Will you take a pet with you?

[denty]

I currently have a cat, but am thinking of getting a dog, more for a protection/friend thing. Will any of you be taking a pet to dental school? do you think it's do-able? And whats a good dog that's both fun and "protects".

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[drat]

I currently have a cat, but am thinking of getting a dog, more for a protection/friend thing. Will any of you be taking a pet to dental school? do you think it's do-able? And whats a good dog that's both fun and "protects".

Definitely bringing my doggie! Can't live without him. He's the first living thing that I tried to floss other than myself. (It didn't work. He was too spooked out -- as were my friends when I told them I tried to floss my dog's teeth.)

 

[gatorf150]

I am definately bringing my dog with me to dental school. I have a small dog (pug) who offers absolutely no protection but he is a great companion. I might get another dog just because I will feel bad leaving him alone all day while I am in school. Good luck!!

 

[rocknightmare]

oh cool. dog fights. get a big dog that will own the little one. ( just kidding)

 

[DDS2BE]

I'm taking my girlfriend with me

 

[Sk8aBull]

I'll be taking my fish... the dog has to stay here

 

[Biogirl361]

I'll be bringing my fish and also probably setting up a couple bigger tanks once i get there. i want to have one planted tank for my current angelfish and tetras, and one cichlid tank. not as good companionship wise as a cat or dog, but they're my little hobby plus, they add a lot of color and life to a room.

i think most dogs that could offer you actual physical protection are either too large or would require too much maintenence in the form of exercise to be practical at d school. i know i would not have time or energy to go for walks every day, and some of the guard/watch type dogs can get very destructive if not entertained and exercised. i think it would be easier to find a small to medium size dog that would just bark at strangers, providing you warning of approaching people. if you are living in a house, the best idea imo is to just get better locks and a security system for protection, and then get a dog or cat for the companionship. just my .02 though.

edit: oh ya i forgot my soapbox - if you're going to get a dog or cat, adopt them from your nearest shelter or rescue group and don't forget to have them fixed!! too many homeless doggies and kitties out there

 

[ScottW3]

My dog is for sure coming. He's pretty good by himself, so I don't think it will be a problem.

 

[denty]

One of my worries was taking care of the dog. I never had one, and I probably will not have a place that is as big as a house. I also heard that classes go from 8 to 4 most days, so the dog would be by itself....I guess I have to figure it out when i get a place.

 

[Sprgrover]

I'm dragging my bird to dental school.

 

[Dr.Bear]

If I go to UMDNJ, I will be bringing my 65 lb pitbull! Not such a great area and she's my body guard.
Chris

 

[GatorTeeth]

I'm definately bringing my bulldog with me. She's a great companion...in my opinion the best for apartment living. She has a loud and mean bark and she'll sleep all day while i'm in class!

 

[StL_to_Boston]

i think most dogs that could offer you actual physical protection are either too large or would require too much maintenence in the form of exercise to be practical at d school.

Not so... my aunt has this chihuahua that tries to DESTROY anyone it comes across. Luckily the thing is like 50 years old and doesn't have any teeth left. If he was any younger I'd have lost everything I have below the ankles years ago... lol

 

[Biogirl361]

Not so... my aunt has this chihuahua that tries to DESTROY anyone it comes across. Luckily the thing is like 50 years old and doesn't have any teeth left. If he was any younger I'd have lost everything I have below the ankles years ago... lol

alright... there are exceptions even so, i'm not sure how the meanest of chihuahuas would fare against a rapist or burglar

 

[StL_to_Boston]

alright... there are exceptions even so, i'm not sure how the meanest of chihuahuas would fare against a rapist or burglar

You have never met this chihuahua. He is the most bada$$ chihuahua on the planet.

 

[NCdds]

I'm bringing my babies...mini schnauzer, rottweiler & guinea pig...with me!

 

[albuquerquegirl]

(Not accepted yet, but had to reply.)

I have a female rottweiler and she is absolutely the best dog. She is great protection and she doesn't require much exercise. She NEEDS exercise but I've found that rotties although very big are not hyperactive. They enjoy doing stuff but also love to be inside. They have good temperments.

