Dogs during undergrad

[afujiwa3]

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Any of you premeds out there able to handle the responsibility of having a dog? I am a rising sophomore and a traditional student who is very low on money but I have wanted a dog for the longest time. My mom did not let me get one but now that i am moving out of the dorms into an apartment, it is finally an option. I began volunteering at the humane society and it has only made me want a dog more.

 

[DrBtobe]

Any of you premeds out there able to handle the responsibility of having a dog? I am a rising sophomore and a traditional student who is very low on money but I have wanted a dog for the longest time. My mom did not let me get one but now that i am moving out of the dorms into an apartment, it is finally an option. I began volunteering at the humane society and it has only made me want a dog more.

I love my dogs (we have 2), but be prepared to come home right after class, work, anything to walk your dog and spend time with it. I can't go out for drinks with my friends after work, because I have to go home and walk my dosg. I can't be away from the house for more than 5 hours at a time, because my dog is waiting there for me. I'm lucky in that my boyfriend and I have different schedules, so they're never home by themselves for long. Think it through carefully.It's hard for us to go out of town or go out without carefully planning. Not to mention dog food and vet bills are expensive!

 

[NickNaylor]

I love my dogs (we have 2), but be prepared to come home right after class, work, anything to walk your dog and spend time with it. I can't go out for drinks with my friends after work, because I have to go home and walk my dosg. I can't be away from the house for more than 5 hours at a time, because my dog is waiting there for me. I'm lucky in that my boyfriend and I have different schedules, so they're never home by themselves for long. Think it through carefully.It's hard for us to go out of town or go out without carefully planning. Not to mention dog food and vet bills are expensive!

Agree with this 100%. I always wanted a dog too and finally got one about a year ago. I love her to death and she's a lot of fun, but she's also a lot of work. If you get a puppy then you'll be especially busy. Just based on what you said I would wait until maybe you get into med school to get a dog. It's a huge commitment and almost certainly more than what you're expecting.

Sent from my Nexus 7

 

[StudyShy]

We have two dogs, and they are so much fun. It is possible. 🙂

 

[super13stitious]

Agree with above posters. I adopted my dog about half a year after I graduated college when I was working full-time and have had her for 3 years now. The first few months will be rough when you try to learn to adjust your schedule to the needs of your new pup. As other people have already noted,there are lots of things to consider- who you would trust to be a dog-sitter, whether you'll be in class all day with no breaks to go home, and whether you are stable financially to take care of emergencies. I definitely would not have been ready as a college student. My advice would be to enjoy the rest of college because you only get to do it once. Live it up before you decide to be a dog parent!

 

[TheShaker]

Agree with this 100%. I always wanted a dog too and finally got one about a year ago. I love her to death and she's a lot of fun, but she's also a lot of work. If you get a puppy then you'll be especially busy. Just based on what you said I would wait until maybe you get into med school to get a dog. It's a huge commitment and almost certainly more than what you're expecting.

Sent from my Nexus 7

I think you mentioned that you had cats before, are cats hard to take care of in med school? I want to get one but I don't know if it's a good idea if I'll be living alone and not be home until late evening everyday. I heard that cats don't even care if their owner is around as long as it has its food so maybe I can just leave food out for it and it'll be perfectly happy without me..

 

[coffeeking]

I have a dog and I'm at the point where I have to decide if I want to take her with me to medical school when I start in Summer/Fall or if I want to temporarily give her to my cousins for them to take care of her for a bit.

When it comes to owning and caring for a dog while in school, I honestly would only recommend it if you either:

1. Have family/friend/roommates who are willing to help take care of the dog
2. Can afford to have a dog walker or doggie day care on a somewhat regular basis
3. Have a fenced yard with a doggie door or a roommate/neighbor who can help.

The reason I say these things is because when you're in school, your resources will be limited and you are going to have a lot of schedule changes, when you will sometimes have to stay late at school studying and can't make it home to care for your dog.

Bottom-line, you have to think about the following:

Will you have the means, time and flexibility to care for a dog?
Will you have a good environment and availability to keep the dog happy?

