just wondering what everyone's thoughts/experiences with having a dog in college are...

bad idea?
good idea?

pros?
cons?

etc?

8/22/2006 1:58:53 PM

You're usually home periodically during the day, and/or live w/ roomates, so the dog doesn't have to spend 8+ hours alone each weekday.

8/22/2006 2:03:45 PM

it's a bad idea.

8/22/2006 2:05:09 PM

i owned one...i adopted out of wake county b/c some places won't adopt to students b/c they don't usually have a solid income...although i was working while in college at the time i adopted mine.

1-just make sure your roommates are cool with it first if you have any
2-don't be that guy that takes their dog to parties
3-make sure you can do all the things you would do for the dog if you weren't in college/be a responsible pet owner

8/22/2006 2:05:46 PM

bragaw lets you have 2 dogs

8/22/2006 2:07:24 PM

Having a dog in college was fine for me - but after, there were things to think about. So make sure that you are ok with having a dog after college, too (as far as where you are going to live, marriage, kids, etc)

8/22/2006 2:11:01 PM

Dog? Maybe
Puppy? No

It depends on your lifestyle, schedule, and where you live.
-If your lifestyle has you with a ton of nightlife / out most of the time, you probably won't be able to give proper attention to the dog.
-If your schedule has you out unpredictably or for extensive periods of time (12-15 hours), you probably won't be able to give proper attention to the dog.
-Your home needs to be able to handle a new pet ... expect things to get chewed up, tensions to mount at times, etc.

My fiancee and I waited until we both had more regular 8-5 schedules to get a pet. Has worked out well so far.

8/22/2006 2:12:18 PM

i had a puppy and had no problems.
i also got her at thanksgiving...so with the holidays coming up i was going to have time off from school to really focus on house and crate training her

8/22/2006 2:32:19 PM

terrible idea


cant stay out at night because you have to let the dog out=either you take the dog to someones house (i for one hate people bringing their pets in my home) or you have to drive home drunk to take care of the dog.

most college kids dont have the funds to take care of a dog

you have to take them out several times a day- rain, sleet, snow, 100 degrees, whatever

want to plan a trip? you have to worry about what to do with the dog

not to mention cleaning up after a dog. odds are you dont have a fenced in yard so its going to be indoor. your roomates will hate you because your house smells like wet dog/ urine

the hair gets everywhere. i hate pulling dog hair out of my mouth.
i have moved 3 times since my dog died. im still finding her hair

they live a long time

you are just finishing up school, wanting to find your own place. you are limited as to where you can live based on said pet.

8/22/2006 2:44:07 PM

my girl had a dog in college for a couple years. of couse its more responsbility, but if you're will to accept the responsiblity, then theres really no difference then having a dog and being out of school.

8/22/2006 2:47:27 PM

bad idea

college kids are irresponsible/lazy

wait til you have a fenced in yard and money to pay for vet bills

8/22/2006 2:49:57 PM

for me the benefits far outweighed the inconveniences.......so much so that i got another one.

8/22/2006 2:51:45 PM

Quote :

"college kids are irresponsible/lazy"

that isn't the case here...

all of these are good points... i need to think about this thoroughly

[Edited on August 22, 2006 at 2:54 PM. Reason : .]

8/22/2006 2:53:51 PM

My girlfriend's roommate thought it'd be a good idea to get a Huskie last summer. After a sad history of neglect and leaving him in a crate for hours upon hours / not coming home nights, my girlfriend and her other roommate gave the Huskie owner the choice of either moving somewhere else at the beginning of the new lease or giving up the dog. So much she loved the dog that she gave it up. And now won't speak to my girlfriend / other roommate for forcing her to give up her blue-eyed baby that she loved so much. The moral of the story is that college students can tend to be bad owners, especially when the dog stops being cute... impuslive, etc.

8/22/2006 2:55:08 PM

well if youre responsible enough to take care of the life of a small animal, wouldn't we assume that youre responsible to enough to think for yourself instead of asking people on a college message board?

i mean really...

8/22/2006 2:55:42 PM

it all comes down to responsibility.

there are plenty of dog owners out there that dont have fenced in yards...thats not a requirement for a having a dog.

there are plenty of college kids that have enough money to have a dog.

it basically comes down to are you willing to be responsible for a life that will be completely dependent upon you for everything. if you arent, then it doesnt matter if you are in college or not, a dog is not for you.

if you are, then again, it doesnt matter if you are in college...in fact, it would probably be easier to have a dog in college because you arent working for long stretches at a time.

