Getting a dog at uni?

I've fallen in love with a 2 and a half year old poodle who needs rehoming. The only problem is that for 6 months of each year for the next couple of years (during my termtime) he would have to live with some close friends and I wouldn't see him very often during those periods, because no pets are allowed in my room at uni.

I'm also aware that I would probably end up spending about £1300 over a year on his upkeep (excluding vets' bills for routine illnesses not covered by pet insurance). I'm going to be working and earning £5000 over summer so I know I can afford it. However, in the worst case scenario (if I ended up racking up a vets' bill of £300+ for illnesses not covered by pet insurance), I know I would struggle.

When I would be able to look after him I would be at home or out on walks for most of the day, so he'd get plenty of attention. I don't go out clubbing much. My parents think it's a stupid idea and say they won't take responsibility for his upkeep, although if push came to shove and he had nowhere else to go I am pretty certain they wouldn't turn him away. I know that dogs are generally very good for health and stress levels, and if he didn't live with me during term time I wouldn't have to worry about his day-to-day upkeep when I was in the middle of work.

I have a trusted friend who is absolutely lovely and who has said straight out that next year after he graduates he would be more than happy to look for a dog for me for half a year. After I graduate in June 2015 I'd be able to look after him full time.

It's unlikely that my landlord would agree to a pet poodle, and one of my housemates is staunchly against the possibility anyway. I have two animal loving friends who already have a menagerie of small animals and experience with dogs; they are considering taking him in for the rest of this academic year during term times. Ultimately though, I don't want to do anything that will endanger his wellbeing.

-I've fallen in love with this particular poodle

-Although I wouldn't see him for half of the year, when I was around him my student lifestyle means I'd be able to give him the attention he needs - if I got a dog when I was working full time I would be leaving him for much longer periods of time, which I don't think is a good idea for a new dog

-I'm finding uni quite stressful and I often get lonely, especially in the holidays, and I know dogs make great companions and can be a good source of stress relief (although funding one would obviously come with its own level of stress)

I'm in my second year at uni and I've been desperate for a dog for years. I've fallen in love with a 2 and a half year old poodle who needs rehoming. The only problem is that for 6 months of each year for the next couple of years (during my termtime) he would have to live with some close friends and I wouldn't see him very often during those periods, because no pets are allowed in my room at uni. I'm also aware that I would probably end up spending about £1300 over a year on his upkeep (excluding vets' bills for routine illnesses not covered by pet insurance). I'm going to be working and earning £5000 over summer so I know I can afford it. However, in the worst case scenario (if I ended up racking up a vets' bill of £300+ for illnesses not covered by pet insurance), I know I would struggle.

When I would be able to look after him I would be at home or out on walks for most of the day, so he'd get plenty of attention. I don't go out clubbing much. My parents think it's a stupid idea and say they won't take responsibility for his upkeep, although if push came to shove and he had nowhere else to go I am pretty certain they wouldn't turn him away. I know that dogs are generally very good for health and stress levels, and if he didn't live with me during term time I wouldn't have to worry about his day-to-day upkeep when I was in the middle of work.

I have a trusted friend who is absolutely lovely and who has said straight out that next year after he graduates he would be more than happy to look for a dog for me for half a year. After I graduate in June 2015 I'd be able to look after him full time. It's unlikely that my landlord would agree to a pet poodle, and one of my housemates is staunchly against the possibility anyway. I have two animal loving friends who already have a menagerie of small animals and experience with dogs; they are considering taking him in for the rest of this academic year during term times. Ultimately though, I don't want to do anything that will endanger his wellbeing.

I know a lot of people here will probably say "Why not just wait until after graduation?" That's a very sensible question, and I guess the three main reasons why I don't want to are:

-I've fallen in love with this particular poodle

-Although I wouldn't see him for half of the year, when I was around him my student lifestyle means I'd be able to give him the attention he needs - if I got a dog when I was working full time I would be leaving him for much longer periods of time, which I don't think is a good idea for a new dog

-I'm finding uni quite stressful and I often get lonely, especially in the holidays, and I know dogs make great companions and can be a good source of stress relief (although funding one would obviously come with its own level of stress)

I guess the main question is this: providing there is always someone responsible to look after him, would it be an okay idea to get a dog? Does anyone actually have any experience with this kind of thing?

Poodles are clever dogs, and require lots of stimulation and attention. They also form close bonds with their owners and hence it would be incredibly unfair on him to keep shifting homes and owners.

And what if your friends pull out? What if they change their mind? After all, it is not their dog and they can say no at any time.

Sometimes people have to rehome their dogs or euthanise them if they cannot afford treatment. It is easy to say that the 'worst case scenario' might not happen, but what if it does? Depending what insurance policy you take out, it may only cover conditions for up to 12months rather than life time, and will have a limit per condition. I've had a friend who maxed out their £5000 insurance to save their dog's legs after she was involved in an accident, and had to pay another £1000 from their own pocket.

And what about grooming? It's really difficult to do on your own but poodles require a lot of car for their fur which gets easily matted if not cared for. It cost around £30-£40 for a poodle cut depending on it's size. You could probably get away with getting it cut every 8 weeks, but any longer than that and your poodle might get painful matts.

People work full time and, even if they are tired, have to walk their dogs and take care of them; they can't stop looking after their dog just because they are 'busy'.

2) You do not have sufficient funds if something goes wrong. You are replying on a part time job, which may not be a stable job.

When you leave uni, what if you need to rent to move closer to your job - what if your new landlord doesn't allow dogs?

Being left for long periods of time is not a good idea for neither a new or old dog. Dogs can live for up to 15 years. If you don't feel you can give him enough attention when you are working in future, don't get a dog. Poodles are extremely intelligent and need lots of attention.

Surely this is something which any dog owner could find difficult though? You could be on £30k per year but after tax, rent, bills and food you'd still struggle to pay £6k, but far fewer people would question someone on £30k per year getting a dog than a student.

The majority of people own a pet so landlords are having to be a bit more conscientious about who they say yes and no to.

To suggest that it's impossible to have a dog if you work full time is a little unfair though. There are dog walkers and dog daycare centres specifically for that reason. It's like leaving your child with a childminder or a nanny.