Remembering Past Fur Family - Sheba

When I was in the military I was in a combined unit of all four major branches serving together. While I was Air  Force an Army buddy asked me if I wanted a dog his brother had brought him when he hitch hiked down from Alaska. He said it was a husky but to me it appeared to have more than husky in it. He didn't want a dog and hoped I would take her. She was super smart and made a good member of our family with one exception. She did not like my ex wife but the feeling was mutual. Sheba avoided my ex wife so all went fairly well.

Sheba was only a few months old when we got her and as she grew I realized there was far more than husky in her. My buddy's brother said he bought her as a husky but I quickly noticed her eyes were yellow and she did not have anything that resembled a bark. She was very strong and very protective of myself and the children. Also she could crunch up cow bones easily.

Sheba was very smart: I taught her to heel, sit, stay, come and lay down in a single morning and she never forgot these commands. As she grew older it was more apparent that she had significant timber wolf in her as well as husky. As it turned out she was a very protective and loyal, intelligent family member. She always slept curled up on the floor next to my side of the bed. Sheba was sometimes good around other dogs as long as she was on heel and under voice control and leash but if one wandered to close to her she would try to kill or harm it.

My military dog trainer friend wanted to mate her with his large male German Shepherd dog but she would not even allow him close to her and he withdrew him for fear of his life. Even though he was much larger than her she was far more powerful. It is because of her that I do not recommend anyone trying to raise a wolf dog. The dog doesn't know if it is wolf or dog and switches from one instinctive trait to another. It is unfair to the animal as she was dangerous to other animals but highly protective of our family. Most people do not understand the characteristics of a wolf nor are they skilled to handle this strong animal. I was always having to warn people to keep their pets away from her and not to try to pet her unless I was present and prepared her first. Life was unfair to Sheba and she deserved far better than to be conflicted whether she was wolf or dog.