Axel is home in Oakland

We were fortunate enough to adopt Axel, a Great Dane/Weimaraner mix, on July 24, 2010. She was born in Southern California and traveled all the way here to meet and greet all of her suitors. After a great deal of deliberation, we chose her because she felt like the right fit for our family. She was the only black pup of the litter; the rest were all silver or copper.

She has enormous paws, big floppy ears, and everyone who meets her smiles. My favorite introduction was to a very formal, serious police officer who was in uniform. When Axel wants to introduce herself, she sits directly in front of the person and looks up. The officer tried to keep a straight face, and finally burst into laughter, got down and gave her a good, long pet.

She's sweet and affectionate, very calm, and loves to climb onto our laps. Axel has certainly changed our lives for the better. No more lounging around. She gets at least two hours of walks a day.

We start puppy obedience school next week. My five year old son will be accompanying me because within a couple of months, this large pup will definitely outweigh him. Linc is adjusting; he still gets a bit overwhelmed by the kissing attacks. We only let that go on for a few seconds and then we calm her down. Puppy school will be good for all of us; I think Lincoln will benefit the most.