Oh, I also have two Westie's and a blue heeler. And two cichlid's.

By the way, she loves cats. She's had more then a few. Might want to consider a dog that is cat friendly.

 

[denty]

(Not accepted yet, but had to reply.)

I have a female rottweiler and she is absolutely the best dog. She is great protection and she doesn't require much exercise. She NEEDS exercise but I've found that rotties although very big are not hyperactive. They enjoy doing stuff but also love to be inside. They have good temperments.

Oh, I also have two Westie's and a blue heeler. And two cichlid's.

By the way, she loves cats. She's had more then a few. Might want to consider a dog that is cat friendly.

Aren't Rottweiler those black big dogs that always seem to be protecting buildings in the movies? do any of you have a good site I could go to learn about dogs? there are tons on the internet!

 

[albuquerquegirl]

They are. In my opinion, they're temperment depends on their parents and how they are raised. Her parents are really good guard dogs, but they're not vicious. She knows the difference between friends and strangers. She has bit (not too bad, she just cornered them a little ) people that have come into the GATED yard that she didn't know. Namely the cable guy and a phone man. They came in past the big red GUARD DOG sign.
Anyway, if you socialize them properly, they can be really good companions and guard dogs.

 

[denty]

They are. In my opinion, they're temperment depends on their parents and how they are raised. Her parents are really good guard dogs, but they're not vicious. She knows the difference between friends and strangers. She has bit (not too bad, she just cornered them a little ) people that have come into the GATED yard that she didn't know. Namely the cable guy and a phone man. They came in past the big red GUARD DOG sign.
Anyway, if you socialize them properly, they can be really good companions and guard dogs.

thanks that helps !

 

[amartins02]

I don't know if i could bring my dog with me. I have had hime for 10 years, a lhasa apso, but seriously, being in school all day and he is home alone? I would rather he stay with my parents and at least have someone to play with and entertain him. I do have an off topic question. Those GPA's you guys post in your signature, is that based off your school gpa or what aadsas calculates as your GPA? Because I know I have read on here that they calculate an A+ as 4.3 and such. Also could which classes do they count as science classes?

 

[NCdds]

Almost any dog can be a good companion and guard dog, they require time and training to get this way. If you would like to take this dog with you to dental school, you should get it sooner than later so it will be trained and use to the rountine before you start 8-5 days, especially if you get a puppy. I don't know any good websites off the top of my head to send you to, but really think about just how big you want the dog to get, will you have the money for vet bills and to feed a big dog in dental school (my rottweiler puppy eats 6 cups of food a day right now), do you care if the dog sheds (will you have time to vacuum and clean up after it), do you care if it barks/howls, etc before you get a dog. I work for a dog facility and volunteer for rescue groups so just mentioning these before hand. I adore rottweilers, people make them into a dog deserving a bad rap when they are calm and gentle giants, however they are not always for a first time dog owner. Shelter/rescue dogs are really the best way to go from my perspective. If you are seriously interested in knowing more about dogs p.m. me... And I'll just say at the end of a long day it is the best thing to have someone to come home to who's excited to see you

 

[Biogirl361]

I don't know if i could bring my dog with me. I have had hime for 10 years, a lhasa apso, but seriously, being in school all day and he is home alone? I would rather he stay with my parents and at least have someone to play with and entertain him. I do have an off topic question. Those GPA's you guys post in your signature, is that based off your school gpa or what aadsas calculates as your GPA? Because I know I have read on here that they calculate an A+ as 4.3 and such. Also could which classes do they count as science classes?

can't speak for others but my posted gpa is that calculated by my university. here is the official site for how aadsas calculates your GPA: Conversions . you find which grading system your school uses at the top of the columns, then go down the column, find your grade, and go across to the "aadsas grading system" at the far left and enter the letter grade in the application, and they use the associated gpa for their calculations. so yes, if your school uses the letter grading scale and happens to give out A+'s, you'd get a 4.3 for that class.

