Question:
Does anyone have any college experiences with pets in apartments? I am 15 at the moment but I'm starting to try and asses my future. By now I'm quite sure that animals are prohibited in most dorms, so I'm leaning towards renting a one-roomed or studio apartment in college. Hopefully, if my income in the future would allow it, I would be able to house a mid-sized dog (that interacts well with small animals) as well as a lovebird in my apartment.

I was thinking of moving off campus in my sophomore or junior year of college if I really wanted to consider getting a dog. I've been researching breeds for a while and was thinking along the lines of a small Native American Indian Dog (Plains Dog).
http://www.nighteyesfarms.net/Characterization.html
(go to the bottom of the page and read "Two different sizes of dogs")

http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/nativeamericanindiandog.htm

These Plains Dogs are about 40-50lbs and much smaller than the standard NAID. However when I tried discussing this possiblity on other boards, people were reprimanding me for even thinking of trying to house one of these dogs. There are people who own dogs even larger than this and live in apartments. I don't plan on leaving it home alone all the time and would do everything in my power to keep it emotionally stable, but they're telling me that's not possible? Am I wrong to want a dog in college?

NAIDS are to have a fenced area, but I'm pretty sure that apartments do not have personalized yards. However, an apartment complex I've been looking at has a dog walk/exercise area that I could use a couple times every day.
http://www.daviswiki.org/El_Macero_Village_Apartments

I'm not looking for a complete apartment dog, I would hate to be cooped up inside as well. I would loads of time with my dog inside and outside. I know that owning a dog is like having a baby; I am the main guardian of my four younger siblings (between the ages of 1-14). I'm willing to scheduale my time so that I can spend more time with my puppy. I know the responsibilities that come with owning a dog and I'm prepared for the challenge. Do you think I would be able to work this out well?

Answer:
I don't mean to discourage you but at 15, when I went off to university, I wiselt left my babies in the care of my parents and grandparents - it was a new place, new experience and I have no idea where anyone in college would have "loads of time" for a pet. I did later as a grad student bring my poodle with me but I had the best of both worlds, I saw babies on weekends or other times at home (I mean semesters are only so long). I just don't recommend getting a companion animam in your 1st year if you do not yet have accomodation. I think it's a little different if you live in the area you plan to attend college (ie are settled to some extent) and are a mature student but starting something new is a very big responsibility without having a pet in addition to all of that.

IF you think you can handle it all, - and maybe have help with it (who will dogsit during the day and when you are out at night?) - fine but so many rescues see cats and dogs ans bunnies left behind by universoty students. You do sound as tho you are giving it a lot of thought tho and there are now some univ in the US who have dorms that allow pets - might be something to look into.

Good luck!

Answer:
If I were you, I wouldn't do it. You're at a period in your life where anything can happen - changes, moves, new boyfriends, travel, parties, new career on the horizon etc. Not the best time to be thinking of getting a dog that you will be totally responsible for the next 10 - 15 years.

Think of this: Your friends are going off for a fun weekend somewhere and want you to go. Or they want you to go with them after class to dinner, a movie, a play etc...you turn down everything because you have to go home and take the dog out.:(

Size is not the main consideration when getting a dog - far from it. Any primitive or northern breeds are NOT advisable for a student in an apartment. Nor are puppies.

Did you read this part about Native dogs?:
"The Native American Dog does NOT do well as an apartment dog or a total house dog."...?

If you absolutely insist on getting a dog of course you will, but it should be a housetrained, quiet adult who is used to being alone for periods of time.

Have you thought of the cost? Vaccinations (35$ just to walk into the vet clinic!) food, collars, leashes, bowls, beds, toys, boarding if you go away. That's just basic. If your dog needs surgery, like mine did - 500$ - 1000$. Can you pay that?

I know how you feel! For so many years I wanted a dog so badly, but I was young, in an apartment and working full time and knew it wouldn't work out because I didn't want to stop going out with my friends/boyfriends after work, or worrying about a barking dog bothering my neighbours.

Part of maturity is realizing that what WE want is not always best, and the welfare of the animal must be put first. Just a few things I hope you will think about!

Answer:
Bigger dogs actually do way better in apartments than the medium sized ones. With all the crap going on with school, you definitely don't want to be evicted in the midst of it for having a barky dog who bugs everybody in the building.

