A Dog Breeder Is Trying To Bring Direwolves Back From Extinction

If you were recently watching Game of Thrones Episode 4, "The Spoils of War" in the hopes of getting another glimpse of the show's incredible direwolves, you were likely disappointed. Ghost didn't accompany Jon Snow to Dragonstone, while Nymeria's return to the show was short-lived. Even though the current season is severely lacking in direwolves, the breed may be coming to life here in the United States thanks to a dog breeder in southern Oregon.

Wait, you mean I can have my own Direwolf?

Yes! Well, sort of. Lois Schwarz, the breeder in Oregon, has spent nearly 30 years breeding what she calls the American Alsatian. She believes this breed is well on their way to looking just like the dire wolves that roamed the Americas during the last ice age, before going extinct.

Schwarz has dedicated the majority of her life to the Dire Wolf Project, which predates Game of Thrones and George R. R. Martin's book series, A Song of Ice and Fire. Although Schwarz dislikes the show's scenes of a sexual nature and its overall ominous tone, she considers the show "very, very smart" and notes that it has undoubtedly helped raise awareness of her cause.

Although American Alsatian puppies are absolutely adorable, they quickly grow in size and become wolf-like in appearance; tall, broad and golden-eyed. Schwarz has spent 30 years breeding an animal that looked like the dire wolves in history books, while also attempting to breed a dog that could be a true companion.

"I thought, everybody wants the wolf look; I’m going to work on the wolf look, but I’m also going to work on the temperament and the character of the dog to fit a companion dog."

Fortunately, this breed will be much kinder, gentler and cuddlier than the breed we see in Game of Thrones. Schwarz has even stated that buyers solely focused on obtaining a creature seen on #HBO's fantasy epic are being turned away.

[Game of Thrones] sends me people who only want direwolves. They don’t care about the animal. They’re very sensitive, loving, kind dogs. They don’t want to fight. They're intimidating-looking, but they're just so intuitive. You look into their eyes and see their soul.

This isn't the first breed that fans have sought out for their wolf-like appearance, as there has been an unfortunate rise in abandoned huskies in northern California after owners learned that they were far from the viscous beasts we see in Game of Thrones. With this in mind, it's great to hear that this particular breeder has prioritized the importance of giving each of her American Alsatians a loving home.

Source: Washington Post