remain black no matter the color of the muzzle. The color of the dog should never, ever be judged over character, temperament or conformation!
Coat Color and Markings
The American Alsatian varies in color, but the silver sable is the most desirable. Colors are as follows:
Wolf Gray Silver/Sable: Preferred over all other colors. Dark tips on a lot of the guard hairs, tips of the ears, eye liner markings, dark tipped tail, dark v on the neck and a marked scent gland. The muzzle may be slightly lighter than the dark muzzle giving the dog a wolf like appearance. This dog will end up looking very wolfy.
Gray Sable: A tad darker than the wolf gray silver. Has a dark muzzle, may have dark leggins. Black leggins are unique and are a reverse of the cream legs of some coyotes and wolves. Black leggins are seen on some foxes.
Silver Sable: The undercoat is the lightest in color (or non color). Kind of white or silver. The tips of the coat, ears, muzzle may not be very dark and may be sparse. This silver gray is lighter than the wolf gray silver.
Golden Sable: The undercoat shows a soft red/creaminess and the color on the guard hairs is also more reddish/yellow. The dark points are black
Tri Sable: Showing gold and silver with cream legs and undercoat. All three colors being pretty even across the body.
Tri Sable Golden Gray: Is a three color dog (Tri) that is predominately Golden Sable, but may have a silver gray face and some gray colors within the golden body, on the shoulders and around the neck. The undercoat is not as light as a silver sable as the Goldens have more of the cream/reddish undercoat. It is darker than the silvers or grays and sports the red/ylw gene slightly.
Tri Silver Sable: The dog you see will have three basic colors but the silver will be what you will see the most of. The body of the dog is basically a silver, where the head would have some gold, probably behind the ears. The legs may not be as cream as the silver sable, and may show the red or yellow pigmentation on some parts of the legs.
Black Silver Sable: This is the darkest black sable can get yet still classified as a sable. The black on each guard coat is dark and prominent. The black muzzle goes up the face and the leggins may be dark going up the foot and ankle. If this dog has black full leggins it would be described as such on the paperwork or in the color definition.
Silver: A very light dog. The tips of the guard hairs are not a deep black nor are there many of them. This dog has a cream to silver or white muzzle. Has a slight v on the neck of gray. All points on this dog are light in color or gray. This dog is almost a solid and may not appear to be a sable but the guard hairs are banded.
Solid Cream: This is not a sable dog but is solid cream color, almost a white. If this dog has a black muzzle, ear tips, eye liner and tip of the tail, it would be recorded as “with blk/points”.
Any Other Solids: These are not sables and do not have banded guard hairs.
Notes: Solid colored dogs are discouraged in our breeding plans only because we strive toward the look of the Wolf or an Agouti (banded) guard hair.
When describing color on animals, the major color or main color, is always placed first. Like ingredients listed on a product, (in describing the color of any object,) the major color of the object is listed first. This is the main color of the dogs’ total body
This is the outcross (F-2) foundation stud “Elvis” the King. This dog will never win best in show or any championships. Not because of his ears which do not stand erect but because of his coat. This coat is too soft and the ratio of guard hairs to undercoat is too low. This dog has too much undercoat and an overall cottony look and feel. The coat is rather long but long coats may be over looked as long as they are not way out of proportion. keep in mind that this dog is to resemble a wolf. The legs bones are too thin and the feet too small.
Gait
The rear legs should have drive, while the forelegs should track smoothly with good reach, but never a high step. In motion, the legs move straightforward. The fast walk is smooth and the top line hardly moves, but glides along with the dog. The dog’s head should be in line with his body or slightly higher, but never jetting and pulling the owner with unleashed energy. The gait should flow with a sense of caution or hunting, yet never nervous or afraid. Even while trotting or gaiting in a ring this breed shall always be aware of his handler/owner and movements or noises around him. The propulsion should come from the hindquarters while the front takes the thrust, balance and coordination.
