Which uni is most dog friendly? What are your experiences as a dog owner and student?

Hello, I will be 18 in a couple of days and live in France. I was raised in Northumberland, quite close to Newcastle, but we moved to Brittany (Bretagne/Breizh in French/Breton) just about 5 years ago and haven't looked back. It's a great place and I probably want to continue to live in France as a working adult, but I'm almost certain that I'd like to attend university in the UK as the French university system is very odd and although I speak French, it's easier for me to do more complex things in English.

I have a Caniche Royal, a full sized poodle, he's groomed in a very practical way and people don't think he's a poodle because they expect poodles to look ridiculous. He's extremely well trained dog, because he's a poodle he doesn't aggravate allergies, and he and I go everywhere together. He could be classified as an emotional support dog because we got him for me on recommendation from the psychologist for my depression nearly 3 years ago, but he isn't on the registry in the UK because I don't live in Britain and he's only been a few times. Anywhere that I move to, he's coming with me, so it's important that whatever university that I attend is dog friendly altogether, not just in halls but especially in halls. If I have my own room that I can lock, he can be left alone for up to 90 minute intervals whilst I go to a lecture but any more and he'll become bored, and if the room is shared I have to take him with me because the only others that I trust to be alone with him are my parents and siblings, he could easily be stolen or abused in someone else's care and I won't allow that to happen.


I can live with my grandad or in the flat under my brother and sister in law's house if I study in Colchester or Edinburgh respectively, and my parents said that they can give me £100-£150 per week for housing if I need to get a flat but I don't know if single flats exist at that price and a share means trusting a stranger to be alone with my dog, and being expected to put the needs of someone that I don't know or care about over the needs of that which I love most. If I can take my dog to class if he's registered as an Emotional Support Dog, that's a different story.

I'm taking a gap year to figure things out and I might not go to university because it might be too much of a hassle and traumatic experience for my dog, and there is a career that I'm very interested in that only requires an apprenticeship, either here or in Britain.


So, what's your experience with bringing your dog to university? What is the most dog friendly university?


Please don't tell me your opinion about how I feel about my dog, it won't change anything. I have to say that because I asked a similar question on Reddit and got called a freak, of course Reddit is mostly Americans so I should know better than to expect politeness or civilised behaviour, but the internet is a mean place and unfortunately many young British people are increasingly Americanised so I feel the need to clarify. Hope your new year is going well thus far and thank you for answering.


P.S. I've no idea how to post photos or I would, sorry

I've not encountered any university halls that allow pets, and private student housing usually doesn't allow pets either. If you want to bring your dog to university, you'll likely either have to live in non-student private accommodation, or live with family.

As for the 90-minute intervals part, that's not something you'll have control over. Even if your course has minimal contact hours, you have no say in how they're spread out. For one term, I had virtually nothing for four days a week, then on Fridays I had 9am-6pm with only a 90 minute break. There's no way you'll be able to guarantee you'll be back every few hours, never mind 90 minutes, so bear that in mind.

I figured that I would be able to choose what courses that I took and when I took them, so I could work out a schedule that works for me.

Alright, would that be different if I had him registered as an Emotional Support Animal? I know for a fact that it's illegal in the UK for an ESA to be banned from places where other dogs are, like any flat, stores, restaurants etc. when I've gone to visit with him, I've told the person at the front of the restaurant that he's an ESA (which is true, in France he is registered) and they've allowed us in without further issue. Of course it's always preferable to be more amicable than to say 'if you don't allow this I'll sue you' but if I have to go that route I certainly will.


What do you mean that I won't have control over it? Won't I be able to schedule my own courses at university? I figured that I would be able to choose what courses that I took and when I took them, so I could work out a schedule that works for me.

He doesn't need a full walk every 90 minutes, which would be a 90 minute project in itself (we do it before breakfast and before bed, sometimes before midday meal or more than 2 hours after) just some love and attention.


Anyhow, it seems as if I'll be living with family or renting a flat although I am going to see if I'm allowed to bring him with me legally as he is an ESA. Thank you for your post.

As far as I know no University will accept any pet. Guide dogs for the blind would be considered totally differently as they are support dogs and have been highly trained. Universities will have measures in place for these dogs only.

Many privately rented rooms or flats won’t accept pets either. In fact I have yet to see any that will allow even a cat, let alone a larger animal. Landlords simply don’t want the hassle of any pet on their tenancy agreements.

