Dr. Mark is a veterinarian. He has been working with dogs for more than 40 years.
The dog breed featured in Game of Thrones, the Northern Inuit, is one of the seven dog breeds that look like wolves, gray wolves, or timber wolves (Canis lupus). My own “timber wolf” is a mixture of Siberian Husky, Alaskan Malamute, and German Shepherd, a combination that acts like a dog but looks like a gray wolf.
If you are looking for a dog that resembles the extinct dire wolf, there is one particular breed that has it all—the American Alsatian. Before we go into the positive traits of the American Alsatian, lets learn more about the mysterious 10,000-year-old dire wolf.
The dire wolf (Canis dirus) was the largest species of wolf to ever roam the planet. Up until 10,000 years ago, it wandered over North and South America, taking down the huge prey (megafauna) that roamed the world at that time.
This species was definitely big enough to do the job, weighing between 50 and 80 kilos (about 110 to 175 pounds), and standing as tall as the contemporary gray wolf. Scientists who have worked with dire wolf skeletons have found that they were even stockier and heavier than the gray wolf.
The dire wolf attacked the large prey that roamed America at the time and ate a diet of horse, bison, and giant sloth. As the prey died off (maybe because of humans wandering into North America and hunting the large animals), the species struggled to survive.
Although it existed in America for about 100,000 years with the gray wolf, it eventually became extinct and is not genealogically related to our current dog breeds.
The Dire Wolf Project™ is the breeding of a large companion dog with the exact bone and body structure of the Dire Wolf (canis dirus), an extinct wolf of the Pleistocene era. No one knows exactly what a Dire Wolf looked like, but DireWolf Dogs of Vallecito, LLC understands GODS BREEDING PLAN™. In the wild, animals must survive by hiding, blending into the enviroment and being keenly aware of all that surrounds them. Knowing this, we can imagine what the Dire Wolf must have looked like. Put that together with the exact measurements of the Dire Wolf bones found and you have a pretty close resemblance of the extinct prehistoric Dire Wolf.
We are the only certified American Dirus dog breeder in the world! We are glad you came. We are dedicated to improving the quality of the American Dirus dog in both looks and personality while continuing to produce the healthiest pups. We work in strict accordance to the American Dirus dog standards and the Dire Wolf Project morals and ethics set out by Lois Schwarz and adhere to all guidance from the founder of the breed. We hope you enjoy your visit to DireWolf Dogs™ of Vallecito and return soon to see our progress and keep in touch.
If you are on our waiting list from before 2022, please let us know you still care by replying below, private messaging or emailing us today. If we dont hear from you within the month, we will screenshot the list and then delete any names from families who have not contacted us to let us know they want to remain in the running for a future puppy.
Because wild animals cannot fit into our modern lifestyles, the Dire Wolf Project breeds only loving, kind and mild tempermented domesticated dogs. Temperament being the first and most important genetic quality to be selected in any puppies kept for breeding. After thirty years of this kind of selective breeding, the Dire Wolf Project begets litter after litter of the first large breed companion dogs that have a very low prey drive with a high degree of pain tolerance. With regular and systematic crossbreeding to keep genetic diversity, Lois has driven down the physical and mental disabilites found in many of our purebred dogs today. “There is NO wolf blood in our dogs as I would NEVER breed a wolf into a companion dog.” – Lois Schwarz
Which Dog Is Closest to a Wolf?
The dire wolf is extinct, of course, and it is unlikely that it would have made an acceptable pet. Most wolves, even gray wolves that are among us today, have behavioral problems when living in a human household and are better with their normal pack. The American Alsatian is one of the top-contending dog breeds that most closely resembles the wolf—lets find out why.
The American Alsatian is a companion dog developed by Lois Denny Schwarz. The dog is large and is a cross between the Alaskan Malamute, German Shepherd, and other large dogs like the Great Pyrenees, English Mastiff, and the Anatolian Shepherd.
The breed was first developed in 1987 but has only been available to the public since the year 2000. A lot of work has gone into the breed, but it will take more time and effort to achieve the exact characteristics that breeders are looking for. Interesting facts about the American Alsatian:
Since these dogs have not been around that long, there is still a lot to be learned about them, but this might be one of the best dogs to have in the future.