Here is the official list of classes that you can enter in your application (you have to pick one that most closely matches your class, one * means included in science gpa, ** means it's also part of the BCP gpa.)
Course Codes

hope this helps.

somebody should make a sticky with links to all these official aadsas pages, so nobody has to ask, EVER again, what classes are science and how does aadsas calculate grades

 

[IWuvTeef]

I will leave my fish behind b/c I feel it will be too stressful for them to be moved across states. I have 3, so I think I'll end up giving them to a friend who has a tank.

But, I will def. be taking my kitty Misha with me. It would be weird not having him around to wake me up every morning at 6am. He will be the perfect alarm clock for dental school!

 

[hona]

I'm taking my cat. He needs almost no extra attention. He even pees and poops on the toilet so I don't have any litter to change. If you have the patience to train them this way -- there the best pet to have.
hona

 

[Biogirl361]

I'm taking my cat. He needs almost no extra attention. He even pees and poops on the toilet so I don't have any litter to change. If you have the patience to train them this way -- there the best pet to have.
hona

are you serious? does it flush also? does it ever fall in on accident?

 

[hona]

I am serious. My cat uses the toilet like a human. He has never fallen in but does not flush. I just check in the bathroom from time to time and see if he has done his business, then I flush when needed.
If you do a google search on toilet training your cat, you will get lots of info on how to do it. I think it is better if you start when they are about 5 months --- still a kitten, but big enough to start learning to balance on the seat.
hona

 

[Biogirl361]

so do they use a litterbox in the mean time? also what happens when they get older and might have problems jumping up and balancing? can they then go back to a litterbox?

 

[USUaggie]

I just got a turtle today! He's so freakin' cool - he's actually pretty fast. His name's Pedro and he's a wood turtle. Anyway, any info on toilet training him? He pissed in his cardboard box at my parents house and I had to scrub the kitchen floor! Other than that I guess he's pretty cool.

 

[Tzips]

Cool - a reptile. I always kinda wanted an iguana as a pet, but never have, because 1. I think it would be cruel and unusual punishment to lock it up in my sun-less house, and 2. my older sister is terrified of lizards. Ah well. And considering the fact that I managed to asphyxiate the only two fish I ever had, perhaps that was a good thing.

 

[DDS2BE]

I'm taking my cat. He needs almost no extra attention. He even pees and poops on the toilet so I don't have any litter to change. If you have the patience to train them this way -- there the best pet to have.
hona

That is so cool , I wish my cat could do that. My cat is 2.5 years old and sometimes he manages to go to the bath tub In fact, he hasn't done that for half a year and yesterday, as I was getting in the tub to take a shower, guess what I've found?!!! (my hand still hurts from the slap)

 

[DDS2BE]

I'm getting a 55 gallon fishtank with 4 Discus Fish in it. This will make a nice addition to my snake and my cat

 

[IWuvTeef]

I just got a turtle today! He's so freakin' cool - he's actually pretty fast. His name's Pedro and he's a wood turtle. Anyway, any info on toilet training him? He pissed in his cardboard box at my parents house and I had to scrub the kitchen floor! Other than that I guess he's pretty cool.

torts don't need to stay in water, but i think turtles do. my friend has 2 turtles and she keeps them in a large aquarium full of water and rocks. she has a heating lamp in there at all times and a large rock where they can perch and sun themselves. i guess they poop and pee in the water. she changes the water once a week. Try doing an internet search about pet turtles and see what you can find.

 

[Biogirl361]

dds2be, you hit your cat??
so why ya decide to go with discus instead of saltwater? will your tank be planted? i always heard discus have very strict water requirements, good luck I think I have pretty much for sure decided to go with one 30 gallon reef and one 20 gallon planted tank.

 

[NCdds]

I just got a turtle today! He's so freakin' cool - he's actually pretty fast. His name's Pedro and he's a wood turtle. Anyway, any info on toilet training him? He pissed in his cardboard box at my parents house and I had to scrub the kitchen floor! Other than that I guess he's pretty cool.

I have 2 pet turtles, one is a water turtle and then other a land turtle. A wood turtle is a land turtle. My land turtle picked a certain corner of her cage to go to the bathroom at, so it makes it easy for cleaning. She did that by herself, I didn't train her so yours might do the same.

