I didn't realize that "junior" meant she will still be in high school next year. For some reason I thought she would get the dog in the summer then go off to work. Sorry! I'm not familiar with the terms you use for the school years.

It is really really hard to find time for anything when you are school, especially if you plan to go to college, especially a time-demanding dog. I hardly had time for one cat.

I was thinking in terms of the apartment, and the forethought she seems to have put into exercise and training for the dog.

I would get one as a graduation gift to yourself (when you graduate college). And there is much to be said about getting an adult dog.

 Quote:

I am still finishing high school, I'm a junior.

Yeah, I read that as "Im finishing school in June then I will graduate" (like I said we don't use the term "Junior" in Canada)

Amanda, welcome to the board!! I understand your attraction to the GSD and wanting to own one but I would really consider waiting until alittle further down the road - I would concentrate on school and all the fun things that go along with being a senior in high school, what happens if you decide to go off to college? You have to figure that new dog will be with you at least 12+ years of your life, thats a long time and a big commitment. What if your new dog/pup decides to not get along with your other small dog or your cats? The GSD could really hurt a small dog and the same with your cats. It's so hard to tell if animals are going to get along or not. I would hold off for now but thats just my opinion. I just think it might be more than you will want to handle - not every GSD is the "perfect" dog(trust me, I own a couple of them

 Quote:

And to my fellow thread posters, I am surprised that some of you would even in passing offer any encouragement. This is a bad idea on its face.

Agreed. I was answering at face value. Can it be done? Sure. I know people with 3 GSD's in an apartment.

This isn't really an apartment question though. It's a question on suitability and life circumstances. The same issues would come up in a house.

Hi Amanda,

You are to be congratulated for giving this so much consideration; too many folks run simply on emotions without engaging brain function.

My husbband and I have recently added a six month old GS to our family. We gave it enormous thought and I did a lot of research prior to settling on a puppy. We are financially able to handle the dog, I work out of my home and have all the time I need to devote to his training, bonding, etc... I am still, at times, a bit overwhelmed with how much time and attention it requires if you want to do it correctly.

We also have three cats and our new puppy is making life HELL for them. We have puppy gates which keep the cats safe and the dog away from them and we have purchased an e-collar after discussing this with Cindy. Our pup is going through the "desensitizing" process of getting used to the collar which takes about two weeks. Needless to say, this has added a bit of chaos to our household; something I can not even begin to imagine having to handle in an apartment.

Financially, you will be shocked at the amount you will spend on a dog, especially a large dog. Larger bags of food and more of it, higher doses of medications if ever needed, etc... If the car breaks or rent increases unexpectedly, it will be the pets that suffer in some way because you will have to keep your transportation and a roof over your head.

My advice to you is to wait... WAIT. You are just beginning your adult life and will have many, many years in front of you when times will be more appropriate for adding another huge responsibility. Enjoy your cats and little dog for now, and keep that dream - it will happen!!

Best of luck in school and in your first endeavors in joining the "real world!f" LOL!

Barb

Amanda,
I've been where you are at and got a dog right out of high school and moved out of my parents house. I didn't know much about training dogs and have come a long way. In the meantime, I had a small dog that did a lot of damage to things in my apartment when left alone (this cost me $) and I was smart enough to buy a crate and start obedience classes after a few months.

I have had GSD's for the last 12 years and can say that waiting for one would be a better option-IMO. I also think if you could not control your urges to get a pet, then consider getting a rescue/shelter dog that does not have issues that you can not handle-again, in that case I'm speaking from experience.

Also, I was thinking about the apartment situation. Even if they are pet friendly, they may not accept particular breeds of dogs. Just something to ask if you haven't already inquired. I was in a situation between houses and looking for an apartment to rent and I ran into dilemma. Luckily, I did not have to use that option, but I might have been homeless otherwise.

I also have to add that vet bills can be very expensive and this might be something to consider-just walking into the door of an emergency vet clinic cost $100.00. Something else to consider.

Well, I'm in highschool. I got my pup September of the year I started grade 11. He was on the sundeck with some toys while I was at school. He had a box with some dirt in it for a bathroom area. Something to mimic the lawn so he would get used to going on earth and not human-stuff. It worked out rather well. He housetrained quickly and won't go on the deck. We never had any problems with the set up.

Dogs are adaptable creatures. The species evolved on the basis that they would fit into people's lives. If you exercise a GSD, sure, it could live in an apartment. Honestly, mine sleeps all day when I'm at school. Most of the time if I'm not doing something with him, he just lays around. But when I exercise him, wow, is he ever ready for it. Be prepared to either let your dog off leash or run with it. My dog is from Czech lines, and is 18 months old. He rarely, rarely barks. If someone is on the property he might bark once or twice. Maybe he's a freak, maybe he's not mature enough to have developed guarding instincts. We'll see. I wish he barked a bit more to be honest, but I don't have my neighbours on the other wall.

It is possible. With 7 animals, your little two bedroom is going to be cloaked in hair, no matter what you do. It will smell like animals, no matter what. Hopefully that won't bother you.

Could your parents care for the dog if it doesn't work out in the apartment? At any rate, if you go through with getting dog, get one there's a market for. Look at GSD rescues. There are RARELY working line dogs in there. They seem to go quickly if advertised in the paper. If worst comes to worst, you at least want to be able to find a home for your dog, so choose a good dog from "desirable" bloodlines.

 Quote: alexandra neufeld

Well, I'm in highschool... Could your parents care for the dog if it doesn't work out in the apartment? At any rate, if you go through with getting dog, get one there's a market for. Look at GSD rescues. There are RARELY working line dogs in there. They seem to go quickly if advertised in the paper. If worst comes to worst, you at least want to be able to find a home for your dog, so choose a good dog from "desirable" bloodlines.

This is what makes me nuts, Alexandra; people getting pets with the "if worst comes to worst" already figured out, ready to take the escape clause.

Do you ever read the pet ads in Craigslist? The kind of thinking you are representing here is what populates those lists with TONS of dogs that most of the owners should never have gotten in the first place.

Let's see...all the people who have to move and just can't take their pets...all the women who are about to have a baby and can't devote the time any longer (gee, did you think you might want to get pregnant when you got married? And you got a dog anyway?). I could go on, but I won't.

If a person can not make a lifelong commitment to an animal, and with a GSD, that's going to be 10-14 years, s/he has no business getting the pet, period.

Sure, sometimes there are things that happen that can not be forseen or avoided that would requre the rehoming of a pet, but the vast majority of pets that end up in shelters and passed around from one home to another are the result of people making very poor decisions.

It's called self-indulgence.

The other side of that is called delay-of-gratification. It's when you really, really want something, but realize that it's not a great idea to do it right now, so you wait until the time is right and more conducive to things having a great outcome. This is a sign of maturity.

leih

I agree, but she may have been using the devil's advocate approach. Not defending, but we all are going about our comments in different ways.

Impulsivity is part of lacking maturity for sure-been there, done that and I can see it in my teenagers. I would hope that common sense will prevail in this situation and while one person has support to own a large dog (seems like she might be living at home still) this other girl will not be.

It also appears that her finances will be limited. Scary thought and a big precurser to getting into financial trouble-especially when taking on too many responsibilities.