A Visitor!

My dog (who lives with my parents) is coming to stay with Bee, the kids, and I for a week. Perhaps two. I am very excited, but also very nervous! Gypsy is a good dog. Probably one of the best. However, she is old now and over the years has developed some....anxiety issues.

When I was 19, my little teeny, tiny, 1/3 of a room I lived in (ok, I think it might have been 400 SQ FT) was located IN THE GHETTO. We weren't allowed pets...at ALL, but, the people in front AND the people upstairs had a cat. When a big scary man tried to break into my apartment, I said enough was enough and went to the pound the next day and got a German Shepard/Rottweiler mix. I figured she would grow roughly the size of my couch (she has MASSIVE paws) and scare away anyone or anything who came too close. I crate trained her and every week we went to the pet store and got 5 or 6 new toys. Before I knew it, she had her OWN bag of things I took every where (like a diaper bag) and more often than not, she made me carry her everywhere because the ground was...well...icky.

Eventually, she started to walk places on her own, but insisted on going everywhere with me. Eventually, we moved from that place and the new place we got knew I had her and after I signed a lease, said that Gypsy couldn't come. I was devastated. I was also 20 and didn't know better. Not that it would have mattered, I couldn't really afford the type of places that allow you to have dogs that weren't farther in the ghetto than I was willing to go. I begged and pleaded my parents to take her. They fussed and fussed, but eventually they took her under the condition, I find a place ASAP that allowed dogs. Not long after that, I moved back home. With them. And my dog. I stayed there until I was 26. At that point, Gypsy had a "brother" (a rescue my parents took in) who she was really close with and she was 6, almost 7. I couldn't take her from the only home she really remembered, her companion, or the fact my mom was home with her all day, and where I was going to be living, she would be alone all day except for the cat. She would go from having a yard, to living in an apartment. I didn't think it was fair, and my mom told me I didn't have a choice anyway.

They are taking her with them to Arizona. I am ok with this. She belongs to them now, really. She loves me a lot though. I am her second favorite, and when I come visit them, she firmly throws herself against me and stays that way until I leave. Right now, my mom and sister are going to Michigan for a week or two to leave the house empty for the Realtor. My aunt said that Gypsy can come, but my mom is worried about all the other pets there and how my old girl will handle it. She asked if Bee and I could take her because we have a big house and a big yard and she would be with me. Bee is ok with it, but I worry about my landlord. I asked him on Friday and he said he would let me know by the next day. His concern is fleas. He has yet to get back to me and my mom needs to go, so I said yes.

I worry she will mess on the floor because she doesn't feel comfortable. I worry Ms. Kitty and her will fight. I worry the landlord will be pissed. However, I think it will be ok :) We will need to adjust, but I think it will work out well :) Wish us luck!