Diesel

Diesel is a handsome 6 month old pure bred Blue Merle Great Dane puppy that was an owner surrender. He was born on 12/29/11 to a Harlequin mom and black dad. He is a little shy when first meeting people, but warms up very quickly and is then your best bud! He loves kids and other dogs. He has not been tested with cats. He loves to go to the dog park and playing fetch. Diesel has a ton of puppy energy and is food motivated, so should be easy to train. He knows sit and shake, but will still require basic obedience training because he is going to be a very BIG boy! He loves to be with his people, loves the bathrub and getting baths and is housetrained.

Thank you to the Wolheim-Heath family for giving him a forever home. We wish you a lifetime of happiness with your new boy!

Update July 26, 2012

I nearly well up with tears as I write this because this beautiful dog is absolutely fabulous less than 24 hours in. Here's the story thus far:
 
On the car ride home he was quiet and calm. When I got home I backed the 4Runner in to the house and opened the trunk and crate. A minute or two later he jumped out of the crate and I walked him in to the backyard. He sniffed around for about 10 minutes and enjoyed the lawn. A few of the neighbor dogs barked and I pre-emptively told Diesel "Shh!" and he listened without joining in on the ruckus, which was fabulous!
 
I told him, "Go potty! Go potty!" And he peed and pood for which I greatly praised him! We came inside the house and explored for about 15 minutes, and then I took him in to the garage where his rubbermade food container was and had him sit while I poured him about 1 cup of dog food as a "snack". I asked him to sit and wait for 5 seconds while I held the bowl -- then said "okay!" set the food down on his elevated tray and he ate beautifully!
 
I brought him back inside and he sought out and introduced himself to the toy basket by the fireplace. The neighbors came over for a minute and we did just as you said -- they came in and he was leary and leaning his body weight against me. They sat down on the couch with me for about 10 minutes to talk and in that time Diesel warmed up to them and let them pet him. He was the perfect, goofy gentleman!
 
As they were leaving, Diesel discovered the stairs to the second story and trotted up them, then peered back down at us from the landing. He seemed so excited with his perked up ears as if to say, "look at me, I'm up here and you're down there -- Cool!"
 
When Jonathon came home an hour later, Diesel and I were upstairs in my master bedroom. I had assumed it would take Diesel another 10 minutes to warm up to Jonathon like the neighbors, since he had only met him once before at the park. Boy, were we both surprised! When Jonathon walked in the door downstairs, Diesel saw him from the upstairs landing, started wagging his tail immediately and bounded down the staircase to run in to him and greet him with hugs and kisses! We were absolutely, delightedly shocked!
 
Diesel, Hazel, Jonathon and I played for another two hours, let them go potty one last time, and went to bed around 12:30am. Diesel went in to his crate in our master bedroom, wimpered for about 3 minutes or so and then passed out. He woke up around 6:30am and I took he and Hazel out to go potty while Jonathon slept.
 
I took him in the garage and fed him his pain med with a bit of turkey wrapped around it, put the drops in his ears which he tolerated reasonably well, and made his 4 cups of dog food with some vitamin C and glucosamine sprinkled on top. He ate 3/4 of it and went outside to get a big drink of water. I fed Hazel separately inside and then leashed them both up. They were both anxious and excited at the door but I asked them both to "Wait" and to stop pulling before we opened the door and said "Let's Go!" Diesel and Hazel had about a dozen bouts of pulling that were corrected with a "pop" correction and the word "Heel." They quickly fell in to line, one on each side of me, walking with their heads to my sides and their bodies behind me, me as "pack leader" leading the pack on a morning walk. We walked for about 15 minutes around the neighborhood and then returned to the backyard for some water before coming inside.
 
This morning he's been great, alternating playing with toys and relaxing on his big new bed at our feet. We could not be more happy and excited to have him here and have instantly fallen in love -- and I think if you could see him right now you'd see he seems pretty excited about his new digs as well!
 
Thank you again for everything and I'll give you another update soon!