I had to go out for a short time this morning and I put the girls in the laundry room. They did great. When I went to let them out to go to the bathroom, Huxley zoomed out the door. Next thing I saw was a squirrel jumping into the tree on the other side of the fence. It's the first squirrel we've had her in seven years! The dogs went nuts. They were pacing and pointing and really excited. They wanted that squirrel. They made attempts at going over the fence. That concerned me. I believe they need a six foot fenced in yard. GSP's are so agile and can jump so easily. Anyway, I let them out into the yard, supervised, so they could run off the squirrel energy. They've finally settled down. It didn't take them too long.

The cats are stiill (and always will be) an issue. My cats just don't like dogs. I've had Tabby for 15 years and Paulie and Minnie for 6 years. It bothers me that they are having to live under the bed in our room. I think that Huxley and Blitz just want to play with them, but my cats take it as an aggressive overture and want to retaliate. I can't take a chance on anyone (feline or canine) getting hurt.

So, I've sent an email to Kris letting her know what's going on and what I feel we have to do at this point. This is an extremely difficult decision. I've already become attached to the girls and love them. They are sweet and generous and affectionate and mellow. Everything I'd like in a dog. But I can't do anything about the fence or the cats. Those two things will not change with time. So, before I get in even deeper, I'll make the decision that I don't want to make.

I am disappointed that this is not going to work out. I already had it planned in my head to grow old with these two dogs. But I can't chance them getting out of the yard for their safety and as a courtesy to the neighbors. If we didn't live in such a close community, it would be different. And it would be different too if we didn't have covenants that don't allow us to make any modifiations to the fence. We're not even allowed to put up the electric fence at the bottom of the fence to keep the rabbits and squirrels out. Darn it.

I love having Huxley and Blitz here. Especially since they are so easy and mellow. But I have to think of my cats too. They have seniority here. I don't want to have to choose one over the other but in this case I have to. It stinks.

I guess it just isn't meant to be for us to have a dog. At least not as long as we have our cats and live in this house. I am so very much disappointed.