how come you can't have a dog? i thought that was the big advantage of buying a house. there are lots of dogs that live in apartments and only go for walks, though maybe that's bad.

-- mo (emtavano@earthlink.net), March 28, 2000

Answers

doggies need yards

The main benefit of buying a house is that we'll pay the same thing each month as we would if we rented, but it's a mortgage payment. Home ownership makes sense in this market. Plus Mark is sick of moving every year. He's got a lot of stuff.

We can't have a dog without a yard because I don't like to keep a dog inside all day long. And if I have to walk the dog four or more times a day so it can take care of its business, I'll get cranky and resentful.

Obviously I am never having children, since a dog is almost too much!

When I had Curly, my Australian shepherd, from 92-97, I lived in a rented house with a yard almost the entire time. I'd let Curly out in the morning when I left for work, and let him back in at night for dinner and cuddles. He was a happy dog and I was a happy dog-mama. Obviously I took him for walks sometimes, since that's one of the joys of having a doggie. But it's my feeling that doggies are happier when they can be outside all day (with proper fencing, and water, etc.)

-- Molly Zero (mollyzero@diarist.net), March 28, 2000.