The Personality of the American Alsatian
As in all breeds there are a small variety of personalities, so I shall give you the Standard on the personality of the breed first:
An Alsatian must not dig, whine, bark, jump fences and be hyper active. They are a breed that pays attention to their owners body movement and all that the owners do. They are intelligent in that they learn the sounds, movements and the time of day as they ‘pay attention’ to all things and in this way they learn about life around them. They are easy to train if the owner also ‘pays attention’ to the sounds, and movements of the universe. If you have experience with Autistic people or have ever been on some hallucinogenic drugs that increase your focus on shiny, fast, things or soft, sounds, then you will know how these dogs ‘pay attention’ to life. An Alsatian doesn’t like to be scolded, he may pout or become upset and find a place to lay down and watch you. In this way it is easy to train an Alsatian.
There are things that an owner may not be able to handle about the Alsatian and this involves his size. Alsatians are large heavy dogs and many people may not be able to handle this large breed if they do not teach the dog as he is a pup to act like he would if he was an adult. If the owner allows the dog to be ‘free’ then the dog will demand it as he is older and may do as he wants instead of what the owners want, though, if you have a treat or any meat, the dog will easily learn anything you want him to learn so this is not usually a problem.
Alsatians are bred with a strong territorial bond, in that they do not care to be anywhere but in the safety and comfort of their property or directly near the owner. This non-roaming is genetic and is closely associated with the aloofness. When a domesticated canine is too friendly and bouncy this trait coincides with a tendency to roam further away from the den or home-front territory. Our dogs are home bodies for the most part therefore they associate strongly with territory and familiarity. This means that they do NOT like new places, strange places and may be a bit nervous because of this. Without this character trait we would not be able to claim that this breed does NOT roam.
If they get out of the sight of their owners, they will quickly find the owner. This is what I call the Alsatian ‘bonding’. Therefore it is difficult for an Alsatian to transfer ownership. We kind of have to trick the dog and include the new owners place and property before-hand as being a safe place and or ‘our place too’. They can eventually learn to accept the new terms though it does take some time and a lot of mopping and dislocation or disassociation within the animal. Transferring ownership can be done, but the new owners need to know that it may take three months to a complete year before the dog ‘claims’ you.
‘Heeling’ comes naturally to this breed and ‘come’ is easy enough, unless the owner trains the dog NOT to come by association with negative stimuli.
This breed also grows up slowly. He doesn’t mature fast. The females mature faster than the males. Physically they are pretty much mature at about three years old, but they do not stop filling out until about 9.
Outcrossing
Now, I have to include OUTCROSSING as this breed uses outcrossing to keep the breed healthy with that hybrid vigor.
F-1’s will not meet the “standards for the breed” for the most part, but then again some come very close.. one must include the other breed or ‘outcross’ into the calculations.
F-2’s are much closer to the breed standard as i have described. The litter will be split and i will see some barkers, talkers or some more hyper than what i like which is ‘silence’ for the most part. There maybe three in this litter nice enough to go forward…
F-3’s i will get about 7 out of 10 that are nice enough to be kept for breeding.
F-4’s are just about the same as a pure bred and one can not tell much difference, but there will be slight barkiness or talkativeness, or maybe some fetching or retrieving? in some.
F-5’s are really Alsatians for the most part.
I hope this explains it all for you, if you have any more questions, just email me… Lois Schwarz
The Dire Wolf Project all started with the American Alsatian™ which was first developed by Lois Denny in 1987. The first litter between a purebred Alaskan Malamute (Buddy) and a purebred German Shepherd Dog (Swanny) was whelped on February 4, 1988 in Oxnard, California.
The name of the dogs that Lois has bred has been changed several times as her dogs progressed from a mixed breed of dog, the Shepalute’ in 1987 and then the North American Shepalute of 1988.
As the look of the dog advanced and the outcrossings drove the dogs into a more masiff girthier looking dog, the name changed again in 2000 to the Alsatian Shepalute. When the dogs started selling over seas, the name changed once again to the American Alsatian.
The sun was hot and the bugs were bothering us all so we all got up and frolicked in the cool undergrowth of the Boreall forests which were part of our families territory. We claimed it all from the forests to the Western Ocean with its rocky cliffs, though i had yet to make my first visit to that wide expanse.
We headed off towards the stream at the bottom of the rocks to cool off in the mud of the Valley floor. We all still had our puppy coats on and the upper mountains were much cooler but the mud was also nice. I liked the water pools much better. Mother was constantly looking around and smelling the air currants because the large Lions lived in mountain caves hidden by these very rocks. She had a few scars from attacks so she is highly skilled in the awareness of her genetic dna, thus we were all very fast on our feet, even the little ones such as me and my pack of brothers and sisters. 15 of us in all and we were everywhere. We ran in large groups tumbling and jumping and perfecting our skills.
