Wolf Hybrids

I understand many people are afraid of wolf hybrids, dogs that are half or even part wolf. Often shelters must euthanize them because nobody will adopt them.

But I once knew a wolf hybrid who was one of the sweetest and smartest dogs I've ever met. Her name was Sheba.

Back in the early 1970s when I worked at California School for the Deaf many of the children who lived in the dormitories never got to go home except when the school was closed for long breaks. For that reason it was decided that staff members would be allowed to bring their own dogs to work so the children could have experience with animals. Sheba was one of those dogs.

My puppy, Brenda, was another.

Brenda had been born in a Kansas puppy mill where she was kept in a small cage, then shipped to California. She was deaf. My husband and I got her from the SPCA when she was about six months old. They had rescued her after she was abused by her owner when she didn't obey spoken commands.

Brenda was smart, but had no idea how to be a dog until Sheba took her under her wing.

Every day when the two dogs were on the playground Sheba taught Brenda how a dog should behave. For example, she showed her how to fetch balls thrown by the students.

Before long Brenda acted like a normal dog and both she and Sheba loved playing with the deaf children and being petted.

Sheba proved to me that wolf hybrids can be excellent pets.