- CoffeeKing
---
ACCEPTED, Howard Med Class of '17

 

[NickNaylor]

I think you mentioned that you had cats before, are cats hard to take care of in med school? I want to get one but I don't know if it's a good idea if I'll be living alone and not be home until late evening everyday. I heard that cats don't even care if their owner is around as long as it has its food so maybe I can just leave food out for it and it'll be perfectly happy without me..

Nah, cats are extremely easy. They basically train themselves and are entirely self-sufficient except for food and a clean litter box. My girlfriend and I actually went out of town for a week and didn't have the cats checked on (we basically used an gravity feeder and a huge water fountain to give them enough nutrition while we were gone). We also hooked them up with another litter box. When we got back the next week, they were perfectly fine (though they did seem to miss us).

Sent from my Nexus 7

 

[Snowdon48]

If he gets too antsy while your trying to study, just use the force...like so

 

[The Buff OP]

I have two small dogs. I say it would be better if you can have a roommate to help you out.👍

 

[MaenadsDance]

Don't get a dog if you live alone and don't have a roommate or family willing to do occasional potty-walks etc. Don't get a puppy. Don't get a high-energy or high-maintenance breed, or a large breed that will eat a ton of food.

I love my dog and god knows he helps keep me sane and happy, but I couldn't do it if I were living alone, and it's a pain in the ass not to be able to stay at school for 16 hours straight when I have work to do. Keep in mind that if you get a dog now, you will have a dog in medical school and residency. It is immoral to adopt a pet and then dump it when you don't have the time -- many shelters won't adopt to undergrads for just this reason.

But -- dogs are GREAT!!!

 

[MaenadsDance]

Nah, cats are extremely easy. They basically train themselves and are entirely self-sufficient except for food and a clean litter box. My girlfriend and I actually went out of town for a week and didn't have the cats checked on (we basically used an gravity feeder and a huge water fountain to give them enough nutrition while we were gone). We also hooked them up with another litter box. When we got back the next week, they were perfectly fine (though they did seem to miss us).

Sent from my Nexus 7

IDK that I'd do a week, but cats can absolutely be left alone for 48 - 72 hours at a stretch, which makes them ideal pets for residency!!

And contrary to popular opinion, cats are affectionate, have tons of personality, are moderately trainable (depends on the cat), and often very playful. And they smell less than dogs, eat less, and generally have less expensive vet bills if kept indoor only (they need fewer vaccines, for one).

 

[image187]

I can personally attest to the week thing for a cat lol

 

[NickNaylor]

IDK that I'd do a week, but cats can absolutely be left alone for 48 - 72 hours at a stretch, which makes them ideal pets for residency!!

And contrary to popular opinion, cats are affectionate, have tons of personality, are moderately trainable (depends on the cat), and often very playful. And they smell less than dogs, eat less, and generally have less expensive vet bills if kept indoor only (they need fewer vaccines, for one).

Totally agree. I think the people that hate cats either haven't had a cat or had a bad experience with one cat. They're very affectionate and personal, but in a way that is very different than dogs.

Sent from my Nexus 7

 

[kami333]

Also keep in mind that moving with pets can be difficult, it can exclude you from a lot of rentals especially the ones closest to schools.

My gf and I have 3 cats and a dog, we've had them for ~6years now. The cats get extra food and water when we go out of town (up to a week, several times a year), the dog either goes to the kennel or to her parents. Personally I think that as long as the dog is able to hold it while you're away (and doesn't suffer from separation anxiety, etc), you shouldn't worry too much about spending long periods away as long as you are spending quality time with it when you are home. I think we really lucked out with ours, she's fine being left alone for 8-10hrs during the day (she starts getting antsy after about 12hrs from what we've experience).

 

[NickNaylor]

Also keep in mind that moving with pets can be difficult, it can exclude you from a lot of rentals especially the ones closest to schools.

