Devotion To Duty

I keep getting compliments about Axl whenever I write about how old he is getting. My Veterinarian tells me he has never seen a Rottweiler that was his age before. It is unheard of since they only have a life expectancy of 10-12 years. Then the subject turns to either what is his secret or how does he do it. I think it comes down to devotion to duty. Axl has a profound sense of purpose and I am convinced that is what is keeping him alive. Somehow he knows that his Mom needs him.

Axl was originally bought as a puppy by a friend of mine who sold him to a handicapped woman when he was a year old. That woman had trained him to be a companion service dog and Axl lived with her for 6 years until she had to move due to a house fire that also had killed Axl's female Rottweiler helper. When I heard from his original owner that he was available for adoption I jumped at the chance to adopt him and through the reputation of this blog and my friend's recommendation I was able to have him.

We took Ruffin and Sassy with us and drove up to Dayton, Ohio and met Axl for the first time on August 2, 2009 and he seemed very happy to meet all of us. But as strange as this may seem, Axl seemed particularly taken by my wife Jacqueline. Of course I was surprised since I was the one who wanted to adopt him.

Upon arriving home Axl followed my wife everywhere. It soon became obvious that he was going to be her dog. Especially after he jumped up on her bed at bedtime that first night and slept next to her. It was soon after his arrival in his forever home that my wife was diagnosed with Alzheimer's and I began to understand his attachment to her. Axl always seemed to have a happy, smiley look on his face when he was near his Mom. He even took naps with her on the couch.

When we all went to the kitchen to sit down for a meal, Axl would follow us and was right there laying at his Mom's feet. He never begged for table scraps like the other Rotts do. He was just there keeping her company. This photo below was taken 3-years ago.

Which brings me to today. I have seen this every day but for some reason tonight I decided to take some pictures and then that led me to write this post about this wonderful, loving canine. 

This old Rottweiler is still smiling and his eyes still seem to have a twinkle in them. It must be because he is a very happy old Rottweiler, doing what he likes to do. Keeping his Mom company. God Bless you Mr. Axl and I pray He keeps you healthy so you can finish your job.