The corollary of travel...

Since we are going to be away, I've had to find a solution for Brio's care, and it's been surprisingly difficult. There are three young men living in my house, but all of them are working or in school or both, and trying to ensure someone would be here at the right time and frequency proved impossible. And even if they were able to let Brio out, no one would be willing to walk him as much as he needs. And he needs a lot. This is one energetic dog!

So I looked into having a friend watch him at her house. But she had to work out of town and he'd be left alone for huge stretches of time, which wasn't doable. Then I looked at having another friend down the street just come to the house when the three young men weren't available. But she never could firm up details or commit to anything.

Then I looked at professional dog walkers and dog sitters, but they wanted $16-25 a visit or $50 a day. Wow, so not doable. I'd have to mortgage the house. It seemed like a lot for a $150 dog.

Then I looked at having someone just come house-sit in general, but it would have been awkward for them with the three young men bustling in and out.

I considered making friends with a homeless person and offering them a place to stay for two weeks in exchange for watching Brio. But my social worker husband informed me they would likely lose their beds at the shelter if they missed a night.

So as a last resort, I booked him into a kennel, run by the vet. He's been there before and I know they'll take care of him, and it's cheaper than a dog walker. I know they'll let him out on a regular basis, though not as frequently as he's used to, and they won't play Frisbee and ball off-leash with him. I know he'll cry for a lot of it. But they'll be on hand if there's any medical emergency, and they might consider letting him lie on their feet under the reception desk all day if he's lonely, which would make him perfectly happy. (They did note that they couldn't put him on payroll, but it's okay if he volunteers at the desk.)

So the problem is solved. But I'm already getting teary-eyed at the thought of leaving him for two weeks. Which tells me I'm way too in his head, and he's way too in mine. Maybe the separation will be good for us. We've become a little too reliant on each other. I'm trying not to think about it.

Funny how these little furry friends get under your skin, isn't it?

Meanwhile, I'm not concerned about leaving Son Number 3 at all. Which tells me I have confidence in his responsibility and self-reliance. Which means he's an adult now. Which means my work here is basically done.

Which means I am now free to go travel!