As many of you know, my dog is something of a handful. At the very least, she is not the kind of dog you can easily board or have spend a few days with friends for the following reasons:
a) Any other dogs within any vicinity, either real or imagined, is considered a threat and thus fair game for whining and squaloring fit to wake those in another dimension. Besides the before mentioned verbal ques that there is another dog looming about, other signs can (and probably will) consist of scratching at the door/reachable windows, pacing, low growling followed by high yips and furrowing of the upper brow in a display of extreme concern all in an attempt to try and 'warn' you that there is another dog outside and immediate attention is required. All forms of anxieties that I've learned to curtail or flat out ignore (I can't ALWAYS drop everything I am doing to tend to the emotional whims of my completely neurotic puppy) but not the type of behavior many boarders or my friends could tolerate.
b) Kasha's opinion of felines varies from day to day and theirs of her. Mostly, a sense of peace has been established between The Gaia Cat (Kasha's most formidable enemy initially) and Kasha has been established, but there are still days. For example, because Gaia has been bitten on the ass (literally) one too many times by the various families of foxes living in our neighborhood, she has learned to stay within a very small parameter of the house knows as the "Kitty Safety Zone." Which now consists of the route from the front door, through our front yard and the favored neighbors yard to the East, hurriedly through the parking lot and to the back of the house to be let in through the back door as quickly as possible if it is getting dark out or to perch on the fence and jump up on the roof our carport and bake in the sun. Basically though, the front yard (ours and the Eastern neighbors) are her hangouts. From here, Gaia can survey the entire neighborhood in either direction for two full city blocks and to the South directly in front of her for quite some distance. She is totally content with this, and the occasional bug chasing or grass eating. Gaia is thus allowed "out" totally on her own and without supervision, because she is a good little kitty and has deemed herself trustworthy (sans the 2 fox incidents, for which she has been forgiven) and capable of such responsibilities. Plus, she's particularly intelligent (even for a cat, who I believe to contain supernatural wisdoms) and can pretty much handle herself out in the world for several hours at a time.
Kasha, on the other hand, is completely untrustworthy and has proven this time and time again. She cannot be left unsupervised, ANYWHERE in the front yard or anywhere else really for that matter that is outside so she is kept mostly on leashes or otherwise restrained.
When Gaia comes in from her external, solitary excursions, Kasha naturally wants to sniff Gaia and then all hell breaks loose. Typically ending in Gaia perched on the 3rd stair up, tail pumped up to maximum density and one paw, ready to strike and she doesn't mess around when she's in that pose. Gaia is not a force to be reckoned with and it WILL hurt if she gets you like that, I think she sharpens her paws on flint or something. But Kasha just can't help her curious doggeh self and sometimes ends up with a sliced nose and yelping generally ensues after. Which then results in Max and I initially coddling the poor little tormented puppy, only to end up laughing and scolding her for messing with Gaia, because by now she should know better and Gaia isn't EVER going to let Kasha sniff her butt without a fight, no matter what. It just isn't in the stars.
But she doesn't learn and that's why Kasha can't really be trusted with cats. Other peoples cats specifically if she were going to be watched by someone. She wouldn't hurt them on purpose, I know that for sure....she's had many opportunities and yes, she'll chase them and yes, Kasha will pester any new cat until it's had enough and takes a good swat at her...but I've never seen her actually bite one. Still, many people might find her tactics troublesome and certainly, think of the poor kitty involved having to tolerate that? Not to mention, Gaia isn't the first bad ass cat I've met in my days. We've had a tom or two that would wrestle raccoons, hell, Pumpkin (sweet toothless ole gal that she is) used to pick fights with dogs and even KILLED a raccoon once, according to my mother. And for all Kasha's machismo, I'd wager a raccoon is far more fierce than Kasha is, even in her dreams where she's 8 foot tall and bullet proof.
c) Kasha's energy level can be extreme at times. She needs to be played with ALOT. Ideally, she needs to be walked ALOT and she requires a certain amount of attention that some may not be able to tolerate. She must sleep in the bed with you, she will want to be in your lap at most times when playing is not going on (unless it's the middle of summer) and she follows her humans every where they go. If I leave a room, she is immediately in tow. Especially to the kitchen. Oh and she begs, like she's never eaten a day in her life. She bounces, yelps, howls, still nips occasionally (though she FINALLY stopped doing it every time I came home, which was nice) and will try to get your feet under the covers if she thinks it's play time. If the bathroom door is open and you are in the bath, be prepared. She doesn't care if you are taking a bath....all she see's is running water. Somewhere in her mind, running water only exists as a play thing for her and it doesn't matter if it's coming out of the bath tub, the hose or spilling out of a glass. It's cause for IMMEDIATE attention. She groans, she moans, she yawns and talks alot. She's generally very verbal, VERY.
Kasha is my baby, she is precious to me and all of these things I find either absolutely gut-breakingly freaking hilarious or have learned to manage in our daily life. I like the spirit within her and mostly find her to be one of the sweetest dogs I've ever known, she adores me completely. What's not to like about that? Besides, did I mention that she makes me laugh so hard my guts hurt? I have my days, where she gets on my nerves. It's true. But I can handle it. She is, in essence, my baby and like all mothers, you over look those things about your children that others may not find as funny or endearing as you do.
The dilemma? What to do with her when I come to Washington? I can't afford to board her, that's for sure. That is, if they would even allow her to come. Alot of places will not accept dog aggressive dogs. I can't really ask any of my friends to take her because they either have cats or dogs or both and Kasha would wreak total havoc on their household for 10 days. I am willing to pay someone to come to my house, but it must be someone 100% trustworthy. Again, we are talking about my baby! And that would probably be ideal b/c then they can feed the cats and give everyone lovey's.
So, since I don't have a solution for this yet, I am petitioning the Universe for assistance in this matter formally. I am open to many suggestions, options and idea's. I am confident that a solution can be reached, I just don't know what that looks like. I plan to ask Kristen, as she would be my first choice and it is convenient because she is less than half a mile from me. I also realize she is quite inundated with her own family, life and animals that I tend to avoid asking her for huge favors, but this is one of those that I might have to ask of her because it is a pretty important trip to me.
Kasha is a great doggeh woggeh, to the right person, this can be managed efficiently. I am sure of it!
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