Blacky the litter pack leader was a very large male and dark as the night. He was born with skills that i had to learn from trial and error. He was quick with his paws and his teeth always getting the best pieces of meat.
Gray socks was always right behind that black swift running shadow of his elder litter mate and always trying to out do him. We all knew that there would come a day when those two would square off.
Bolt was faster than the rest of us, probably because after he saw something shiny or bright or fast, he was on it. Reflexes as fast as lighting. His black coat was turning more of a reddish yellow underneath.
Fatty was of course the fattest and slowest of us all. Though he was large and probably could have taken us all down, he had a softness about him. Everyone loved to sleep next to ‘fatty’.
Me, i am the middle child and the most endearing as i am always pretty close to my mom. I can’t help it. I like her a lot and she finds the neatest stuff for me to play with. I watch her carefully so i can take advantage of lunch time meals.
Birtha is the largest of the females in the litter. Black as the night like Blacky but if she opens her eyes she is a dead giveaway as her eyes are shiny orange blue. Birtha hangs around with Fatty as they are always on the look out for food. Fatty smells mom coming back with a fresh kill of horse and Birtha gets there first. She just grabs it up and runs and that is when Swiftness catches up with her and grabs it from behind and takes off running so Birtha doesnt care much for Swift.
Swift is a very fast nervous pup with a very long body and long legs. She is everywhere all the time. Never hardly ever sleeps and always busy. She needs an awful lot of food to keep that energy going.
Legs is like her name sake. Long and leggy. She also hangs with swift. Swift and legs, they have gotten into some tumbles since the first day they meet each other blind as a bat. Legs would move her legs in and push and squiggle and stick her nose under another pups chin and move them out of the way.
Radar, well he hides under the radar so we all kid him. Half the time we do not know where he is. Black pup with a small white tip on the end of his tail but not as much as Flag who is named flag just because his tail is 3/4 white. No way this pup can hide anywhere.
Flag is an all black male pup with white on his tail and his chin and some of his toes. We think the mail man got to our mom with that pup.
Socks doesnt have much white on his tail but he does have two white socks on his hind legs. One sock on the right hind leg goes up to his ankle and the left leg is just shy of that.
Buttons is a small black button of a pup but dont let his size fool you as he has one heck of a temper. His nose and eyes are black as the pebbles on the beach
Penny is a off colored black, with a rusty orange undercoat.
Princess is a black tipped silver undercoat of a dog that is perfect in every way, well except she is spoiled and always has to get her way.
And that leaves pistol the runt of the litter. She is another dark black pup with orangeblue eyes. Her feet are the tiniest ever!
Aunt Grelda and Aunt Seamon both shove their noses in the pool next to the boulders and all hell breaks out, pups go scampering and mom runs towards our aunts in anticipation of a large fish. Grelda has the long snout and Seamon has the tail and the water is everywhere as they tear the fish apart. Mom gets there just in time to grab on to the middle and takes off after the pups soon to catch up and pass us while showing us the way as all the pups now come together and follow the trail of mud, wet and fish smell. Around the corner of some boulders the entire pack of pups run into the back ends of each other and the back end of mom as she is laying down devouring that fish bones and all. Fatty is pushing underneath all our bodies and licking moms face of fish oil. Mom gets up and opens her mouth and spills it all out and we scramble to eat breakfast as she is moved off further into the forest line where the meadow peaks out. Mom stops and stands perfectly still then runs off under the brush to the east. Our Aunts and Uncles going flying past us after her without making hardly any sounds. All we can hear is the rush of the wind as they pass us. What the heck is going on. Legs and Swift take off and Bolt smells the ponies and decides to follow the leader into the forest to the East. All is quiet now as the rest of us are lost in our selves and we hunker into the spaces of the boulders and sniff the air currents and perk our ears. Radar is way under the boulder peaking out and I get pushed a bit into the forest and stretch my neck to look around and sniff the air like mom does. The horse smell reaches me and i turn in that direction. They are edging closer as they graze on the long grass. I can hear the buzz of the flies and misquito’s but i hold my body stiff and pick up one of my front legs, just in case i have to flee. All of a sudden out of the east and south and through the forest trees come what seems like a hundred Dire Wolves, a sound to the right of me gets my attention and out of the forest goes gramps and mama with more cousins and uncles. The horse herd do not miss a beat as they all up and run this way and that way, jumping high into the air and over bushes and brambles and into the forest on the south side they go. Radar moves back further and Pistol is peaking her head out. Penny stands next to me but is ready to jump back under the rock and Buttons gives off a low hard growl as he stares out of the darkness in the direction of the screams and growls and pounding of the earth.