My gf and I have 3 cats and a dog, we've had them for ~6years now. The cats get extra food and water when we go out of town (up to a week, several times a year), the dog either goes to the kennel or to her parents. Personally I think that as long as the dog is able to hold it while you're away (and doesn't suffer from separation anxiety, etc), you shouldn't worry too much about spending long periods away as long as you are spending quality time with it when you are home. I think we really lucked out with ours, she's fine being left alone for 8-10hrs during the day (she starts getting antsy after about 12hrs from what we've experience).

Lucky. My pup will almost certainly pee/poop inside if left alone for a couple of hours. She's still young (~1 year) so I'm hoping she'll grow out of it. Everyone says it gets better after the puppy phase but so far I'm not much of a believer...

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[Ismet]

In undergrad, I think it's definitely possible to have a dog. It may be quite difficult to care for a dog while in medical school unless you have a roommate/SO who helps take care of it, especially if you're the type of person who would go to class. A couple people in my class have dogs but they're generally not regular class-goers, and I think one even puts her dog in "daycare" if she's going to be in school all day. And when you're on 3rd/4th year rotations, it will be even harder to get home to take the dog out during the day. I'm not saying it's impossible, but unless you have someone else to help take care of it, it's a little unfair to the dog.

A ton of people in my class have cats, however, and if I wasn't horribly allergic, I would get one. Much more independent, don't have to go outside to do their business or walk.

 

[super13stitious]

Lucky. My pup will almost certainly pee/poop inside if left alone for a couple of hours. She's still young (~1 year) so I'm hoping she'll grow out of it. Everyone says it gets better after the puppy phase but so far I'm not much of a believer...

Sent from my Nexus 7

My dog did her business inside the house for 2 years whether I left her alone for 2 hours or 6 hours. It was attributed to separation anxiety. Part of me thinks she was just doing it to get back at me for leaving, though. But one day, she just stopped doing it and has not done it in over a year. Keep giving positive reinforcement and she'll come along. Good luck!

 

[kami333]

Lucky. My pup will almost certainly pee/poop inside if left alone for a couple of hours. She's still young (~1 year) so I'm hoping she'll grow out of it. Everyone says it gets better after the puppy phase but so far I'm not much of a believer...

Sent from my Nexus 7

I remember those days. Mine would always go on the kitchen rug, once we got rid of it she stopped. We think she thought the rug was a gigantic training pad.

Her teething stage was the worst, she chewed on everything and managed to destroy a wooden shoe rack as well as countless cords and shoes.

We had her crate trained as a puppy but now we just leave her out and she generally stays out of trouble, the worst she does is somehow get on the counter and get to the bread (or somehow convince the cats to help knock the bread off the counter).

 

[Foxhunter]

I remember those days. Mine would always go on the kitchen rug, once we got rid of it she stopped. We think she thought the rug was a gigantic training pad.

Her teething stage was the worst, she chewed on everything and managed to destroy a wooden shoe rack as well as countless cords and shoes.

We had her crate trained as a puppy but now we just leave her out and she generally stays out of trouble, the worst she does is somehow get on the counter and get to the bread (or somehow convince the cats to help knock the bread off the counter).

Crate-training is the best thing a student who wants a dog can do (frankly it's probably the best thing anyone who owns a dog can do). I have an 11 month old Weimaraner (super high energy, she needs at least a 3 mile RUN a day and can be destructive if left out- just puppy stuff, ya know chewing...), but she is beautifully crate trained and I've left her in there for 14 hours before when something came up at work/school and she's just fine.

Ideally in the next 6 months to a year I'll get to where I can leave her alone in my room/the house. You really have to be careful with this though, my roommates dog dug a bottle of ibuprofen out of her backpack and had a 2000 mg/kg dose when typically 200-400 mg/kg is lethal. It was the highest dose a dog had ever survived at the vet school and a calm, cool $2500 bill. 😱

 

[impermanence]

You guys all raise very good points. I hope that whatever dog we get (planning on rescuing one ~July) does not suffer from separation anxiety... Luckily my SO has a very flexible job & his parents live close by.