8/22/2006 2:57:08 PM

I rescued a dog in college and I thought about all of the financial decisions beforehand and it still didn't work out. The dog ended up with a great family, but it was a stupid decision on my part because although I could afford vet bills, food, toys, etc. I was not financially comfortable enough to make having a pet a higher priority than say, where I lived. For instance, when I got married and had to move, the dog simply wasnt a high enough priority for me to justify putting myself under the financial strain of either paying high pet fees at an apartment or paying higher rent fees at an apartment.

Now that my life is more stable (I won't be moving for 5-10 years more than likely) and if I were to move or something were to come up, I am financially stable enough that keeping my dogs would not be an issue. Of course, everyone is different but I would reccomend most students shy away from owning a dog while at school. A college student's life is too unstable and typically they don't know what the future holds as far as where they will end up in the next 3-4 years.

8/22/2006 3:02:06 PM

Quote :

"if you are, then again, it doesnt matter if you are in college...in fact, it would probably be easier to have a dog in college because you arent working for long stretches at a time. "

8/22/2006 3:02:14 PM

Quote :

"well if youre responsible enough to take care of the life of a small animal, wouldn't we assume that youre responsible to enough to think for yourself instead of asking people on a college message board? "

all the responsibility in the world doesn't equate to first hand experience.

8/22/2006 3:04:18 PM

what kind of classes does a dog in college take?

8/22/2006 3:05:48 PM

of course there are people who are responsible enough to have a dog in college

and having a fenced in yard is not required to have one either

it's just my opinion that dogs need a lot of attention and they can cost a lot- many college students have too many other responsibilites that are more important than having pet. it would be unfair to the dog if you just can't handle the duties of being an owner, despite your best intentions or how much you love the dog.

lots of people have children and go to college- doesn't mean it's the most prudent thing to do though

8/22/2006 3:25:53 PM

If you are going to be renting and changing apartments go ahead and plan for that. Many student apartments around here have a strict no pets policy. You can certainly find something, but it also might hinder you from living where you want next year.

If you have a pet its a lot easier to rent from a private landlord in a townhouse or detached house around campus than from the big apartment complexes. This usually works out in your favor though because its easier to walk your dog in your back yard than from the third story of an aparment building.

8/22/2006 3:33:54 PM

Quote :

"bad idea college kids are irresponsible/lazy wait til you have a fenced in yard and money to pay for vet bills "

8/22/2006 4:00:18 PM

i had pets in college. but personally I think that to own a dog or cat is financially irresponsible unless you don't have finance issues. Most college students do struggle with money, so for those I don't think it is fair to the pet. My first 3 years of college i had my childhood dog living with me and it caused problems with my roommate and if it wasn't for my parents' help I probably wouldn't have been able to keep him. He was on a crap load of medicine and had to go to the vet all of the time.
When he passed away, I adopted a dog from wake county animal control since i knew a rescue wouldn't adopt to me. I was broke all of the time then. Luckily, I worked at a vet clinic so I had a discount.

Pros: dogs are great companions
Cons: finances, if you are constantly gone to class, etc. also, it limits you to go out and about for overnight stays etc. (this personally doesn't bother me, i just don't go)

Finances: vaccines, food (large breeds can hurt the pocket), heartworm prevention, flea/tick prevention, toys, etc

I think it depends on how loyal you are to the dog and how responsible you are. I don't everyone deserves to have a dog, but if you can afford to take care of it and will give it plenty of attention and exercise then go for it. Another thing to remember is dogs are pack animals are shouldn't be left for hours on end by themselves. They need packs, exercise, and attention.

I think it is very honorable that you ask first before you do.

good luck!

8/22/2006 6:19:51 PM

Money might be your biggest issue. If you've got a great and understand vet, that makes things easier. If something should go horribly wrong when you're completely broke, they'll work with you. Fortunately, the problem dog in the household is my bf's, and my dog is a healthy geezer
Researching breeds is definitely something you should do. Knowing what I know now, I will never own a cocker spaniel.

I'll (we'll?) be getting another dog soon - probably a puppy, and most definitely from the shelter.

A lot of the reasons mentioned in this thread to not get a dog are very dependent on your situation. My take on the matter is that if you end up saving the dog's life (such was the case with my first dog - he was due to be put down that day), the gratification from that eases whatever hardships having a dog might cause you.

Are you willing to eat ramen and learn to be even more frugal, so that your dog may have [insert some need here]?

It's also not a bad idea to get a feel for possible pet-sitting options among your friends and family beforehand. Don't abuse any willingness, but it'll really put you at ease to have that felt out beforehand.

pros: it's a dog. enough said.
cons: costs. and sometimes they think your hallway is an awesome bathroom

I also found, thus far (living in the new place, with my dog here, instead of at my folks' place), that knowing I needed to run to garner to check on my dog (summer time) meant that I ended up doing more of the mundane household stuff while I was there. Wanted to knock off as many chores as possible each trip, as long as I was using the gas to and from raleigh





[Edited on August 22, 2006 at 6:38 PM. Reason : more]

8/22/2006 6:36:50 PM

my biggest issue with getting a dog would be, what would I do with it when i go home for the holidays...can't take it there, they have an evil cat. so, i have no dog.

