Originally Posted by Islandloverr (Post 3262426)

Well, I'm STILL looking for my yorkie soulmate. & I'm getting a bit discouraged. I've been interested in some breeders but then when I mention I'm in college (studying to become a VET) I get rejected & get the "college= no money and no time" speech. So because I'm in college....I'm automatically a homless girl w/ a full booked up schedule? I'm not evaluated on how I CARE or will LOVE this yorkie! It doesn't seem like that part is even considered. Now I understand if I said I go away to college or a full time student....I go to school 3 days a week every other day for like 5-7 hours. I understand that is quite some time to be away from a yorkie....but I've seen yorkies handle more than that with NO PROBLEMS! I've heard people tell me that yorkies can't handle that & I've heard other owners tell me that they can.

So let me make my situation clear so you can understand it & tell me your honest opinions:

*I don't owe any loans because I never filed for one.
*my tuition payments will be done NEXT MONTH, already bought my books for this year.
*my schedule once again is 3 days a week every other day for a few hours (the most 7)
(I didn't even iclude the holidays yet)

So here's the question of the day....reading about my situation & fully understanding it.....should I not be allowed to get a yorkie?

What are your views on it I need HONEST (not blunt, or harsh) opinions.
& if I get enough reponses that say I shouldn't.....I will just COMPLETELY FORGET about ever getting a yorkie. Ill just stick with goldfish & cats. :( :( :(

Originally Posted by Britster (Post 3262451)

I am in college, so I can give you first hand experience. I am 20yrs old, in the local community college, currently majoring in business and almost finished my associates. I plan on hopefully attending a four year university within the next year, but I have also contemplated becoming a vet tech, just to have an extra 'degree' on the side and keep my options open. Bottom line, I don't even know 100% what I want to do yet.

I got Jackson when I was 18 years old. I don't really even know what got into me, I suddenly wanted a dog of MY own. Not a family dog. So, Jackson came home on December 13th, 2008... 6 months after I graduated high school. For most people, getting a dog then would not have been a good decision. But for me, it was perfect timing. I had all the time in the world (winter break) to train a dog, bond, etc. And let me tell you, a puppy is HARD work. I was used to sleeping in really late, staying up late, though never was a big partyer. I was so tired when he was a puppy, I was crashing every night around 8:30pm, because I was awaken in the middle of the night once or twice for the first, oh, 2 months or so. Up every morning at 7am, potty time, and then puppy would need playtime. It worked out though, we created our own little schedule. Bedtime was 8pm, middle of night wake up call was usually midnight, and then again at 3:30-4am, then up again at 7-8am. Pretty much my whole winter break was dedicated and spent with him. Once I was back in school, it was only 3 days a week and from maybe 10am-3pm so he was fine in his expen when I left. I also live at home and do have the occasional help of my stepdad if necessary. Very rare but if there is ever a moment I can't be home on time, he can usually let him out for me.

Now, at almost 2 years old, there's no more of the waking in the night, etc. He gets let out at 11-midnight and sleeps until 9am or later. But don't think it's still an easy ride. Jackson requires a ton of attention and time. Sometimes, I do have to cancel plans or something I maybe wanted to do because I have a dog. But to me, it's a sacrifice I'm willing to pay and is worth the companionship of Jackson. We spend a lot of time together, he's a pretty high energy dog who requires a lot of attention, as a lot of terriers are. Walks daily are a must. He needs a place to run a few times a week so we go to the dog park or my dads house, etc. I spend a lot of money on him, both with unnecessary things (LOL) and the requirements. He came up limping last year, and it ended up being a $400 vet visit... that was $400 I really didn't "have" but I just made it work. I was broke for a while, lol.

I don't want to discourage you, because I think having a dog is an amazing thing. Jackson is my best friend and companion and I can't imagine life without him. I would never suggest owning a dog to every college student though. I think it just depends on the individual. 99% of my friends could never own one. They are far too much into themselves (which is fine) and are much more concerned with finding the latest parties or hooking up with the hottest people than caring for a living species that needs love, attention, food, exercise, etc. I am able to provide Jackson with everything that he needs and my lifestyle works with having a dog. I think you just need to base it off of your lifestyle and if a dog can accommodate to it.

Will my life change a ton over the next 10 years? YES. Do I think that means I shouldn't have a dog? NO. You can be 60 years old and your life could change drastically over the next few years. Anyone can have life changing experiences whether it be divorce, moving, having kids, etc, at any age.... if that were the case, nobody could own dogs. Jackson will always be a part of my life, for the rest of his life, no matter what happens in mine. He's family.