 

[Foxhunter]

You guys all raise very good points. I hope that whatever dog we get (planning on rescuing one ~July) does not suffer from separation anxiety... Luckily my SO has a very flexible job & his parents live close by.

I would say rescue a young adult dog (10 months-3 years). No they're not as cute as puppies, but unless you have time to seriously devote to training a dog it's not fair to get a puppy. That's what my next dog will be (the Weim was a graduation gift from the parents, hopefully this summer I'm getting a house with a yard and if my roommate is dogless I will have to get another dog to play with miss lily)

 

[impermanence]

I would say rescue a young adult dog (10 months-3 years). No they're not as cute as puppies, but unless you have time to seriously devote to training a dog it's not fair to get a puppy. That's what my next dog will be (the Weim was a graduation gift from the parents, hopefully this summer I'm getting a house with a yard and if my roommate is dogless I will have to get another dog to play with miss lily)

That is what we are thinking of doing. Puppies are cute but I am not sure that we'd have the time to train them. We've also been researching breeds... my SO would like a dog that is not clingy nor too energetic... I'd like a mix breed - thinking about genetic diversity lol.

 

[NickNaylor]

I remember those days. Mine would always go on the kitchen rug, once we got rid of it she stopped. We think she thought the rug was a gigantic training pad.

Her teething stage was the worst, she chewed on everything and managed to destroy a wooden shoe rack as well as countless cords and shoes.

We had her crate trained as a puppy but now we just leave her out and she generally stays out of trouble, the worst she does is somehow get on the counter and get to the bread (or somehow convince the cats to help knock the bread off the counter).

My pup is crate trained but I feel bad leaving her in there all day. As I'm now in the midst of board studying, for example, I take her to what is essentially daycare + playtime for the day three days a week at pretty considerable expense rather than have her in the crate. The counters are also a popular place for her. Nothing seems to help with getting rid of that behavior. 🙁

Sent from my Nexus 7

 

[Jazzy G]

Having a dog as an undergrad doesn't seem like that big of a deal as far as time/responsibility. I mean... I have a wife, and I know that relationship requires more time and effort put into it then that with a dog. The only thing to keep in mind, is a dog is not just a 1-3 year commitment. Will you be able to continue to give time and attention once you get into Med School?
Once again, seems like you pretty simply should. (people do it with babies)

Plus.... people with dogs exercise/walk more- an additional great stress relief.

 

[Ismet]

The counters are also a popular place for her. Nothing seems to help with getting rid of that behavior. 🙁

My dog is 6 years old and still counter surfs when he thinks no one is looking. He's very well trained otherwise, house-trained since 4 months old, trained not to bark, "heels" while walking, etc, but he's extremely food-driven (a definite labrador trait) and will quickly devour any food left unattended within his reach. Nothing has helped!

 

[NickNaylor]

My dog is 6 years old and still counter surfs when he thinks no one is looking. He's very well trained otherwise, house-trained since 4 months old, trained not to bark, "heels" while walking, etc, but he's extremely food-driven (a definite labrador trait) and will quickly devour any food left unattended within his reach. Nothing has helped!

Yeah, that's the thing - she knows she shouldn't be up there and waits until my girlfriend and I are more than 5 feet away before taking a peek at what's up there. 😡

Sent from my Nexus 7

 

[MaenadsDance]

My pup is crate trained but I feel bad leaving her in there all day. As I'm now in the midst of board studying, for example, I take her to what is essentially daycare + playtime for the day three days a week at pretty considerable expense rather than have her in the crate. The counters are also a popular place for her. Nothing seems to help with getting rid of that behavior. 🙁

Sent from my Nexus 7

Oh man is it expensive. A month back I had to put my dog in daycare three days a week two weeks in a row, and I was out 180 bucks! Not chump change for me since I'm only working part time this semester.

And then there's food (15-20 bucks/month for decent kibble for my medium size dog), vet care (anywhere from 200 bucks to sky high annually), equipment (crates, leashes, harnesses, training equipment if necessary), daycare/dog-walking...