Definitely get an adult. I fostered a couple of babies a few weeks ago and if they were still here, I might be dead already. Puppies require more time than a student has. We got Boo at about 6 months old and Jemma at 1.5 years and both were a lot easier to handle than the puppies were.

Plan out your money really well. A lot of people here, even the working ones, have an account with "just in case" money for their pets. As a student, money is as rare as chickens' teeth, so you really have to arrange something. We have a line of credit for emergencies. I'd say count on spending at least $2000 a year on your dog (food, toys, vet visits).

Answer:
Dogs are expensive and time consuming...two things that don't mix well with college IMO. I wanted a dog in college but held off. I was always glad I did because I witnessed a couple of my friends deal with trying to find places to live while having a dog and it wasn't easy. It was hard just trying to find a reasonably priced place after the owners found out we were college students (worried about partying and ruining the place).

I'd wait until after college if I was you...but that is just my opinion. It can work for some cases (Prin and Puppyluv??)...but those seem to be the exception from what I've seen.

Good luck.

Answer:
Just my opinion, but college is not the place to raise an animal. Between classes, studying, non-school activities (party, work), your schedule is going to be insane - so much so that you won't be able to provide a stable environment for a pet. Not that it won't settle out down the road, but your freshman year is going to be tough, you'll be in a new environment, figuring out your place in the world as well as what you really want to do. I know my early university years I spent broke, so vet bills even for normal checkups were out of the question, let alone after rent, utilities, book money, etc. Save getting a dog for later on after school when you can devote the time, funds and structure needed to raise a healthy pup

Answer:
I'm going to go against the crowd here... I had a dog and 2 horses during university... I had much more time then than I did after I was finished and started my teaching career. Actually, university wasn't that time consuming for me. My classes were 3 hours at the max (for lab courses) and so I usually had lots of time to come home and ride or be with the dog. This is easier now with the Internet because you can study and research from home. Then again... I made sacrifices about living arrangements, I wasn't a party-er so that wasn't really an issue. I had to work part time jobs and jobs at the barn to afford to keep my animals...(my parents helped)...AND- to echo Prin- I did not have a puppy. An dog older than 2 years is a better idea.

I do think that you need to do more research about the breed. Choose a breed that will suit your lifestyle and you and the dog will be so much happier. Please don't choose a dog bred to have an outdoor/high energy life and try to keep it in an apartment!! You might have a romantic idea about these types of dogs, but please be realistic when you make your choice.

Good luck with school!!

Answer:
Originally Posted by CyberKitten
I just don't recommend getting a companion animal in your 1st year if you do not yet have accomodation.

If I ever planned on getting a dog in college it would not be in my freshman year, I even said in my first post: "I was thinking of moving off campus in my sophomore or junior year of college if I really wanted to consider getting a dog." I would wait until I felt I was completely ready/prepared financially and academically before getting a dog.

Originally Posted by Lucky Rescue
Did you read this part about Native dogs?:
"The Native American Dog does NOT do well as an apartment dog or a total house dog."...?

I have talked to a Naive American Indian Dog breeder who breeds the smaller sized ones, she said the smaller dogs would adjust better to apartments than the larger ones as long as I didn't leave them home alone too much (which I wouldn't do anyway).

I have definately considered the cost of owning a dog (nothing seems to be free in the world today). I work part time at a medical clinic during the summer and plan to continue working (somewhere) through college. I'm not going to buy/adopt a dog impulsively, I already know to well how that sort of scenerio turns out.

I'm not much of a party goer either so most of my time would be spent at school or at home. I will change my scheduale if I need to in order to accomodate a dog properly.

Answer:
If you are considering 5 classes, then you basically have to plan on being busy as much as a full time job. Each course, they say, takes the number of hours spent in class as well as another 6-8 hours a week outside of class. If you have a job too, say 20 hours a week, then you'll probably be away from your dog at least 60 hours a week, even if some of those hours are at home. Sitting at the computer typing or reviewing don't count as home time with your dog.

Answer:
I so understand your need to have a dog,I wanted one from when I was a kid,had to wait until I bought my house at 33 yr old.It would be asking a lot from you to have one so young and go to school and working.Maybe now you don't feel partying,boyfriend ect...you have time to change your mind about that.But there other options;have you tough about having a cat instead,and maybe volunteering at spca or vet's clinic where you could walk /help with dogs on your free time.I can see that you did your research so that's good.If it's close to home,maybe ask your parents if they would dogsit?