 

[USUaggie]

Really? That'd be great. I guess they're one of the smartest kinds of turtles and can do stuff like that. I haven't even had mine a day yet -I'm going to get him a uv heat lamp today because so far he's just buried himself in wood chips and I'm getting the impression he's a little cold.

 

[NCdds]

Yes, a heat lamp is a must...and one with UV is needed to be their "artificial sunlight" ...good luck with him!

 

[DDS2BE]

dds2be, you hit your cat??
so why ya decide to go with discus instead of saltwater? will your tank be planted? i always heard discus have very strict water requirements, good luck I think I have pretty much for sure decided to go with one 30 gallon reef and one 20 gallon planted tank.

I find discus THE most beautiful and exotic fresh water fish. And yes, you are correct about its habbitat requirement... water must be kept at 28C, slightly low in pH and soft. Speaking of plants, I always wanted to have a fully planted aquarium but in the case of having discus fish i don't think there will be any plants at all. First of all, it is very difficult to find plants that would live in 28 degree water and second, if I find, it would make it more difficult to take care of the system.

I am in a process of buying a condo right across Case so once i get my fish tank all set up, you are wellcome to drop by and take a look

What fish do you want to get?

 

[Biogirl361]

I find discus THE most beautiful and exotic fresh water fish. And yes, you are correct about its habbitat requirement... water must be kept at 28C, slightly low in pH and soft. Speaking of plants, I always wanted to have a fully planted aquarium but in the case of having discus fish i don't think there will be any plants at all. First of all, it is very difficult to find plants that would live in 28 degree water and second, if I find, it would make it more difficult to take care of the system.

I am in a process of buying a condo right across Case so once i get my fish tank all set up, you are wellcome to drop by and take a look

What fish do you want to get?

well I already have a 10 gallon semi-planted tank and it has some tetras and some otocinclus catfish right now. I've been in the trial and error process of learning about live plants this year, but i think i'm finally getting the hang of it and my plants are actually growing haha. I am going to upgrade to a 20 gallon and add a dwarf cichlid pair like maybe some blue rams or some apistogramma. for saltwater a clownfish of course, and probably a goby, a damsel or two and either a dwarf angel or a pair of bangii cardinals. I too am hoping to live right next to the school so when I get stuff up and running people can come see them if they want dds2be, I think your 55 gallon discus tank will be magnificent, i agree if you have the skill to do discus right they are very beautiful! i have seen planted discus tanks before so there's got to be some plants that can handle the environment, but you are right there is a lot of extra expense and a bit of extra time required to add real plants. gosh i've already spent over 100 just on my 10 gallon and just on plant related stuff

 

[eran76]

well I already have a 10 gallon semi-planted tank and it has some tetras and some otocinclus catfish right now. I've been in the trial and error process of learning about live plants this year, but i think i'm finally getting the hang of it and my plants are actually growing haha. I am going to upgrade to a 20 gallon and add a dwarf cichlid pair like maybe some blue rams or some apistogramma. for saltwater a clownfish of course, and probably a goby, a damsel or two and either a dwarf angel or a pair of bangii cardinals. I too am hoping to live right next to the school so when I get stuff up and running people can come see them if they want dds2be, I think your 55 gallon discus tank will be magnificent, i agree if you have the skill to do discus right they are very beautiful! i have seen planted discus tanks before so there's got to be some plants that can handle the environment, but you are right there is a lot of extra expense and a bit of extra time required to add real plants. gosh i've already spent over 100 just on my 10 gallon and just on plant related stuff

Hey Biogirl,

I'm soo glad to see that someone else is into the salt water. I'm trying to figure out how to move my 50gal reef to Pittsburgh if I end up going there this summer. I'm thinking set up a new tank then hand carry the animals on a direct flight from Seattle (yeesh). The whole prospect is just making me wish I get into UW. Have you given any thoughts as to soft/hard corals, lights, refugium, etc.???

e

 

[Biogirl361]

Hey Biogirl,

I'm soo glad to see that someone else is into the salt water. I'm trying to figure out how to move my 50gal reef to Pittsburgh if I end up going there this summer. I'm thinking set up a new tank then hand carry the animals on a direct flight from Seattle (yeesh). The whole prospect is just making me wish I get into UW. Have you given any thoughts as to soft/hard corals, lights, refugium, etc.???

e

I'm planning on putting three 24" VHO's over a 29 gallon, giving me 7.75 wpg. that should be enough for all softies and LPS and a few of the less demanding SPS. as for refugium... i am torn. on one hand since this is my first time with saltwater I want to keep it simple/less expensive and just put some macroalgae in the main tank for nitrate control, a handful of shells for a cryptic zone for pods, a bakpak skimmer and leave it at that. no worry about sump overflowing, figuring out how to plumb it, and buying an overflow box and sump pump (my tank won't be drilled) and buying another light setup for the sump tank. on the other hand I have a perfectly good 10 gallon just sitting around and I'd love to get into fragging which would eventually lead to the need for a second tank anyway. right now i'm leaning towards just doing the main tank to start and then in a year or so if i feel the need i would add on the sump tank. what would you recommend?
wow, i can't believe you're going to attempt to move a 50 gallon reef literally across the country that's something! what kind of fish/corals do you have?

hey dds2be, i was looking at plants online and i happened to notice the warm water/discus plant section, it said that (among others) anubias are able to stand discus temperatures, and I know these are hardy plants that are beautiful and require only low/moderate light and you probably wouldn't have to fertilize or add CO2 if you didn't plant too densely. a few pieces of driftwood dressed up with anubias can look really really nice and is very undemanding. just a thought

 

[jk5177]

So, I'm studying on zoonotic diseases in path microbiology right now. Zoonotic disease is the transmission of disease from animals to humans. The more I read, the more I don't want to have pets with me. I like animals, and I'm a vegetarian myself, but considering the possible transmisssions that may occur... ugh, I will pass and simply donate some of my money as tithe to PETA. Or maybe I will... I don't know. Having pets seems a bit scary; I may be ignorant, but until I myself find out more about the parameters of having a pet, I will stay without it.

 

[IWuvTeef]

So, I'm studying on zoonotic diseases in path microbiology right now. Zoonotic disease is the transmission of disease from animals to humans. The more I read, the more I don't want to have pets with me. I like animals, and I'm a vegetarian myself, but considering the possible transmisssions that may occur... ugh, I will pass and simply donate some of my money as tithe to PETA. Or maybe I will... I don't know. Having pets seems a bit scary; I may be ignorant, but until I myself find out more about the parameters of having a pet, I will stay without it.

hey, i'm a veggie too. it's good that you're not rushing into getting a pet if you don't feel comfortable with one. if you ever think about getting one, start small and simple...like a betta fish. they are easy to take care of and are beautiful (fun to watch too). the internet is a good resource for learning about different pets. i've had all kinds: fish, dogs, cats, and mice. pets are very rewarding to have around if you have the patience, love, and money to take good care of them.

 

[DDS2BE]

hey dds2be, i was looking at plants online and i happened to notice the warm water/discus plant section, it said that (among others) anubias are able to stand discus temperatures, and I know these are hardy plants that are beautiful and require only low/moderate light and you probably wouldn't have to fertilize or add CO2 if you didn't plant too densely. a few pieces of driftwood dressed up with anubias can look really really nice and is very undemanding. just a thought

Whould you mind sharing the link to that web site?

 

[Biogirl361]

Whould you mind sharing the link to that web site?

sure, here it is:warm water/discus plants
you can also do a google search on "anubias" and you'll come up with a lot of info about that particular kind. I'm partial to anubias 'nana' and 'coffefolia' myself for driftwood decorating, but as your tank will be tall you will want to look into one of the larger 'barteri' varieties for decorating the back of the tank. all of the varieties are thick leaved, very hardy, require only low light (~2 flourescent watts/gallon) and no special substrate. also the fish and your regular water changes should provide the water column nutrients they will need as long as you don't plant too heavily.

 

[EMORYswim]

i am bringing my quaker parrot, bird, to where ever i end up, ive been away from him too long.