With the success of Game of Thrones, the Northern Inuit is increasing in popularity and is probably going to become overbred like so many other popular dog breeds in the past. Many breeds that gain popularity from being featured in television shows and movies end up in shelters.
There are a lot of alternative breeds out there, and many places where you can get a great dog that looks similar to a wolf. My favorite is the Siberian Husky since the dog looks a lot like a wolf but has a great personality and is friendly to almost everyone. The Alaskan Malamute is also a healthy long-lived, large breed that looks similar to a wolf but acts like a dog.
If you want one of the best alternatives, search for an American Alsatian.
© 2014 Dr Mark
Robbie on February 21, 2015:
when I got my German shepherd my paetnrr and I started training him early on. As soon as we could take him out (after his injections) We started training him to the lead and teaching him basic commands. I found it really helpful to introduce him to as many different situations as early as possible, getting him used to traffic, crowds, children, visitors in the home etc. And try to introduce him to different dogs to help socialise him. also set the boundaries in place early on. Im
CB Jones on September 02, 2014:
I enjoyed reading this hub and all of the information you offered about alternative alternatives. You certainly know your stuff about dogs and then some!
Dr Mark (author) from The Atlantic Rain Forest, Brazil on August 01, 2014:
Thanks, I just finished my edit.
I looked up vocalcoachs hubs on Google a few weeks back. Many of them are at the top of the search for the keyword she is using, so she would have even more page views if she had more published in her niche. She should be hitting 10 million!
At least that is my opinion, right or wrong!
Dr Mark (author) from The Atlantic Rain Forest, Brazil on August 01, 2014:
I hit that number some time back too.
Bob Bamberg on August 01, 2014:
Im flattered that you do…OK by me. Did you see that vocalcoach has 1 million views? Woo Hoo!!
Dr Mark (author) from The Atlantic Rain Forest, Brazil on August 01, 2014:
Thanks, I would like to add those exact words? Is that okay with you?
Bob Bamberg on August 01, 2014:
Very enjoyable read, Doc. Id add something to, “With the success of the Game of Thrones, the Northern Inuit is increasing in popularity and is probably going to become overbred,” and it would be, “with many of them ending up in shelters like so many other breeds featured in television shows and movies.”
The history lesson was very interesting! Voted up, useful and interesting.
Suzanne Day from Melbourne, Victoria, Australia on July 26, 2014:
I am a GOT fanatic, but am surprised to find out the Dire Wolf is a real life breed! Thank you for sharing this useful and unique information – voted useful!
Aaradhya on July 24, 2014:
Thanks Mark, “For Avatar”. 🙂
I found them (American Alsatians) real interesting.
Dr Mark (author) from The Atlantic Rain Forest, Brazil on July 24, 2014:
One of the American Alsatian websites lists the countries they have been sold to, and I noticed two cities in India. There are no breeders in that part of the world, that I know of. The majority are in California, Oregon, and Washington state.
They are not yet a registered breed, and the developers have no interest in even trying so I do not see them being available in dog shows anytime soon.
Aaradhya on July 24, 2014:
Are “American Alsatian” are registered breed and also available in other countries, apart from USA?
As the American Alsatian is a mixed breed dog, its appearance as an adult can be somewhat unpredictable, especially the earlier F1 and F2 generations. However, most will have a thick double coat that is darker in spring and a lighter color in the winter.
Even with this wide range of breeds, only dogs with very specific personality traits were selected for the breeding program. Personality traits that Lois looked for included intuitiveness, intelligence, aloofness, and and not shy.
Overall, the presence of genetic diseases and health issues is around 4.6%. Fifth generation mixes and beyond have exceptionally low rates of disease.
Many wolf dog mixes are difficult to own due to being incredibly high energy and unpredictable. They also need lots of behavioral modification training as many are not domesticated. Lois wanted her American Alsatian’s to be easy to train, and this is true.
When you want to rest and relax your American Alsatian will also be calmly resting. However, the opposite is also true. When you want to go on an outdoor adventure they will excitedly be by your side. This breed has a huge amount of love for the outdoors. Playing or walking in a large forest for 60 minutes a day is going to be a must.
FAQ
What is the closest breed to a dire wolf?
How big is a dire wolf dog?