A MAN quickly fell in love with his newly purchased puppy but soon realized he made a grave mistake.
Ben Hull saw an advertisement in his local newspaper for wolf dog puppies and got curious.
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He actually wanted a husky but decided to check out the pups at the breeder's house anyway.
While at the front door of the home, a black wolf dog puppy escaped from his kennel and leaped into Hull's arms.
After instantly falling in love, Hull went home with the dog that same day, calling it the best and worst decision of his life.
He named the puppy Shade and the two formed a close bond, however, Shade quickly started having behavioral issues within a few days of coming home.
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"At first he would jump on people in a friendly way, just wanting to smell or lick their faces like any big, hyperactive puppy would do," Hull told The Dodo.
"It was later, and as he got older, that this turned into being aggressive."
Shade became very possessive of Hull, his parents, and the family's other two dogs, Sasha and Chuy - apparently seeing them as his "pack."
This caused the animal to chase away anyone who wasn't in the pack, even if he had met them before, said Hull.
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The owner tried to research wolf dogs as much as possible to see if he could fix Shade's issues.
However, it became very clear that Hull couldn't provide Shade with the care and training he needed.
He also looked into the breeder he bought Shade from after believing that his beloved pooch may have been inbred, which could have worsened Shade's problems.
"The breeder was a former animal control worker and so he trusted her when purchasing Shade, but when looking back, he figured out that Shade's mother was also probably his grandmother," said Cate Salansky, who works at Wolf Connection.
Wolf Connection, in the mountains of the Angeles National Forest - an hour North of Los Angeles - is a wolf and wolf dog sanctuary that improves the quality of life for large canines by providing rescue and behavioral training.
The sanctuary also acts as a residential facility for young people who are transitioning to independent living and offers workshops to boost self-esteem and receive much-needed life skills.
After Shade become too much to handle, Hull and his family had him rehomed to live with a couple in Southern California who owned several wolf dogs in the past.
However, Shade acted out there as well and the couple reached out to Wolf Connection to take Shade in.
He immediately adjusted to his new environment and was able to go on almost daily hikes on the 165 acres of the sanctuary and have playdates with the other wolves.
"Shade is so hyper-alert of every smell, sound, and movement around him, and that awakens you to do the same, including your attention to Shade's body language," Salansky said at the time.
"He's a very quiet, purposeful hiker and is always in the 'now.'"
Hull, who moved to the Netherlands, said he was grateful the couple decided to take Shade to Wolf Connection.
"Seeing his new life whenever I visit Wolf Connection is such a happy and emotional moment for me."
Shade arrived at Wolf Connection at about 3 1/2 years old and lived there for more than a decade before dying of old age.
Despite living out of state, Hull visited Shared at the sanctuary periodically before his death.
"Whenever Ben visited, it was beautiful to witness the bond between them that ran so deep," Wolf Connection wrote in a tribute to Shade.
"Shade’s whole family stayed involved in his life until the very end supporting his health and well-being within the pack. We will always be immensely thankful for that."
The post continued, describing Shade's growth while at Wolf Connection, who later learned boundaries and connection after being paired with Maya, an alpha female who helped integrate him with the pack.
"As the years passed, Shade welcomed new relationships with both humans and wolves. He participated in countless enrichment hikes with different handlers and eventually other wolves that he befriended later in life.
"He was a constant and pivotal part of our amazing onsite and virtual programs. So many people connected to Shade's story of transformation. We may never know the true impact he had on humans who find their way to Wolf Connection in search of healing.
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"Shade was definitely one of a kind. We miss him dearly and he will forever hold a special place in our hearts. We promise that your legacy will live on, Shadey Boy."
The U.S. Sun has reached out to Wolf Connection for comment.
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