Answer:
Only get a dog if you have 100% fool proof backup plan, and another backup plan after that. For instance if you were to have some sort of an internship and you had to move would there be people willing to take your puppy in? If they're not available then who else will be taking care of him?

Personally I as a university student find it alot easier to have a cat as a pet since they're alot more mobile (cats are generally more accepted in apartments and such). They're also alot more independent as you don't have to take them for everyday walks.

I would suggest getting a dog after university or in your last term, so you don't have the misfortune of missing out on those special moments because a midterm paper was due.

Answer:
The only reason I'm not considering a cat is because of my mother's allerigies... otherwise, I'd get a Birman.

Answer:
My roomate got a dog our 4th year of uni. It was far more work than either of us needed to balance along with trying to go to class and passing. And when our year was over her life moved on and she was going to put the dog in the pound. I took her home, and there are days that it has intensly complicated my life in ways I didn't really need. I love her, but it really ties you down.

Also, you may want to consider this thread..
Answer:
At the risk of sounding like a "old fogie" - it's very encouraging to see someone so young put so much thought into their future and how to welcome an animal into their lives. I did end up with a dawgie in my second year of University - she was a to-be-euthenized puppy of an "unplanned litter" from a dog another girl in University had acquired, couldn't care for and dumped on her parents whom I walked every single day because poor Snowy was chained to a doghouse all day, every day. Now, having a puppy was VERY VERY VERY difficult and I would not recommend it under any circumstances especially not for a student. Your studies HAVE to come first and a puppy is a full-time 24/7 job for the first six months and then a 12/7 job for a further six months and then a 10/7 until you finally settle somewhere around 5-6 hours a day doing nothing but dawg-stuff for the rest of your dawgies life. I guess it will depend upon what you will study but you can't always restructure your schedule and I know my school day was typically 6 hours of classes during the day and a 3 hour lab at night. You have lots of time to think about this and the rest of your life to adopt a puppy or an adult dawg. If I could make a suggestion though, perhaps if you do decide to wait you could volunteer your time at a shelter as a dog walker/ cuddler. I know it's not the same but you will be making an "unwanted" animal's life so much richer and be giving out some of that "dog-love" you seem to have so much of !

Answer:
well i'm having a great time in university with pets...2 cats, a guinea pig and i might add a doggie

but you have to know what you want out of life....do you want to party? do you want to spend the weekend at other people's houses?? do you want to be able to just leave the house should someone invite you on a trip??

i'm doing ok with my pets. I don't party. I don't feel like i'm missing anything by not bonding with fellow students at drunken parties. You can still have the university experience with pets. I guess it's called mature fun. You can plan your socializing based on your pet's needs. Are you willing to do that?If it's important to you, then you would. Think about this...you meet a new guy and he's asking you out for drinks and you have to get back home to walk the dog and then he says it's now or never...would you regret rejecting him for the dog??

when i travel to see my parents in Ontario, i have someone come in and feed my cats. so that's covered. I think you just have to know who you are. What if you get a pet and then realize you want to be out partying all day? or at a bar?

you can do things in moderation, but people change. You might find yourself wanting to be free, specially that it'll be your time away rom taking care of your siblings. You may feel that it's time to live it up. hehe


if that is what you want...and if a dog is really truly important to you...then you WILL make the right decisions i'm sure to give it a good life. When something is important to you, i think that you would be willing to put effort into making it work and giving it attention.
I know my pets are important to me, because if i were to do anything and they couldn't come with, then i'd either arrange for them to be fed or i would change my mind about doing that activity.


what will your major be??
Plus i think that by the time you go to college, things will change. Isn't it a bit early to plan ahead?? lol but then again planning this much should tell you you're willing to be responsible with this pet.

ok good luck

Answer:
Have you ever owned a dog? Or do you have any experience with dogs?

I found Dodger on the side of the road, a couple of days before my first year at university started. I was attending a local university though, so it was much easier to take care of a puppy. Like you, I am not a "party-animal" so Dodger has always been my first priority (yes, even before school, which is probably not too smart!)... Finding Dodger kept me going and really "saved me". I was very shy and reserved but knowing that Dodger was waiting at home for me, helped me get through my classes.

Your world is going to look a lot different by the time you get to post-secondary education. So I don't think you can count on anything you think you can manage or want right now.

I also don't think that a NAID/AID is the best choice and I am not trying to bash you. You will do what you want anyway but IMHO, you will need a dog that is easier to train. I also can't stress enough the importance of rescuing since there are so many unwanted pets are out there.

