<p>I've been thinking about getting a dog, because I like dogs very much. I've asked questions online, and the overwhelming feedback has been "you have no idea what you're dealing with." or something along those lines.</p>
<p>Any dog owners: share you experience.</p>
<p>I have owned dogs in the past, I don’t at present because if one were to get sick or injured I couldn’t afford vet bills. They’re a huge responsibility and commitment. I work in a shelter and I can’t even tell you how many dumb college kids come in in tears to surrender their dogs because they weren’t prepared.</p>
<p>There are two kinds of dog owners (criminals notwithstanding):</p>
<p>1) People who love dogs.
2) People who think they love dogs.</p>
<p>The second group is made up of urban and suburban women who thinks dogs are cute and want one because their friends have them, but they don’t actually love dogs (though they more frequently say they love dogs than most people who do). They care too much about their dog-unfriendly furnished homes to let their dogs actually live in their homes freely, so they spend a lot of effort making sure they are penned in somewhere in the house and whine with family members about making sure the dog doesn’t go where they aren’t supposed to, or who is responsible for walking the dog and making sure they don’t poop in the house. They study, meticulously, every study on dog diets and what their dog should and should not have, adopting the “My Dog is like Kate Moss” strategy of dog nutrition, forgetting that their dogs are well, dogs (by the way, dogs don’t have the complex taste buds we do. They either have “bland”, “tasty”, and “inedible”). And so, a lot more effort goes into making sure their dogs eat a “well-regimented” diet and make sure nobody sneaks them food or gives them a forbidden food. These people generally don’t live very compatible existences with their dogs, as their day is a constant battle between an animal who does things the owner will later repaint in history as “cute”, but in reality, frustrating and deplorable. They reflect on the 5% of the time that the dog is in their lap or at the end of their bed - as in, totally inactive - as the best part of owning a dog, because, at that point, it is more like a throw pillow than anything else. And that’s the truth.</p>
<p>I grew up in that kind of household. Those are the people that say “you don’t know what you’re getting into” and “it’s so much work” and so forth, because their entire existence with the animals is not really compatible to either species’ desired existence. It’s sad.</p>
<p>The proper way to own a dog is to give your dog a lot of freedom. This requires land, or a large house that you can feel fine letting your dog roam around when you aren’t there, and if it is the latter roam-around-the-house thing you are after, get a really dumb dog that doesn’t require activity. If you get a Border Collie and expect it to snooze in the house all day, you are being very cruel, as that dog is very smart and requires a lot of activity. Your dog should have a good brand of dog food, but when you make hamburgers or something, your dog will want the freaking hamburgers. It isn’t rocket science. You should train your dog as a puppy to not run away if outside without a leash, which will make it easy to give your dog freedom and things to do with you outside. Not hard either, just takes time and practice, but again, the not-dog-lovers don’t do this and raise escape artists who become even more inclined to bolt and misbehave.</p>
<p>The big thing is, you have to understand that you are introducing an animal into your life. You can’t pen it in and expect it to behave like a lazy human. The proper way to live with a dog is to give it freedom, and if it doesn’t have freedom because your living situation doesn’t allow for it, you then have to be around to do a lot of outdoor activities with your dog. You can even do problem-solving things with dogs indoors instead of the stupid “tricks” that people try and get dogs to do. Very interesting stuff.</p>
<p>Basically, the question is:</p>
<p>Do you want a companion and active member of your family, or</p>
<p>Do you want a throw pillow that loves you?</p>
<p>If the latter one is more accurate, don’t get a dog.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>this one</p>
<p>what about a cat? a dog needs a lot of attention and commitment. I would imagine that a cat wouldn’t mind chilling out alone in a home, and sheltered enough to not play with the thermometer. I got school and work. Even though I like cats 1/2 as much as I like dogs, I think it’s an overall benefit in the long run.</p>
<p>I didn’t have my dogs with me for the first 1.5 years of college.</p>
<p>I have had them with me since the second half of my sophomore year and I wouldn’t have it any other way. However, I am a completely devoted animal (especially dog) lover. They cost money. They can sometimes destroy things. I can’t always be out because they need their exercise. This year I chose housing further away than I would have liked (20mins) because it allows me to be on the lake and my dog can get a lot of exercise that way. Spur of the moment day long things are usually off limits too because I can’t find a (responsible) sitter on such short notice.</p>
<p>They are like needy children. I haven’t met a college student yet (aside from pre-vets) that have successfully had pets other than cats. They typically got rid of the animal or it was obvious they would have to because it was so poorly trained and destructive.</p>
<p>Housing is also much more difficult to find.</p>
<p>I wouldn’t trade living with my dogs for the world, but I’m not your average person.</p>
<p>I think a cat is a better bet than a dog. Different cats will expect different amounts of attention, but on the whole they tend to be less demanding than dogs. My fiance is in the market for a new pet and he desperately wants a cat, but we are still putting that on hold due to vet bills. We can afford shots and standard check ups and medications, but if anything major were to happen we’d be screwed so it just isn’t a responsible decision right now. We’ll revisit the issue when we have a few thousand in an emergency fund.</p>
<p>If my daughter were posting here, she could answer as an “ex-dog owner” as we now have her dog. She had to have a dog, couldn’t live without one,. etc. etc. while in college. She quickly found she couldn’t afford one (hers became sick and needed vet care) and was never home to take care of it. Fortunately, I love the dog and jumped at the chance to take her. She gets a lot of love and my D can pet her when she comes home. She definitely learned her lesson. We also have a cat she brought home, but to be fair to her, she rescued it as a tiny kitten from a pack of dogs that killed the mom and siblings. So at least that one wasn’t planned and I would have done the same thing.</p>