Pharmacy- Is a DOG manageable??

[soontobepharmstudent]

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I will be starting pharmacy school in the fall and I was just wondering if a dog is manageable? I have had 4 years of college already and am looking into getting a dog. It will just be me taking care of the dog as I will have no help with the dog. Do you think it is a good idea? I will NOT be getting a puppy. What do you guys think? Bad idea? Manageable? Good idea?

 

[PharmDBro2017]

I will be starting pharmacy school in the fall and I was just wondering if a dog is manageable? I have had 4 years of college already and am looking into getting a dog. It will just be me taking care of the dog as I will have no help with the dog. Do you think it is a good idea? I will NOT be getting a puppy. What do you guys think? Bad idea? Manageable? Good idea?

Just depends on your lifestyle and how much time you can devote to a dog. They are pack animals, they need their family (owner) around them to be content. If you don't have time to take them for a walk daily or several times per week, you're not doing justice to your pet in my opinion. I wake up early almost every morning to walk mine for 20-30 minutes, or walk her immediately after classes are over. It does make it difficult on long days at school when I can't come home at lunch to let her potty, but she is very well potty trained and can hold it for 8-12hrs if necessary (lucky for me, but I feel awful when she has to do that).

 

[apex8]

Keep in mind your last year of rotations you may or may not have to relocate for some of your rotations. There is no guarantee that your school will have enough sites for all of the students within an 80 mile radius.
That said, is it possible. Yes. Will it be easy? No.

 

[ldiot]

If you are living in an apartment you will have to take it outside several times a day to do it's business. It may also eliminate places that don't allow pets. Otherwise you leave it food and water and it's not that big of a deal... it's not like taking care of a child.

 

[Rouelle]

I did it with a wife and baby. You can do it with a dog.

 

[trailerpark]

Why not an elderly cat? Let it live it its last few years out of a cage at the shelter and once it passes you'll be almost done with pharmacy school and can switch to a dog then. Cat would be cheaper too and more independent to leave at home.

 

[rph3664]

Elderly animals can cost a fortune in vet bills, and be very high-maintenance medically, just like people.

However, just a random dog should be relatively easy to handle, and a pleasant diversion from classes. I had cats for most of my college years (not the same cats with each roommate, one of whom was my sister) and they were no problem at all.

 

[KARM12]

Do you live alone?

I never got a dog because I was always worried about having to run home to let it out. You could get a dog walker, but it costs money. Animals are great if you have the time to take care of them. Leaving a pet alone all day isn't fun for them. If you live in an apartment, waking up early to take them out is a pain.

 

[Eichhoernchen]

It really depends on your own lifestyle, not so much people's opinion.

 

[ldiot]

Elderly animals can cost a fortune in vet bills, and be very high-maintenance medically, just like people.

However, just a random dog should be relatively easy to handle, and a pleasant diversion from classes. I had cats for most of my college years (not the same cats with each roommate, one of whom was my sister) and they were no problem at all.

Medically high maintenance? It's a dog for goodness sake.... you put it to sleep when you reach this point.

That being said you don't want to be taking the dog outside multiple times a day when you are trying to deal with class/work/rotations.

 

[Reirrac]

Why do you want a dog? Having a dog will make life difficult if you travel often or are away from home for an extended time. Don't even start entertaining the idea of handing off the responsibility to your friends whenever you feel like going out for the night or staying at school for study time.

Think carefully about this, seriously.

 

[mentos]

What do you guys think? Bad idea? Manageable? Good idea?

I think pharmacy school is a bad idea. Just take a look at any of the posts here.

 

[Amicable Angora]

I think pharmacy school is a bad idea. Just take a look at any of the posts here.

Quote of the year

 

[Caffeine QAM]

I think pharmacy school is a bad idea. Just take a look at any of the posts here.

Pharmacy school is a bad idea if you have a poor understanding of where that will lead you. If you understand where it will lead to, what the situation is really like versus a glamorized version of reality, and it's what you want to do, then it's probably a good idea. Of course there's something to be said about good ideas without good execution. You may not end up where you want to be and disappointed if you lack the wherewithal, planning, and dedication.

Anyways. As for the dog, I think it's a great idea if you are great at time management; however, it would be preferable to have someone (roommates, family, classmates, boyfriend/girlfriend) who can help you in the case that something comes up and you are unable to care for your pet. A dog can be a great companion that can help you de-stress and remind yourself that there things in life outside of pharmacy. I would at least get a taste of 1st year of pharmacy school before making the decision. Get an idea of how well you can manage your workload and time.

 

[Canephile]

I will be starting pharmacy school in the fall and I was just wondering if a dog is manageable? I have had 4 years of college already and am looking into getting a dog. It will just be me taking care of the dog as I will have no help with the dog. Do you think it is a good idea? I will NOT be getting a puppy. What do you guys think? Bad idea? Manageable? Good idea?

Dear Soontobe,

It will likely be challenging, especially when something occurs that will draw you away from your expected routine. You seem to be pretty clear that you are flying solo on this, so unless you are going to engage community members (who love dogs) to support you in caring for your dog, you might want to hold off until you aren't so unsupported. Many dogs require time, (some type of confinement training) and and diligent effort to form house training habits that work well for your environment. You may have no information about the toileting habits your prospective new charge may have, after all.

There are a lot of questions that one might ask to help sort through this - about your resources for information about where you might get a dog, and the preparation that it may have had for your type of situation, how you feel about crate training, your living arrangements (single living unit vs. multi-unit housing, etc. You may not have these answers, yet.

I don't believe it's as clear as a yes or no, as there are many unknown variables. Speak to friends/family who know you, well. They may share insight into their perceptions of your habits and proclivities that might be illuminating. you may have resources that haven't been fully considered.

Feel free to reach out!

Be well,
Canephile