If you could stay with your Grandad that may be your solution, but you have no say over 90 minute intervals to see your dog, as Uni timetables are set by admin and lecturers availability and not yours as doctorwhofan98 says above.

If however not taking your dog is a dealbreaker and you don’t need a degree, I would advise settling for the apprenticeship but one day work will be your working week and again the 90 minute intervals will be a problem for you. You need to ensure your working life and possible future career are not totally jeopardised by your dogs requirements as you may end up regretting missed opportunities in life.

Btw he doesn't *need* to be seen every 90 minutes, he could potentially go all day without me aside from being walked and fed, but he would be sad and I would be sad, maybe 90 minutes isn't realistic but 2.5-3 hours is the maximum time that he's left without someone responsible (me, my parents, my grandparents, my older brother, my younger sister), any longer and he might have to go to the toilet and I'm not going to make him sit in discomfort and hold in his poo for hours whilst I'm off learning about the poetry of Lord Byron or something you know?

...whilst I'm off learning about the poetry of Lord Byron or something you know?

No, you have no control over your timetable. Even when you can pick optional modules, you choose them for their content; the timetable is decided much later on, in respect to staff commitments, and can even vary throughout the term. Put simply, the university expects you to work around your timetable, not vice versa. You'll have plenty of time to do other things, but you have to fit your other activities around the timetable that the university provides, which won't work well for having a dog.

I guess that finding a way to make your dog legally attend your contact hours could work, but honestly I've never seen it. Other students and staff would likely not be happy, and bear in mind that most university rooms and buildings aren't designed to allow dogs. In a cramped lecture theatre, where would your dog go? This is especially a concern if your course has labs or equivalent. If you have a two-hour-plus seminar or whatever, in normal circumstances you wouldn't be able to take your dog out to the toilet or for a drink, or whatever. Universities aren't designed to allow dogs except in absolutely-necessary medical circumstances.

This thread may be useful as someone has asked a similar question before: https://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=3418631 However, one user does state that "As far as I know though, in the UK it is only assistance dogs which come under the disability act."

Well I'm not taking a science course so I don't think that I'd ever be in a lab or around dangerous chemicals, I wouldn't ever bring him around those not because I don't trust him but because I don't trust other people. He would lay down by my feet as he usually does, I'm still in school and although he doesn't come to school with me often, he does a few times per month when my mum and dad can't take him to their shop for whatever reason, it's never been a problem, probably because this is a small village and everyone knows him, and my school is a Diwan (a school that is bilingual French and Breton). As for him having to use the toilet, whenever we go somewhere I make sure that he's eaten and then digested it and went to the bathroom before we arrive, and if it's just pee he can hold it for a bit, in the slim chance that he's very uncomfortable and needs to go, I would get up and walk him outside.


Afaik ESAs are considered assistance animals under British law, personally I would rather not have to force the university to allow me to bring him, there's a difference between a place that's dog friendly and a place that is legally obligated to accept dogs, and it's not good for him to be in a place like a university (where the situation is out of my hands) if he's unwanted, a flat is different because it's my house and whether the landlord wants him there or is forced to take him I can make the situation comfortable for him, and somewhere like a restaurant or cinema is also different because I'll only be there for a short period of time.


I thank you for your advice and the more that I think about it maybe I should go to university in France. I know that you're allowed to choose what lectures you are assigned to in French universities (for instance if you must take Lecture A you can choose 9am with lector A or 1pm with lector B etc.) and I've seen people walking their small lap dogs on the grounds of my local university, where I go to see a specialist doctor.

Well I'm not taking a science course so I don't think that I'd ever be in a lab or around dangerous chemicals, I wouldn't ever bring him around those not because I don't trust him but because I don't trust other people. He would lay down by my feet as he usually does, I'm still in school and although he doesn't come to school with me often, he does a few times per month when my mum and dad can't take him to their shop for whatever reason, it's never been a problem, probably because this is a small village and everyone knows him, and my school is a Diwan (a school that is bilingual French and Breton). As for him having to use the toilet, whenever we go somewhere I make sure that he's eaten and then digested it and went to the bathroom before we arrive, and if it's just pee he can hold it for a bit, in the slim chance that he's very uncomfortable and needs to go, I would get up and walk him outside.