 

[NoControl1313]

Getting our dog was one of the best decisions I made. As many have said, it can be difficult if you are living alone, however, during undergrad I don't feel like the time commitment in class is that outrageous where you wouldn't have time at home (unless you are a library studier). I live with my fiance and we have 2 dogs (one shelter and one we picked up off the street). Both of us have very busy schedules and most days are gone for about 6 - 8 hours and ours are fine. You do need to dedicate time to letting them get exercise (walks/runs/dog parks...) but overall, I don't think it is a big deal if you are committed. My dogs have defiantly helped keep me sane over the last 2 years while I have been part of a really intense program so I would highly recommend them (and even if you are busy, you can always study while playing catch or tug with them).

 

[reviliver]

This thread is great because Dog People 🙂
Boyfriend and I have a 19 month old pit mix (small, 40lbs) that we adopted from the pound when she was a year old. I love the crap out of her but there is NO WAY I would have been mature enough to take care of her when I was an undergrad. I grew up with dogs and my family treats them like family members, but I only recently felt like I was in a place in my life where I could financially and emotionally afford a pup.

There are unforeseen things that happen sometimes, for example about 3 months after we got her she 1. Had horrible diarrhea on the floor while I was in the shower and bf was at work 2.Ate it because she knows we hate finding poop on the floor 3.Vomited it back up all over our belongings.
We laugh about it now.. but at the time there was no amount of lysol and febreeze that could cover the smell. It was horrifying. Normally, she brings so much love, joy, and exercise into our lives, but just last week she got stuck under the deck and we had to pull up some boards and pay the landlord for repairs to get her out. It's not just the day-to-day stuff that's hard/expensive, it's the incidentals.

Also; finding housing. It just basically boxes you out of living with roommates who don't want a dog and out of many many apartments. It helped me to have more pieces of my living arrangement set in place before I added a dog to the mix, but if you are really devoted you can work the other stuff around the dog.

Lastly, cats are easy. For low-maintenance love: cats.

 

[NoControl1313]

This thread is great because Dog People 🙂
Boyfriend and I have a 19 month old pit mix (small, 40lbs) that we adopted from the pound when she was a year old. I love the crap out of her but there is NO WAY I would have been mature enough to take care of her when I was an undergrad. I grew up with dogs and my family treats them like family members, but I only recently felt like I was in a place in my life where I could financially and emotionally afford a pup.

There are unforeseen things that happen sometimes, for example about 3 months after we got her she 1. Had horrible diarrhea on the floor while I was in the shower and bf was at work 2.Ate it because she knows we hate finding poop on the floor 3.Vomited it back up all over our belongings.
We laugh about it now.. but at the time there was no amount of lysol and febreeze that could cover the smell. It was horrifying. Normally, she brings so much love, joy, and exercise into our lives, but just last week she got stuck under the deck and we had to pull up some boards and pay the landlord for repairs to get her out. It's not just the day-to-day stuff that's hard/expensive, it's the incidentals.

Also; finding housing. It just basically boxes you out of living with roommates who don't want a dog and out of many many apartments. It helped me to have more pieces of my living arrangement set in place before I added a dog to the mix, but if you are really devoted you can work the other stuff around the dog.

Lastly, cats are easy. For low-maintenance love: cats.

This I think is one of the most challenging things if you are ready to take on the responsibilities. It has been pretty difficult for us to find good or relatively inexpensive housing options (we have 2 medium dogs, about 50ish lbs each). Most apartments won't take dogs (or not "aggressive" breeds/dogs over 25 lbs) and if they do, there is usually a deposit or monthly fee (for our house, it's $50 a month extra). All that aside, I still think it's worth it as long as you remember a dog is a life commitment (the dogs life) which you can't just throw away when it gets tough (or at least that's how it should be...).

 

[kami333]

Oh man is it expensive. A month back I had to put my dog in daycare three days a week two weeks in a row, and I was out 180 bucks! Not chump change for me since I'm only working part time this semester.

And then there's food (15-20 bucks/month for decent kibble for my medium size dog), vet care (anywhere from 200 bucks to sky high annually), equipment (crates, leashes, harnesses, training equipment if necessary), daycare/dog-walking...

