The extremely (and rightfully so) popular Game of Thrones on HBO features feuding kingdoms in a dark and bloody medieval fantasy world. The sigil of House Stark (who are the good guys in the series--although there aren't that many of them left by now) is that of a direwolf. In the show, a direwolf is essentially a gray wolf on steroids and is renowned for its strength, intelligence, and ferocity. Each of the five Stark children was given a direwolf puppy who grew up to protect loyally its respective master and who could be relied upon to rip out the throat of an attacker—a service which has to be rendered on a frequent basis.
Early in the series, the direwolf named Lady, who was the pet of Sansa Stark, was put to death. However, the actress portraying Sansa (Sophie Turner) grew so fond of Lady during the brief time that Lady was on set that she adopted Lady in real life.
Lady (whose real name is Zunni) and her associates in the show are not actually direwolves. They are Northern Inuit dogs who look like wolves. However, Northern Inuits cannot be relied upon to rip out throats whenever necessary. They are one of the most loveable and gentle breeds around, and it is unlikely that one would ever harm a human. That does not mean, however, that they cannot be incredibly stubborn and try to be the alpha dog over their owners, and they need masters who can devote a lot of time to them along with opportunities for a lot of daily exercise. Ironically, because it is possible that there is some wolf blood in their recent lineage, some local governments have sought to ban ownership of them.
Direwolves are not just fantasy creatures. Real dire wolves (generally spelled as two separate words when not used in a Game of Thrones context) actually existed. Most became extinct about 10,000 years ago, although some paleontologists believe that a population may have existed in Arkansas as late as 2000 BC.
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