Afaik ESAs are considered assistance animals under British law, personally I would rather not have to force the university to allow me to bring him, there's a difference between a place that's dog friendly and a place that is legally obligated to accept dogs, and it's not good for him to be in a place like a university (where the situation is out of my hands) if he's unwanted, a flat is different because it's my house and whether the landlord wants him there or is forced to take him I can make the situation comfortable for him, and somewhere like a restaurant or cinema is also different because I'll only be there for a short period of time.


I thank you for your advice and the more that I think about it maybe I should go to university in France. I know that you're allowed to choose what lectures you are assigned to in French universities (for instance if you must take Lecture A you can choose 9am with lector A or 1pm with lector B etc.) and I've seen people walking their small lap dogs on the grounds of my local university, where I go to see a specialist doctor.

I think you'll have big problems trying to take your dog.

1. Halls - no university halls anywhere in the country will allow pets. They will all be subject to regular inspections so you would get caught. They'd also be loud and there's the potential for flatmates smoking etc. Plus you can't keep a dog in a tiny box room and you can't control how your flatmates store chocolate/other hazardous items.

2. Private flat - virtually no non-student private landlord will let to a non student and very few accept pets. There are also very few cities where you could afford a single person flat.

3. Living with family - this would give your dog somewhere to stay (assuming they own their house) but you'd miss out on a lot of uni and you still wouldn't be able to guarantee getting back to your dog every 90 minutes. It's totally impractical to get home every 90 minutes for a dog. Aside from the fact some lectures/seminars/labs can last 3-4 hours, you can't schedule your timetable, you can select SOME classes (others are compulsory) but you only choose the class, they are scheduled after they know who is taking what. And remember you'd have to travel to class and back so really you're looking at 60 minutes max that you can be occupied. That's crazy.

Honestly I think you need to try and find some sort of alternative for your dog. How are you ever going to work in these conditions?

Hello, I will be 18 in a couple of days and live in France. I was raised in Northumberland, quite close to Newcastle, but we moved to Brittany (Bretagne/Breizh in French/Breton) just about 5 years ago and haven't looked back. It's a great place and I probably want to continue to live in France as a working adult, but I'm almost certain that I'd like to attend university in the UK as the French university system is very odd and although I speak French, it's easier for me to do more complex things in English.

I have a Caniche Royal, a full sized poodle, he's groomed in a very practical way and people don't think he's a poodle because they expect poodles to look ridiculous. He's extremely well trained dog, because he's a poodle he doesn't aggravate allergies, and he and I go everywhere together. He could be classified as an emotional support dog because we got him for me on recommendation from the psychologist for my depression nearly 3 years ago, but he isn't on the registry in the UK because I don't live in Britain and he's only been a few times. Anywhere that I move to, he's coming with me, so it's important that whatever university that I attend is dog friendly altogether, not just in halls but especially in halls. If I have my own room that I can lock, he can be left alone for up to 90 minute intervals whilst I go to a lecture but any more and he'll become bored, and if the room is shared I have to take him with me because the only others that I trust to be alone with him are my parents and siblings, he could easily be stolen or abused in someone else's care and I won't allow that to happen.


I can live with my grandad or in the flat under my brother and sister in law's house if I study in Colchester or Edinburgh respectively, and my parents said that they can give me £100-£150 per week for housing if I need to get a flat but I don't know if single flats exist at that price and a share means trusting a stranger to be alone with my dog, and being expected to put the needs of someone that I don't know or care about over the needs of that which I love most. If I can take my dog to class if he's registered as an Emotional Support Dog, that's a different story.

I'm taking a gap year to figure things out and I might not go to university because it might be too much of a hassle and traumatic experience for my dog, and there is a career that I'm very interested in that only requires an apprenticeship, either here or in Britain.


So, what's your experience with bringing your dog to university? What is the most dog friendly university?


Please don't tell me your opinion about how I feel about my dog, it won't change anything. I have to say that because I asked a similar question on Reddit and got called a freak, of course Reddit is mostly Americans so I should know better than to expect politeness or civilised behaviour, but the internet is a mean place and unfortunately many young British people are increasingly Americanised so I feel the need to clarify. Hope your new year is going well thus far and thank you for answering.


P.S. I've no idea how to post photos or I would, sorry

Guide Dogs and registered Assistance Dogs *are* permitted in university campuses and (some) halls.