Pet Therapy :)

[joyangel]

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My fiance is a pre-med and trying REALLY hard to get to medschool. He is a non-trad/career changer so I suspect he will be successful. However, I am concerned about all the time that he will be committing to his studies once he starts. I know it will be hard on our relationship and I will not see him as much. So my question is can pets (specifically dogs) help fill some of this gap? Anyone with this type of experience or in a similar situation please share.

 

[WhtsThFrequency]

Yes, they can. My last long term relationship was very stressful in the regard, due to the fact that I was a first year in veterinary school and my SO was an engineer working on his PhD. My dog has always been a comfort to me, in many times like that.

But there here is a caveat and some other advice.

I would first look at expanding a social network of *human* friends 😉 I'm sure you've heard this before, but getting a dog is a very large life change. Not as much as a child or course, but you will be tied down in many ways and will have to re-schedule your life to accommodate the dog. You don't have to do that as much with friends. Plus, as much as we love animals, they cannot replace human-human social interaction which is necessary for proper mental health.

I wholeheartedly agree with dogs being wonderful companions that can get you through rough times. Just think very hard about *why* you are getting the dog. If it is to fill an emotional gap….well, just be careful and think things through. I'm certainly not trying to accuse or discourage (since I know nothing of your other reasons for wanting a dog besides what you posted, I can't make a real judgement), just giving my 2 cents 

 

[mshheaddoc]

My animals are my best friends. 1 dog (formerly 2), and 3 cats are my companions whenever my husband is on call or was on away rotations. Without them I don't know what I would have done. They are absolutely a help. 😀

 

[tlew12778]

Yes they can. We have two cats. They keep me company when DH is on call (which is often). It's really nice having something we both unconditionally love (seeing as how we don't have human kids yet). I think I'd be really lonely without them actually.

ETA: Human friends are good too but they won't exactly come cuddle up to you in the middle of the night when you're sick and alone IYKWIM.

 

[MathisGreen]

***removed***

 

[joyangel]

Thanks for all the comments and support! Mathis I love your little doggie. I agree this section need more SO 😍to join in the conversation. I am so excited for my SO to start med school and I have a feeling that I will need all the support I can get. 😀

 

[Samus Aran]

you might want to remember that dogs can get lonely too, and a lot of times its advised to get 2 dogs at once (or at least while they're still young) so they have a playmate. i think if you have 1 dog, it's not much more effort to have 2 🙂

anyway, i recommend shelties 😍

 

[All4MyDaughter]

My dog is a wonderful companion!

I tried to get a second dog and they didn't like each other. They didn't really fight but they took their aggression out on other things, like my couch cushions.

So the new dog went to a home where he could be the only dog and my dog is happy because she doesn't have to share her humans.

We also have two cats and they co-exist fairly peacefully.

 

[snoofle]

if you've never had a dog before and plan on getting a puppy, remember that it takes alot of time and effort to house train a puppy and teach it what it should and should not do. My SO and I have 2 huskies together and I neglected school and even going out many times because I felt bad leaving them in a cage for too long and would have to come back in time to take them out. I definitely think a dog from an animal rescue is a good option because alot of them have been given up by their owners so they already have manners and many are house trained

 

[joyangel]

Thanks for the advice! I have had pets in the past, so I know what to expect. I guess I am just use to my SO being around and am going to miss him during his education. We both like dogs and I would like to get a puppy, when the time is right. I don’t think I could handle two at the same time! I want to be there for my SO if he needs me and when he doesn’t, a little dog would be nice!

 

[MDHub2002]

Oh boy can dogs help get through tough times. My wife is a 2nd year GS resident and we have had dogs since we met. We have two Shar-Pei's and they are like little kids. They make you laugh when you are having a crap day, make you take pause when you are having a fight or just feeling down. They also give you a distraction when you need a study break.
I was anti pet when I met my wife because I never wanted to go through having to put one down. We have had to do that once and while it was tough, I could not imagine our life without our dogs.

 

[Ionna]

My fiance is a pre-med and trying REALLY hard to get to medschool. He is a non-trad/career changer so I suspect he will be successful. However, I am concerned about all the time that he will be committing to his studies once he starts. I know it will be hard on our relationship and I will not see him as much. So my question is can pets (specifically dogs) help fill some of this gap? Anyone with this type of experience or in a similar situation please share.

My animals ..I have three dogs...keep me sane when my boyfriend works a lot of shifts..and so does posting on forums...as well😀😀😀