$30/day for doggy daycare? That's nuts. The place I used to take my dog was about $15-20/day for single visits, if you pre-paid for multiple visits or by the month it got down to about $10/day.

not "aggressive" breeds/dogs over 25 lbs

This is a very good point that I think a lot of people overlook, I didn't consider it until I got a dog (13lbs sheltie so I'm generally safe except for absolutely no pet places) but right or wrong, owning a large breed thought to be "aggressive" such as a pit, akita, rotties, malamutes, etc can not only restrict your apartment choices but also your city choices as well as some places have breed specific bans or restrictions.

 

[ilikevegetables]

I personally don't plan to get a dog until I have an outside space where they can do their business instead of having to take them for walks all the time, but that's a personal preference. Tons of people have dogs and no outside space, and they just walk them 3-4 times per day.

Also, like people have been saying, cats are super easy. Orange kitties in particular are super friendly. My orange tabby cat is super lovey, will sit on my lap whenever she can and sleeps at the foot of my bed every night. 😍

 

[MaenadsDance]

There are unforeseen things that happen sometimes, for example about 3 months after we got her she 1. Had horrible diarrhea on the floor while I was in the shower and bf was at work 2.Ate it because she knows we hate finding poop on the floor 3.Vomited it back up all over our belongings.
We laugh about it now.. but at the time there was no amount of lysol and febreeze that could cover the smell. It was horrifying. Normally, she brings so much love, joy, and exercise into our lives, but just last week she got stuck under the deck and we had to pull up some boards and pay the landlord for repairs to get her out. It's not just the day-to-day stuff that's hard/expensive, it's the incidentals.

AHAHAHA my dog did that in my car It was awful.

 

[reviliver]

This is a very good point that I think a lot of people overlook, I didn't consider it until I got a dog (13lbs sheltie so I'm generally safe except for absolutely no pet places) but right or wrong, owning a large breed thought to be "aggressive" such as a pit, akita, rotties, malamutes, etc can not only restrict your apartment choices but also your city choices as well as some places have breed specific bans or restrictions.

We can't live in Denver, lol. I'll refrain from derailing the thread with my views on the topic, which are obvious from my choice of dog. 😉 As for advice: we found places by renting from individual landlords. Did not even try at big complexes or from large corporations. It helps that we took her to pricy obedience classes and have references from previous landlords. Another peek into the complexities that doggies provide.

 

[preMedDonut]

My dog was a 2yrold black lab that someone found on the streets. I told local vets about him in case anyone was missing a pet, but no one came looking for him. Beautiful black lab, 90lbs, didn't bark or be wild. Always would want to cuddle and was the best potty trained. The perfect dog anyone would want and it was crazy getting him off the road. He worked great for me until he contracted lymphoma and died within a week. A very sad time since he helped me out through PTSD but the cancer made me more intrigued with medicine and had a reverse effect on me psychologically, which made me actually study harder than ever before. God's blessing for coming into my life and by leaving it when I look on it now.

When you do get a dog though, if he starts throwing up and you take him to the vet and if they say it's a stomach bug. GET A BLOOD TEST. They said it wasn't necessary at first until he didn't get better within a week. His fever shot up to a 108 and started to have brain damage that fast and died.

 

[cs24]

Not quite the OP topic, but I'm curious as to how people with pets (dogs in particular) plan on handling the clinical years. Is it at all possible to have a dog then? It seems like the hours would make it extremely difficult if you didn't have a lot of help in the form of roommates/SO.

 

[NickNaylor]

Not quite the OP topic, but I'm curious as to how people with pets (dogs in particular) plan on handling the clinical years. Is it at all possible to have a dog then? It seems like the hours would make it extremely difficult if you didn't have a lot of help in the form of roommates/SO.

Definitely. A super young puppy probably would be difficult, but if your pup is trained and relatively chilled by the time clinicals start, it probably wouldn't be a problem.

At least that's what I'm hoping... 🙁

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