Good luck with your decision and schooling!

Answer:
Originally Posted by jiorji
well i'm having a great time in university with pets...2 cats, a guinea pig and i might add a doggie

That's great! Where are you schooling? Is balancing pet time and study time much of a problem for you? Are you able to seperate your cats from the guinea pig well, or do they just leave him alone?

Originally Posted by jiorji
but you have to know what you want out of life....do you want to party? do you want to spend the weekend at other people's houses?? do you want to be able to just leave the house should someone invite you on a trip??

i'm doing ok with my pets. I don't party. I don't feel like i'm missing anything by not bonding with fellow students at drunken parties. You can still have the university experience with pets. I guess it's called mature fun. You can plan your socializing based on your pet's needs. Are you willing to do that?If it's important to you, then you would. Think about this...you meet a new guy and he's asking you out for drinks and you have to get back home to walk the dog and then he says it's now or never...would you regret rejecting him for the dog??

if that is what you want...and if a dog is really truly important to you...then you WILL make the right decisions i'm sure to give it a good life. When something is important to you, i think that you would be willing to put effort into making it work and giving it attention.
I know my pets are important to me, because if i were to do anything and they couldn't come with, then i'd either arrange for them to be fed or i would change my mind about doing that activity.

I'm not much of a party goer either and I highly doubt a couple years in college is going to change that fact. I never really did understand the fixation some people have with getting drunk in college. I'd like to actually know what was going on around me and if I was doing anything that I would wind up regetting in the end. If such a case-scenerio turned up where I had to choose between:

a) getting blitzed with some (cute but potenitially dangerous) guy I barely know (which could lead up to some bad situations)

vs.

b) going home, studying, spending time with my dog out of harms way...


Hmmm... I'd have to go with Choice B. If the probability of "guyfriends" in the future came up then they'd have to get over the fact that my pets mean alot to me and I may like my pets more than them, plain and simple. Sorry if that sounded a bit too cynical, it's in my blood (seriously).

Originally Posted by jiorji
what will your major be??
Plus i think that by the time you go to college, things will change. Isn't it a bit early to plan ahead?? lol but then again planning this much should tell you you're willing to be responsible with this pet. ok good luck

I'd like to major in Biology (I wanna be a vet). I think I can guess what most people's reactions will be:"There's no way you can own a dog/puppy and study for this", "How can you know what you want to do in life at 15..", etc. Yeah, I know it may be difficult but I'm not going to be discouraged by it. Besides, if I gave up I'd never forgive myself. I want to avoid getting a job that I won't like doing. Animals are my passion even though I've never had a "real" pet. It's crazy, I know, but I feel like I can understand them more than most of my peers.

Originally Posted by Lissa
Have you ever owned a dog? Or do you have any experience with dogs?Your world is going to look a lot different by the time you get to post-secondary education. So I don't think you can count on anything you think you can manage or want right now.

No, I have never owned a dog (my parents aren't really "pet" people at least my mom isn't), but I have had plenty of experience with them. A couple experiences were bad, yes, but that was my fault for reacting badly. I know all about this "controversy" surrounding NAIDs/AIDs, LaFlamme, and Karen Markel. It all makes sense and might be discouraging for some people, but I don't think you can really give a fully honest opinion about these dogs until you have owned or at least met one of them. In a way, the reputation these dogs have been give are no different from the misconception about Pit Bulls and Rottweilers, it all depends on the individual dog. These "aggressive natures" that people claim the dogs have may be the product of little to no training, not establishing the owner as the pack leader, or not spending enough time with the dog (doing this while make any companion animal aggressive). I know my thought may change in the future which is why I haven't completely devoted myself to anything. I'm only thinking up possibilities. If I ever decided to get a NAID, I would get the smaller dogs 40-50lbs from Night Eyes Farms.

Testimonies from people who own a NAID/AID:
http://www.simplypets.com/pet-forum/...=1&i=508&t=508
http://www.americanindiandogs.com/owner1.htm
http://www.nighteyesfarms.net/recommendations.html
Logical(some not so nice)testimonies/opinions:
http://www.museumofhoaxes.com/hoax/weblog/comments/148/

Answer:
Originally Posted by Kumashe
That's great! Where are you schooling? Is balancing pet time and study time much of a problem for you? Are you able to seperate your cats from the guinea pig well, or do they just leave him alone?

i'm studying art in Montreal. So well...art doesn't require much studying. However so far i've only been taking history and other general courses, which I found to be pretty easy and not very time consuming. Perhaps cos I'm so smart hehe There's reading but it's like reading a book every night and then writing your essays based on what you read. And if you're interested in the subject it's much easier to remember.

