Would you let your kid get a dog for companionship at college (private rental apartment not college dorm)? What is the average cost and are there any cons?
Don’t know the cost, but cons would be student hours vs dog needs and place for dog to take care of those needs. Yes, I’ve thought about this because my younger son loves dogs and probably will think of this plan after he spends the mandatory year in a dorm. We have a high energy dog and he wouldn’t be a good fit for a college student apartment. So also considering the breed very carefully.
Older son has a friend who was co-parenting a dog with a girlfriend and lived in a big student apartment complex. Dog bathroom facility was an area of astroturf outside the building according to son. Also, the couple broke up and S’s friend lost custody of the dog and he was devastated.
From personal experience: My son adopted a puppy while living in a Satellite Fraternity house Senior year of college. After getting an internship and then a full time job after graduation, he was unable to find housing that would accommodate the dog or his budget. Mom and Dad now have the 2 year old pup permanently so if you do let your kid get a dog, be prepared to end up with it once they graduate or maybe even before.
Generally no. Hopefully companionship will be in the form of friends. Unless your kid has taken care of a dog on his own before I doubt s/he realizes the effort involved: feeding, exercising, walking for “bathroom breaks”, vet visits, unexpected self, friend, roommate or significant other allergies, grooming requirements, pet separation anxiety resulting in damage to the apt or uncontrollable barking when left alone, additional cleaning if the dog sheds, and costs. Might also limit off campus housing choices.
Based on a couple people I know whose kids adopted a dog while in college, discourage it unless you are ready for dog to eventually live with you! Dogs seem to find their way to living with parents once the kids realize how big a responsibility dog ownership is.
I love dogs, but I don’t think it’s a good mix with college life. My S gets his pet-fix by dog sitting for friends when they go home and can’t take their dog … happens a lot.
Tell your kid to volunteer at the local shelter - it’s great way to enjoy a dog and really do a good thing.
OTH, my daughter and her housemate/BFF got a kitten their senior year of college. 10 years, 800 miles, thousands of dollars of vet bills, and one marriage later, the cat is still with her. The friend kept the cat when my daughter moved to New York, then my daughter took the cat while the friend did a fellowship in France, then the two of them shared an apartment again, except in Brooklyn, as well as the cat, then the friend moved in with a boyfriend who had a dog and the cat stayed with my daughter. There was a serious medical problem at one point that was difficult to diagnose. but eventually it got better.
I thought it was a terrible idea when they got the cat, and said so. My daughter agreed that all the reasons I gave for not getting a cat were valid, and she got the cat anyway.
That said, cats are a lot easier than dogs, and they serve a useful purpose in small urban apartments.
The costs will depend on the size and health of the dog, but at a minimum,
Licensing fee
Startup costs - dog bed, bowl, collar, leash, etc.
Vet costs for standard care - spay/neuter fee, annual checkups, vaccinations, periodic blood and fecal testing, etc. These can get quite expensive.
Regular ongoing medical costs like heart worm meds and tick preventatives
Other ongoing costs- basic grooming supplies, food, dog treats.
Sick dog vet visits for things like UTI’s, injuries, illnesses, skin issues, or chronic issues. May require pricey emergency vet charges, expensive antibiotics, and/or specialized food.
Other costs you may or may not encounter:
Dogsitting costs
Extra rental fees for the addition of a dog
Inability to take cheaper housing because of dog restrictions.
Dogwalking fees once they’ve graduated and are working.
Loss of security deposit
Transportation costs to get the dog home during breaks.
Damage to your possessions (chewed up shoes, scratched doors, gnawed chair legs, piddled-on rugs)
I think you as a parent need to discuss your child’s backup plan with them. Consider what would happen if your child were unable to care for the dog. Would you be comfortable taking it? What if you child gets a job offer abroad or wants to live in an apartment with someone who’s allergic? What’s their plan for when they want to go away for the weekend or when they start full-time employment post-graduation? What’s their financial backup plan for if the dog has a major medical emergency? Could they pay for a multi-day emergency vet stay if their dog were hit by a car or needed cancer surgery?
@Sue22 All valid points. Thank you.
Yeah, no. We have dogs and we love them to death, but it’s not a good idea for college students. I have to restrict my daily time from the house to a maximum of 6 hours at a stretch, because they need to be let out. Alternative is to try to find others to do it for you. Some semesters, I come home from campus and return for later classes (90 minutes round trip). If we want to leave for a day or a weekend we need a dog-sitter or the kennel ($$$). Lots of work to clean up after them, grooming, etc. If you are renting, lots of landlords (including us, generally) don’t allow pets. Right now we have one tenant with a small dog, but it’s rare. You are limiting where you can live.