8/22/2006 10:21:27 PM

Quote :

"well if youre responsible enough to take care of the life of a small animal, wouldn't we assume that youre responsible to enough to think for yourself instead of asking people on a college message board? i mean really... "

i was looking for personal experience and all the comments have been fairly helpful....

8/22/2006 10:33:26 PM

A lot of good advice so far. I'll also note that some people believe having two small dogs is good (e.g. doxies) because they can keep each other company while you are away, get the exercise they need playing with each other indoors, and in several ways are easier to care for.

8/22/2006 10:34:31 PM

ive had my dog for almost 2 1/2 years now, and i graduated in may of 05

my dog has never been a trouble maker as far as barking, chewing, etc. in fact, i havent kept her in the kennel thing since she was a pup. if youre in school. you just need to make sure that although the dog will be mainly your responsibility, that your roomies will pitch in too as far as taking it out every now and then.

8/22/2006 10:57:31 PM

bad idea

8/22/2006 11:01:34 PM

i got my first dog, Bailey, almost 5 yrs ago during my sophomore year.
I moved to a new apartment when one of my roommates had a problem with it. (apparrently she was afraid of dogs and never mentioned it until i had a 4 lb puppy running around). so i paid double rent until i could sublet the apartment.
i got my second, Grace, about a year later. mainly to keep Bailey company. they love eachother.
I now have 4 dogs. plus i have had close to 30 fosters come in and out in the past year.

I found it EASIER to have my dogs while i was in college. i just took a teaching job and i have long hours, and i'm too far away to stop by during lunch or as frequently as i could while i was in college. luckily i have a fenced in yard so they can stay out during the day when its nice out and 2 great roommates who help.
My schedule while in college (undergrad and grad) made it easier to have them. it was more flexible. i was closer to the house. i came home more often.
Now i commute to Durham every day and miss them terribly. but i spend quality time with them in the evenings and weekends. they're all past the puppy stage so i dont worry about had behaviors,

the main thing to worry about is finances$. i worked fulltime while in college to pay for college, rent, etc... i was good at budgeting and i never had a problem. but try to put away like $500 - $1000 in a savings account in case of an emergency.



oh - and if you're interested i have a purebred 7 month old border collie whos up for adoption

8/23/2006 6:59:41 AM

If you want to own a dog in college, start a savings account for it early, while it is a puppy. Tuition increases far outpace inflation, but by the time it gets its GED, at least its books should be almost paid for.

8/24/2006 12:11:15 PM

I love having a dog. dogs are the best hiking companions. lucky for you if you live close to home and can bring your dog with you for the holidays. if you have to fly home, you'll probably have to fork out money for boarding, unless you have a super cool friend who'll dog sit for free. I adopted an older dog... if you think you'll be out for long stretches of the day, older dogs are better because they can wait longer to go out. also, you'll know what you're getting. young animals can be unpredictable--with older dogs, shelters/foster homes can tell you a lot about how the dog behaves. if you're messy, older dogs are less likely to chew up your precious things you left on the floor. if you're willing and dedicated enough, having a dog is great. but just keep in mind a ton of college students get pets they can't take care of and get rid of them when they don't have the time/money/patience for them anymore. and all those damn kids taint the reputation of those of us who are actually responsible. don't be one of them.

8/28/2006 1:38:56 AM

I love dogs, always have, and want to work with them one day. I do not currently have one however. I'm realistic and know that it would make me poor, take my time away from studies, and not be fair to the dog if I got lazy.

8/28/2006 1:28:17 PM

Don't do it. Its a bigger commitment than you might think. Its not like when you lived at home with mom and dad, and you had a family dog.

It sounds stupid, but its almost like having a child, just a little less annoying.

8/28/2006 2:08:19 PM

not adopting a puppy by the way

8/28/2006 9:53:35 PM

I wanted a dog, but ended up going for 2 kittens. Me and my roommate each getting 1. They can keep each other company (and provide entertainment). They were more affordable and with enough food & water bowls set out you can leave them unattended much longer. As much as I wanted a dog and could have almost made it work in college, now that I graduated in the spring and don’t have student loans backing me up & am instead paying them back, I wouldn’t be able to afford one now as well as I could have in college. Plus an apartment’s size fits kittens better. But if you get a dog, you’ll have to post pics.

[Edited on August 28, 2006 at 10:00 PM. Reason : .]

8/28/2006 9:59:42 PM