Adopting a rescue dog is a huge commitment, especially when you don’t know anything about their past.

That’s exactly what one couple came to learn after accidentally adopting a wolf-dog hybrid from a shelter, believing it was merely a ‘big dog’.

A woman explained how her mum adopted a new canine companion after losing her precious German shepherd, named Cops, due to sickness, She said on her Tumblr page: “After mourning for a bit, mum and dad decided to get a dog together, as a couple.”

They headed to Palo Alto Animal Shelter, California, in 1987, which she noted wasn’t exactly “top-notch” at the time. The woman recalled her mother’s fondness for large dogs, which seemed to excite the shelter staff. “He said ‘we have a big dog for experienced owners, adoptable today, we’ll give you a discount even’.”

Despite the peculiar offer, her parents weren’t wary. Upon meeting the hefty 100lbs creature, they were smitten and promptly completed the adoption. They christened her Mazel, short for ‘Mazel Tov’, and embarked on their journey home with their new furry family member.

Speaking about Mazel’s intelligence, she added: “Cops had lived with his kibble stored in a plastic garbage can in the garage for six years without incident,” but Mazel managed to outsmart the storage solution within minutes. Mazel figured out how to open doors and got the locking lid off the can within six minutes, chomping down about four pounds of the stuff before my mother notices that it’s been weirdly quiet.

“Most dogs bark at or chase squirrels. Mazel stalked and caught one on her second day, presenting it to my mother like an offering. Mazel knew all her commands but would clearly stop to consider before obeying and trained my dad to give her good treats within a week. The locks on the side yard gate were undone, and she took a stroll around the neighbourhood but always returned home for dinner.”

After realising that Mazel was far more intelligent than any other dog they’d ever had, her mum decided to take her to the vets for a routine check-up. It was only then that she discovered the truth about her rescue dog.

She recalled: “Dr Hamada walked into the exam room, dropped the clipboard and said ‘Where the Hell did you get a wolf?'” After a bit of prodding and a very angry Dr Hamada calling the pound, they determined Mazel was a high-content hybrid, probably with a husky but was going to be a little s*** her entire life.”

Being an experienced dog owner, her mum chose to keep Mazel and everything seemed to be going well until she fell pregnant two years later. “Mazel noticed instantly and reacted by digging a large hole in the yard and catching even more squirrels for my mum because she needed the protein or something,” she added. “On the advice of my grandmother, my mum stayed overnight at the hospital once I was delivered and dad went home with a shirt that had mum’s and my scent on it.

“Mazel spent the entire night pondering over it. When my mum brought me home the next morning, there was an immediate recognition of ‘puppy’,” one person shared. “Mazel transformed into the most fiercely maternal creature I’ve ever encountered. She would play with me on the blanket, sit under my chair during meals, sleep under my crib, and even helped me learn to walk by letting me clutch her fur and shuffle around.”

Despite the vet’s advice to bid farewell to their wolfdog now that a baby was in the house, the family insisted on explaining how Mazel was contributing to babysitting duties. “Dr Hamada thought my mum had lost her marbles until he saw me opening Mazel’s mouth wide and sticking my face in to inspect her teeth. He threw in the towel when my mum announced she was expecting my sister,” she added. Sadly, Mazel passed away peacefully in her sleep at 19, leaving the family devastated but grateful for the cherished years they had with her.

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