Do you think your dog will be fine with cats being around? Our cats will give any dog their space and usually perch on a cat tree or chair - but it is an open concept in the house and we let all the animals roam so they would see each other. Any tendancy to mark? We don't have carpeting upstairs so it isn't a big deal if not - but we have area rugs that I can roll up to help "resist the temptation" for the visiting dog.

We have a lovely neighborhood where my dogs love to go for walks along the sidewalks and take in the different smells of the neighbor's pets/ flowers/ etc. We live very close to the Menomonee Parkway Trail so if they are up for the jog over there to take a long walk . . . or if they don't enjoy longer treks but love to play in short bursts (like my short legged Corgi) we can hop in the car (and buckle in) and drive over to the HUGE Currie Dog Park to burn off some energy and play with the other dogs.