Agree that cats are a better choice, although we don’t allow them in our apartments either. I had a cat for 17 years and had many landlords turn us down. At one point she lived with other people because my roommates were allergic. When she got old, she did a lot of damage to the carpets by her frequent incontinence.
Love dogs to death, but would never let my college age kid get one. They are a ton of responsibility. I also have a horrific memory from college of a student who got a dog, wasn’t allowed to bring it home, so left it in the apartment when he went home in summer and asked friends to take care of it. Friends forgot, when someone finally checked on it, it had died from being locked in an apartment with no AC, no open windows, no water and no food. A drastic situation, but too much responsibility for kids that age. And I’m guessing very hard to find an apartment that would allow it.
By the way, the kid with the dog happens to live not far from me now. I bumped into him at a high school athletic event and I still can’t stand him to this day because of what he did to that poor dog!
I love dogs. I have two of them, one from a son, one from a cousin’s son. Both of them got adorable puppies and them life happened and the dogs could not go with them at that turn. The months turned into years. Now they are mine.
Young adults in college still too much in flux in life to take on that responsibility without it cutting deeply into their opportunities. One lost out in a room share, countless apartment opportunities because of dog. If potential roommate is allergic or doesn’t want, that’s it.
If college nearby, and parents ready to take over responsibilities for dog, it could work out. Also kid should well understand the work a dog entails.
My student would have found having a dog very difficult this past year. Internship plus work on campus was over 60 hours a week last summer. Oh, and free room and board for a residential advisor position— but no dogs allowed in dorms. So figure cost of that as it was a 12 month housing and meal perk- started right after junior year to graduation. Each trip home, a plane trip. What about the dog? Did some senior trips with classmates, what about the dog?
My one child left a living arrangement because he got stuck with housemates dog more times than he wanted. This is not a college kid, but young graduate starting out in career. That poor dog was terribly neglected and inflicted a lot of damage to the house due to neglect.
I’ve known of cases when it has worked out too but it’s akways risky and we are talking about a living creature at stake. None of my kids or their young cousins are in any position to take a dog. A cat, maybe. A few of them do have cats. One child of mine with cat did have to put down a separate security deposit for it and lost some nice apartments because of the cat. If he goes away for more than a day or two, has to make arrangements for the cat. You don’t even have a day away with a dog
I was surprised to learn from one of our kids how many of her friends have dogs in off-campus apartments.
She has had roommates with dogs since sophomore year and now wants to get a dog herself.
I think it’s a terrible idea due to the cost plus how much her life is going to change in the next few years (grad school in a new city, new job, etc), but she had made it clear she is not interested in my two cents on the matter.
I would strongly discourage any young adult who isn’t certain how long he/she will be living in a place from getting a pet.
Pets are not just companions for people’s convenience. They are living, breathing beings who have needs that must be a priority to their owner. Few young adults, whose lives tend to be quite mobile, are ready for this responsibility.
There will be better times for pet ownership later on.
@NJWrestlingmom that is horrific! I think people who do stuff like that should spend some time in jail.
Sadly, I know a similar story of a neglected dog. Not a college student but a new grad. But same thing. Depended on friends to check on dog while gone and some how it didn’t happen.
Dogs are a 15 year commitment. Most college students aren’t thinking beyond the next year or two. Often they have a short-term plan but not a long-term one, which is why it is so common for college dogs to end up back at the student’s parents’ house.
Are you asking because you or your kid want to do this? Give us the context.
@NJWrestlingmom @cptofthehouse Ugh. Those stories make me sick
I hate when people complain if reputable pet adoption organizations require references, fees, application, etc. Your stories are the reason! I’ll bet most cases of animal cruelty and neglect stem from cluelessness.
My D fostered dogs her last two years of college, which was ideal for her. She had each dog anywhere from 10 days to a month. It was hard for her and her roommate to give them back each time, but they had minimal costs (the shelter provided food, leash, crate etc.) and the companionship without the long term responsibilities and expenses. When it was winter break or exam time, they just told the shelter they weren’t available for that stretch of time. They loved it and were doing something good (overcrowded shelter and they were helping prep the dogs to be adopted).
Instead of getting a dog and keeping it in an apartment with college students…I have another suggestion. Find an animal shelter and volunteer to be a dog walker a couple of times a week. They are usually particularly looking for folks who can walk their larger dogs. It makes the dogs so happy…and could give your college student their “dog fix” without the ongoing responsibility and expense of owning a dog.
I don’t get the “would you let” question, because, of course not, it is a ridiculous idea. Why on earth would you even discuss it? Because there has to be some back story.