My dog is a huge pain in the "kazoo," as we say in front of the kids. He begs for food every time we eat.  He wakes me up every morning at around 6:45. He chases every squirrel he sees, and every pigeon, and every other dog.  And I love him.

This surprises me, since I have never been a dog person.  Until I was well into my twenties the sound of a dog barking was enough to make me feel a sickly fear in the pit of my stomach. In fact, I've always thought that people who were super "into" their dogs were kind of weird.  I mean, seriously, its a dog!

But now I have a dog.  A really cute dogs.  And he's always happy to see me, and he never talks back, and he goes on long long walks with me (about 5 miles a day, now that the weather is better) and never whines about being tired, or wanting to stop for ice-cream. Plus, who could resist that face?  Really.

Now for the first time since we got the dog late this past Fall, we are going away and leaving him behind. I won't miss the early morning wake-ups or the late morning walks.  I won't miss the poop scooping, or the tripping over him 4,000 times a day because he's always under foot.  I won't miss havning an audience every time I do ANYTHING....I mean, my dog can't even leave me alone long enough for me to use the facilities without him watching. But I will miss him.

I know, I know, there are plenty of places that allow dogs.  But they are not free places.  And I am taking my family to my parents' apartment in Longboat Key, FL, where no dogs are allowed, and where the fee per night is a kiss from my kids for their grandparents.

It's a deal that's too good to pass up. (And no, you can't get the same deal.  Your kids are NOT their grandchildren!)

I know he'll be in good hands.  He's staying with his trainer, Peg,  who loves Benltey, and he her. He'll be in her home -- not in some commerical facility.  He'll be played with and walked, and genuinely cared for.  Who knows, he might even learn a few things.
 
But I'm still gonna miss him.

Most of the surprises about having a dog have been good ones:  how much I love him, how much my kids love him, how much he's added to our family just by being with us.  But this is a new surprise:  my dog has taken a bit of the pleasure out of travel...simply because he can't come with me.

Good thing he's such a cutie.

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