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Dogs and University?

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I have three dogs, and one is a chihuahua. One thing to note about the breed is they have a small bladder, so need to go outside much more frequently than a bigger dog.

ETA: just noticed how old this thread is. Oops.

Reply 41

blubimnotafish

If I were you I'd wait until you're older. Dogs are reaaaally expensive! You will also need to take your dog into consideration everytime you go on holiday, which could cost you even more.
It's a lot of financial and just general responsibility for a young person.

Reply 42

redferry

Op if you do get a dog Id advice rescueing an older dog thats chilled and doesnt need loads of excercise. Greyhounds are good, they just need one big run a day.

Reply 43

HCubed

Dogs are pack / social animals that hate being alone. Some will tolerate it for a few hours, others just get neurotic or depressed. So how would a normal day work? It's only fair to leave a dog alone after it has been exercised. Are you going to walk it before lectures every morning? Then will you be in all evening, or do you plan for it's only human contact to be the hour the dog walker spends with it? Dogs have very little capacity to entertain themselves - a bored / lonely dog will chew.

As for your breed choices, dalmations are neurotic, high energy dogs (they were bred to run alongside horsedrawn coaches) that need a lot of exercise. Rotties are more passive but will chew your house to pieces if left alone too long. Do you have a garden? If not, you are going to have to walk it five or six times a day so it can pee.

Then I presume you plan to work full time after you graduate - what will you do with the dog then?

If you love dogs - please think what you can offer a dog, not what the dog can offer you and don't get one - save it for when you have a house and a family who can share the workload.

Reply 44

ginger.

My flatmate in second year had two dogs. We lived in a shared house and it wasn't ideal. I love dogs and my parents have always had dogs so I liked having them around but I sometimes felt like it was my responsibility to look after them. She was doing a science degree and she left the house at 8am and didn't come back till about 6pm. She sometimes put them in her room when no one was in and they'd start howling :frown: