Are You Ready to Own a Dog?

Owing a dog is a LOT of responsibility, and sometimes people get lost in the cuteness of dogs and don’t take the time to really seriously consider if they are ready to own one. While having a dog in college can make for a good companion and stress reliever, it is also involves a lot of commitment that you may or may not be prepared for.

TIME

One of the main things to think about when you’re considering getting a dog is whether or not you have enough time to take it on. Dogs require a lot of attention and care, which can be very time consuming. As a college student, you have a lot going on. Between school work, hanging out with friends, work, and extracurricular activities, you already have a lot of time being taken up throughout your day. And you don’t need to just have enough time to feed and let your dog out, but also need to make time to spend time with them. Another thing that could take up a lot of time and commitment is training your dog. In a recent blog post from ThatMutt.com, one blogger wrote about how much time, energy, and patience it is taking her to train her dog. I know for me personally it took about a year for my dog to start correctly responding to our commands just about 100% on the time. Will you have enough time to take a dog for a walk, play with it, train it, and give him or her all the love and attention it needs (and deserves)?

SPACE

Depending on what breed of dog you’re thinking of getting, the amount of space your future dog would need may differ. But overall, dogs need a lot of space to live. They need room outside to run and play, as well as room inside to lay around (and play inside too). Most college students live in apartments, so smaller breeds would probably be best fit for that size. But if the dog is high energy, it might not be enough room for them. The other thing about living in an apartment is you wouldn’t have a large fenced in yard for the dog to run around, so depending on how your apartment complex is structured, not having space outside for a dog to run free could be a problem.

MONEY

On top of all the time and attention dogs need, owning a dog also requires a lot of money. Not only do you have to pay for basic things like food, but you will also need to purchase toys, a bed, leash, food and water bowls, treats, and other little things that your dog will use every day. Depending on the breed, you may also need to pay for some personal care necessities for your dog such as nail clippings and haircuts. Another thing to keep in mind is the high medical bills you might have to pay for your dog. It is important to take your dog for a yearly check-up to make sure they’re healthy, and you never know if you may have to take your dog to the vet for other medical reasons as well.

While owning a dog is one of the best and most rewarding experiences, it isn’t a decision to take lightly. Dogs aren’t something you can just try out and then return a few weeks later, they are a serious commitment and should be treated as such. These are some of the main things I would suggest taking into consideration when trying to determine if owning a dog in college is right for you, let me know in the comments what you think is important to consider!