But I don't go out a lot and my pets see me often enough to know who loves them.

My cats and guinea pig get along very well. Guinea pig came first, then the feral kitten, then the shelter cat. And there has never been an attack issue between them. It's really interesting to see how pets(well not all) understand that they can't attack the small furry rodent because she's part of the family hehe.

Everytime the piggy comes out on the couch my Twiggy runs up to groom her. hehe It's real cute to watch.

you know.....once you make friends at college you can most likely befriend an animal person and then you can be roommates and that way the pets will get more attention when you can't give it to them.


I'm sorry i'm probably steering you wrong here away from your studies lol but that's not true...it's all about priority, what's important to you will get attention.


lol and as bf's go....if they truly want to get to know you, they'll understand, if not...you know they're talking to you for other reasons

Answer:
You've given this a lot of very mature thought.
And as it's still in the thinking process you should do well.
I will tell you this, three years after I finished secondary school, I moved to pet friendly accommodations and got a puppy, it was wonderful. I was then offered a very good job in my chosen profession in a small town. I had a very, very hard time finding accommodation. I even had one couple tell me that I should leave my dog with my parents (I was 30 years old and hadn't lived at home for over twelve years, I must look young). It was heart breaking the thought that I might have to refuse the job (they are hard to come by)or that I would have to find a new home for my four year old dog. I ended up in a basement suite for two years (it was horrible) bad for me and bad for my dog.
My point is that you have to be prepared for hard decisions to come your way some of them will not be easy and may be out of your control. I'd like to think that I would have given up the job not my dog, but I have to eat, clothe and house myself, too. And if I hadn't found a place to live neither one of us would have been able to survive on air.

Answer:
Originally Posted by Kumashe
I'd like to major in Biology (I wanna be a vet). I think I can guess what most people's reactions will be:"There's no way you can own a dog/puppy and study for this", "How can you know what you want to do in life at 15..", etc. Yeah, I know it may be difficult but I'm not going to be discouraged by it. Besides, if I gave up I'd never forgive myself. I want to avoid getting a job that I won't like doing. Animals are my passion even though I've never had a "real" pet. It's crazy, I know, but I feel like I can understand them more than most of my peers.

No, I have never owned a dog (my parents aren't really "pet" people at least my mom isn't), but I have had plenty of experience with them.

Ok, I was all for it until you mentioned biology and vet school in the same sentence. I love my babies and I'll do anything for them. They are above school in my list of priorities. Because of that, I'm not getting straight A's in biology, which means I can't get into vet school. Simple as that. If you want to get into vet school, it has to be your life. It's harder to get into vet school than med school (unless you're in the States with a gigantic wad of cash).

Vet school is also unbelievably time consuming. Most schools keep you there from 8AM to 5PM. When you're not in class, you're in the clinic. So unless you live one minute from campus, you're not likely to see your pets too often. And if you live a minute from campus, chances are your rent is going to be insane, so you will have to work, which means you will see them even less (unless you have that gigantic wad of cash mentioned earlier).

If it is your dream to be a vet, don't get a dog. Don't get a tv. Don't get a boyfriend. You can't have any distractions at all. Biology is all about time and memorization, and if you are spending the time with your pets, you're not going to get the A's that you need to get. Trust me on this one.

I have 2 big doggies that I love to death, a boyfriend that I love to death and as a result, I'm not going to vet school.

Answer:
Even if not vet school, most students work through their university years, sometimes 2-3 jobs, leaving little time for sleep and personal hygiene, let alone walking, playing, vet trips, etc. Like I said in my earlier post, it goes to your caliber as a person that you're thinking this far into the future, and speaks highly of your intelligence that you're planning it all out. However, not all that we plan for may happen - priorities, majors, even schools change and you change in the process. You may not want to party now, I know at your age I didn't (oh god, I said at your age!), however that changed significantly when I actually was in the middle of all of it. It's a huge decision getting a companion animal, more so than choosing a roomate (s). At the very least, give yourself your first year at school pet free, then decide if you're in the place you WANT to be and can afford (in all aspects) having a dog.

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