Hi,
I am planning on getting a malinois for schutzhund, and I was wondering whether it would a good idea to take the dog to college with me. Should I wait till after college? I am going to take off a few years between high school and college to train the dog and then go to college with the dog. Is this a good idea?

claire

That's hard to answer, it depends on so many things, such as your living arrangements, your schedule, etc.

You'd end up making some sacrifices that college age people often don't want to make to properly care for your dog ( it'd require a real effort for housing, you couldn't use the dorms and it's hard enough to get a rental in a college town, it'll definitely be harder with a large breed dog ) , so you'll need to really look at what you want to get out of school to make this decision.
But one positive way to look at it - you'd always have the 100% love and support of your dog right there if you chose to take him to school with you.

I second what Will said. What are your plans after college? College is a crazy time for many and it might not be ideal. With that said, I had horses all through college and it was fantastic. When I went to law school I "downsized" and got a dog. By the time I graduated law school, my downsize plan had gone awry with me having 3 dogs :-p

I went through law school with 2 dogs in a one bedroom 600 sq foot duplex with no yard so it can be done. However, after a day of classes, when my friends would catch a beer at the local watering hole, I was out with my dogs, training and stimulating them. You need to be prepared and willing to give up a lot of the social aspects if you want to be fair to your dog(s). It was not a sacrifice for me though for some people it might be. I always tell people that my dogs are cheaper than a therapist and there was no greater truth to that statement than how they kept me on an even keel through graduate school.

Good luck and God bless going to school with a dog.

Let me backtrack -- I am about to turn 18, I just graduated high school, and I have a puppy that is about to turn one year old.

Most colleges either will not let you have a dog -- period, of any size, regardless of breed. I would hazard a bet that 95% of colleges will not let you have a dog (and most won't let you have ANYTHING, not even a fish in a bowl).

Many colleges will not let you live off-campus your freshman year. You would be surprised how many colleges are enacting this rule.

It is also very tough to find "dog friendly" housing that is affordable. My boyfriend and I are currently looking at apartments. If we search in our area for any apartments under $1000 with 1+ bedroom we can get about 250 results. If we search under those same restrictions, but apartments that allow dogs, it is narrowed down to about 85, and many of those are nowhere near colleges (think really obscure suburbia).

On top of that, consider how busy you will be with school and with holding down either a part or full-time job depending on how much you need to chip in towards your expenses and what your parents pay for. Then consider how much work it is to take care of *any* puppy. Then consider both the time and expense of taking care of a puppy that will have a "job". My puppy and I are training with lofty goals; I hope to compete internationally in agility with him someday, and I know how expensive lessons, equipment, books, DVDs, toys, etc. have been.

In the end, the choice is yours, but I would highly recommend that you wait until you are out of college to bring a puppy into your life.

hi,

thanks for the advice. I am not much of a party person, so I won't miss spending time at parties. I plan on majoring in either equine science or domestic animals, and then becoming a dog/horse trainer. I am not sure what I am going to do about housing yet, but I would hate to leave my dog at home. (My mother would over feed it)

thanks
claire

The other thing to consider is roommates. When I was in university there was NO WAY I could afford to live on my own. I never lived in a dorm though. Usually I rented a room in a shared house.

This might allow you to have a yard for the dog, but you would have NO CONTROL over what happens to your dog while you were in class or at the library, unless he is kept in a crate and you have a keyed lock on your bedroom door.

College roommates will feed the dog table scraps after being told not to, let him in the yard, they will want to walk feed and play with him and will not follow your instructions when you are not around. They might also try to "train" him... yikes!

You also have to think about what would happen if one roommate suddenly gets allergies, doesn't get along with the dog, or don't appreciate a Malinois puppy chewing their stuff or barking/crying all night. Remember - any puppy is a handful and you are getting a Mal, this means your roommates would also be getting a Mal.

If you can afford to get a place on your own - then you would not have to worry about any of this.

go straight to school. Wait until your life is more stable. That is the best for you and your pup.

I am a horse trainer and my advice to wanna be trainers is to get a business degree. It is both an asset and a great back up.

Claire,
I wont tell you what you should and shouldn't do, but I will tell you what worked/is working for my situation.

I wanted another dog since high school. But I knew if I got one that soon, I'd have to go to a local college and live at home . I decided to wait, and went away to college. It was a huge adjustment, but it was really nice not having to worry about anyone or anything but myself. I made friends, had a job, joined clubs, got good grades. Some friends of mine sophomore year decided to live off campus our Junior year. I made sure all were okay with me bringing a puppy. We found an apartment a block from campus and signed the lease. Once I signed the lease that stated I could bring my dog, I put a deposit down for a puppy.

Now I'm starting my Junior year. My puppy is 5mths old, and my roomates are nothing like Angela described . They follow my rules and understand he's a working pup.

If I wasn't going to med school after I graduate and then on to complete service for being in ROTC, I would have waited until after college to get a pup. Having a dog (especially a puppy) at school is pain.

My best advice would be to wait until after college. It really sucks. And its hard living without a dog at college. But its harder living with one.

hi,

If all goes according to plan the dog will be a year or two old, so I won't have too many puppy problems, but I think you guys are right, maybe I should wait.

thanks
claire

I think my time was FREE-est in college. Once I got into the work force and was expected to put in 9-hour days plus travel I really missed my easy college schedule. Sure you have to prioritize homework, and yeah there's no partying all night or you'll come home to a dirty crate and a miserable dog... But I think dogs made better friends than people in college anyway. JMO.