How Our Small Family Dog Became a Dire Wolf

Yes, a seventeen pound Cocker Spaniel Poodle mix can become a Dire Wolf. Sounds completely crazy, right? But the transformation was painless and I'm sure our Bambi was totally unaware of it.

It started sometime between 2010 and 2011. Her little black nose grew larger, fur shorter and more wiry. But she stayed just as lovable as ever.

The biggest changes were the ears and her height and weight. Her ears were no longer the floppy fluffy tufts around her adorable face and instead of tripping over her, it was possible that she would run me down.  Dire wolves are very tall and powerful after all, and I'm very short.  Oh, and she turned more gray than brown. She needed to blend into nature and her new world.

She had to get so big and rugged. Why? A little dog, despite being able to keep up to us with all our hiking, camping, and what not, couldn't survive very well in the future world during war time with the gods. I needed her to be able to cover miles and miles very quickly, keep a full grown man from freezing to death in a dark, ancient forest, and search out survivors in war torn cities during the battles with the gods.

I also gave her a new name, Shiva, and while our little Bambi is best buds with my middle and youngest daughters, Shiva became the most loyal and forgiving friend Kira, a demigod, could have.

If you'd like to read about Shiva, she first shows up in Revenge of the Gods: Disillusionment Book Two and also stars side by side with Kira in Starlight and Judgment: Disillusionment Book Three.