We continue to struggle finding condos that will take even pets, let alone a bigger dog like Kazak. We looked at a place over the weekend in Norwood Park, and actually were going to bid, even though it was out of our price range a bit, because it was in great shape and in a great area. But then the woman told us that only small pets were allowed. Today I sent our realtor a list of about five places...not one of them took pets AT ALL.

This pisses me off to no end...first of all, what is the big difference between a 50 lb. dog and a 65 lb. dog? And, of all the dogs I've met my entire life, the little punt-able shits are the loudest, most hyperactive dogs there are. They're more of a noise nuisance than a bigger dog usually. Finally, I don't understand how people don't realize that having even one freakin' dog in the building makes the place that much less attractive to, say, a burglar...even if the dog isn't directly in the unit they're "targeting." The fear of the dog barking up a storm keeps them away...

Sometimes I just feel really cheated by the whole thing. As though having a dog is like having some kind of sickness or social ineptitude or financial problem that would prevent me from being a good owner in that condo. It's fucking ridiculous.

And what tears me apart inside is that all this frustration has lead me to consider at times getting rid of Kazak. It lasts about 10 seconds before I realize what I'm thinking and then mentally kick myself in the nuts for thinking that way, but it kills me. It kills me to even think that I would possibly consider getting rid of him. Because I just couldn't do it.

First of all, I love him to death...he's like a child to me. People who haven't had a dog won't understand, and those who haven't had a dog through these years of our lives will understand less. I don't baby him, per se, like some people do...but he's my boy, for what it's worth. Secondly, I don't trust that anyone will take care of him nearly as well as I do. Although I'm not always home, I do take good care of him, and I'm very, very in tune to his moods and whatnot (and he to mine). Third, he's the best dog ever. EVER. Aside from an occasional anxiety attack when I leave, he does nothing wrong. Nothing. No barking, no licking, no jumping on people. Nothing. He was well-trained before I got him, and he's even better-trained now. I don't even have to raise my hand to him any more...I just raise my voice, and he listens. He's a phenomenal dog, and he's really smart on top of it.

I just wish I could show that to condo associations...it shouldn't be this damn hard. We have enough constraints on us already because of the price. Condos that don't allow dogs should be a "luxury" that you have to pay extra for...somewhat like more square footage, extra parking or extra storage...things like that.

So the search goes on...