By the way, I've spoken to a reputable breeder of Papillons, and a few Silky Terrier breeders, and both were willing to sell me a dog, regardless of my age. All I have to do is show them the time and effort I have put into Jackson, and I explain my lifestyle truthfully to them.

Originally Posted by kalina82 (Post 3262431)

Perhaps a young adult yorkie would be best in your situation. I don't see how being gone for 7 hours every other day is a problem. Most people are gone for at least 7 hours 5 days a week. The only problem I see is with young puppies and those hours. When i got mine i worked 8 hours a day but had a lunch break from 12-1 where i would go home to feed/take out my puppy. This made the situation work. If that's not possible then having a dog walker/neighbor/family member come over half way through your school hours would be next best. If neither of those options are viable then an adult is a better choice. They will have bigger bladders and be able to hold it throughout the day, plus there is less of a chance of them getting hypoglycemia.

try a rescue or a shelter. good luck

Originally Posted by RachelandSadie (Post 3262506)

i agree here. puppy might be too much work for a college student. for every hour you are in class u are supposed to study for three hours. so for those 5 hour days you should be busy studying at least 15 hours!! that's a lot of time to not devote to a puppy. i think you should defin. get a dog because ur going to be a vet and you should have that experience of your very own pup. but i think that you might consider starting with a 1-3 year old dog and not a new 12 week old puppy. get a pretrained pottytrained one from a shelter or a breeder that has older pups.

good luck on finding your match.

Originally Posted by Islandloverr (Post 3262475)

You just explained my life 100%. I'm 20 majoring in biology...goin to take 2 years of that & then transfer to a college that specializes in vet care. I stay up late....don't go to parties....even if I wanted to my mom wouldn't allow it (she treats me like a lil kid) lol. All I do is come home & burn my eyeball out from watching t.v. its sooo boring. I probably go out w/ my friends once/ twice a week ( once again my mother being over protective....she controls me.) I also think getting a yorkie will be my escape from being in the house all the time....ill be able to go out & get fresh air without my mom being paranoid that I'm out doing stuff I'm not supposed to. & its funny how you mentioned the time you got Jackson. After I graduated H.S. I took a year off from school. Now THAT would've been the absolute PERFECT time for me to get my yorkie. I had plenty of time I had a great paying 4 hour job that was literally a few block away from home my bank account was tripple what it is now....but my mom was flip flopping about getting one. Smh I'm still angry at her for that. But that's what I'm actually doing now. I want to get one around winter break or summer break.

Originally Posted by Cha Cha (Post 3262518)

I have a 20 and an 18 year old, both in college now. There is no way either one of them could take on a dog. They come home to get their "dog" fix. All I can say, however, is you know your situation better than anyone else. Can you predict your schedule next semester? How about the one after that? When you transfer to the vet school, can you guarantee you will be able to find a place that allows dogs? If you are in a situation where you have a roommate in the future, you have to understand that at times, your dog will be at their mercy. That is, what if the dog gets out? Will they take responsibility to go get it? Will they not abuse your dog when you are not there? What about roommate friends coming and going? I know this these questions sound harsh, but you have to consider every single scenario. It is impossible for anyone to predict their future. I get that. It really becomes a question of how much are you willing to sacrifice once you have committed to the dog. If you have considered every possible conflict that "may" come along, and you have a plan to deal with that, then you can most likely handle having a dog. Best wishes in your search, and your schooling. (My scenarios are just examples of why my girls cannot even begin to think about having a dog right now even though they desperately long for thier babies who are at home with ME! :D).

Originally Posted by nana911 (Post 3262537)

Whatever your decision, if you do get a dog, make sure it is healthy and then get dog insurance. I use petplan which runs me around 23-24 dollars a month per dog. That means I pay a 200 deductible for anything catastrophic and then they pay the rest up to 20,000. That takes those unforeseen vet expenses due to liver problems, broken legs, etc.. off your shoulders and out of the equation. Small price to pay for peace of mind.

I would check shelters and rescues, get a young adult during a long break, like your winter break, so you would have time to bond and do some training. I would pad train so that having to take it out would not be an issue. Mine are indoor trained so when I'm gone for 12hr shifts I don't have to worry about them messing where they shouldn't because they don't get outside.

In your situation I would never suggest getting two, but that is why mine are okay when left, because they have each other. I'm not sure that leaving one alone would work. They are littermates and have each other to play with and keep each other company. I really can't imagine leaving one alone..that is beyond my experience.

Good luck whatever you decide. Huge decision.....I understand your impatience, but I know you also want to do right by whatever dog you are considering....