The noise levels down and the dust is thick and the air is heavy with the smell of horse flesh and blood. Mom shows up and we all climb out with tails wagging and tongues licking as we rush her muzzle and she bows her head to regurgitate the fresh kill. My stomach is bursting and i can hardly walk. Mom scratches out a den and digs down deep enough into the coolness to scoot into the earth as we all do our best to gather around her and fall soundly asleep.
Mom is gone when i open my eyes. I look down and smell my brother fatty and my sister Bertha. Over and under is Pistol Radar and Buttons. We are all moving around now and making grunts as we don’t want to move. It is cool in this ground and the evening is coming on us. Mom barks and we all get our ‘alert’ on. Ears up and Eyes open. Me and Bertha venture out and peak around the boulder towards the muddy pools. There she is, and we look around then bite each other as we run to catch up. Mom waits until Buttons and Pistol get there as she sniffs in all the bushes and grass tufts and we all try and figure out what she is smelling for as we squat and relieve ourselves. Then down to the pool of cool water and off we go. We are nocturnal and most of our travels are in the early evening and at night.
The Moon lit my way through the tall evergreens of this ancient, primeval, undisturbed wilderness as I made my way to the stream that I remember and now hear far off towards the rocks down wind of where I am. Fish, frogs and other smaller animals are plentiful and easy to catch. Life is so abundant that it hardly takes any time at all to fill my stomach.
A familiar voice is heard up the mountain slopes and I turn into the wind. This is the first Eden of my life, a pristine natural kingdom where many of my ancestors roamed before me. The howls of my compadra’s fill my being and I change my course.
I reach the path that leads north and I follow it up to the top of the small cliff. It’s an easy climb jumping the large roots and skirting the larger rocks that jet out of the forest floor. Well before I reached the top the voices pounce upon me and we frolicked in the underbrush, licking each others faces and pushing each other down the path we had just come from. Further up we travel until we reached the top. A large grassland lay before us and we dance in the moonlight as we have done so many times before.
It was a good night and now the sun is peaking through the forest tops, We find a cool spot to lay our bodies down. Some of the pack meander off , then return in no hurry to do anything but to be here and to sprawl out upon the forest floor. We listen while hundreds of creatures flutter overhead. I don’t sleep, I cant remember a time where I ever did. I nod off again to the sounds of woodpeckers drumming their familiar music overhead as a herd of pigs pass through the clearing a quarter of a mile ahead of us. Five members of the pack lope off to see what trouble they can get into while others barely lift their large heads. Another night has come and gone and I lay around to wait for the moon to rise again. Its going to be a long day.
What are you thinking? Where am I and what are all these smells, noises and actions going on around me?
This is my first BLOG. I have no clue what a blog is nor what it can or will do. I don’t know how to ‘work’ a blog either. I guess I am baffled like the Puppy in this photo, peering out from his ‘position’ in the world. One step at a time, one day at a time. I look forward to watching the mechanics of my first blog.
General Appearance:
Head
Eyes: His eyes are an almond shape, medium to small, and set obliquely. Light eyes are preferred with colors ranging from yellow to light brown that gives him the unique wolfish stare. The eyes should have a look of deep black eyeliner around the eye and out from the outer corners of the eyes.
Forequarters
Coat
Solid Cream: This is not a sable dog but is solid cream color, almost a white. If this dog has a black muzzle, ear tips, eye liner and tip of the tail, it would be recorded as “with blk/points”.
When describing color on animals, the major color or main color, is always placed first. Like ingredients listed on a product, (in describing the color of any object,) the major color of the object is listed first. This is the main color of the dogs’ total body
SCHWARZ DOGS and the DIRE WOLF PROJECT 