[CJxDanielle]

Originally Posted by Ladymom

I'd like to see those statistics, too. Getting a puppy while you are in college is a (hopefully) 15 year commitment to the dog. Those 15 years will probably be the most unsettled of your life. When you graduate, jobs may require long hours or long commutes. Most likely you will rent for awhile and it can be difficult to find pet friendly rentals in many areas. Even when you do, they have a limit on the # of pets allowed, usually one or two.

Flash forward a few years and you may want to get married and have children. DH may not like dogs or come with a dog who may not be good around smaller dogs. Many pets are given up when babies are on the way or later on due to children's allergies.

Also remember that as your dog ages, the vets bills will increase. If you are paying off college loans, perhaps a mortgage on a house, trying to pay for a wedding or daycare, a $1000 vet bill for tests and treatment may be difficult to handle.

Unless you have a crystal ball, it is not possible to make a 15 year commitment to a pet when you are a college student.

Again already have my pup (a year old in September)
Just planning ahead. . .

Originally Posted by kdhawks

I guess by "flexible schedule" I meant that that college classes don't usually involve being away from home a rigid 8-5 schedule every day, like a full-time job or even going to high school from 8-3. Maybe I just got lucky, but I usually had class only a couple of hours per day and could be home the rest of the day. Especially my last semester, when I had classes only on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10-2 or so. For me, it was a pretty flexible schedule for taking care of a dog.

I also think it's great that you are already planning for this, and that you already own your pup so you won't be trying to deal with the stress of housebreaking and training a new puppy along with the stress of school.

Thank-you!
And yes Cody will be well into adulthood by the time I decide whether or not he stays in FL or comes with me to college.