As I sat restlessly in my college apartment two years ago, yearning for compatibility and a sense of purpose I had not yet found at the University of Texas at Austin, I felt called to look into getting a dog.
I had grown up with one and my family had recently gotten another. Our dogs, Paisley and Daisy, completed our family. They completed me.
Long story short, after much research and consideration, my parents and I drove three hours to Carthage, Texas, to pick up Minnie, my cocker spaniel. With no hesitation, I can say this was the best decision I have ever made. Minnie has provided me with comfort, compatibility, and most importantly, unconditional love.
While I believe the positives of having a dog greatly outweigh the negatives, there are many implications and responsibilities to consider before making this life-changing decision – especially in college. Getting a dog may seem simply fun, but from financials, time, living situations, and more, owning a dog in your early 20s can make or break you.
One of the most important aspects to consider is your time. Do you have time to truly attend to a living being past bare minimum efforts? Can you make this dog’s life worthwhile? Or will you facilitate an environment that leads to your dog developing separation anxiety?
Maddie Bannatyne, an English and economics senior at UT and first-time dog owner, has made sacrifices in order to take care of Willoughby, her 15-pound West Highland white terrier, also known as a “Westie.”
“In college, a lot of people are always doing stuff with their friends, but I can’t study all night at the PCL, for example, because I have to be with my dog,” Bannatyne said. “If I’m doing something all day, I can’t do something at night. It’s a big trade-off.”
Dr. Nicole Savageau, a veterinarian at Highland’s Pet Medical Clinic in Austin also emphasized the importance of organizing your time to make your dog a top priority.
“It’s important to take them outside for walks frequently between classes and labs and social life,” Savageau said. “Make sure they get plenty of walks and exercise and time to go to the bathroom.”
She also said if walks aren’t accessible on a given day, playing fetch at home is a good option.
Along with the time commitment, Bannatyne shared that understanding the responsibility of caring for a living thing like one would a child is vital for dog owners.
“Another life relies solely on me, which can be heavy at some times,” Bannatyne said. “I am outside a lot more, as I expected, and my dog comes first before anything else. I can’t be as impulsive with plans and outings as I was before getting a dog.”
Another facet of dog ownership is being able to recognize yourself as a responsible person. Will you pick up after your dog? If you get a puppy, will you potty train them effectively and keep them safe from diseases like parvo? Will you follow the rules that are placed on dog owners, like leashing your dog in leash-required areas?
“That’s a big pet peeve of mine,” Savageau said. “It can be really dangerous. If you’re supposed to be in a leashed area and your dog is off a leash and other dogs aren’t, it can make (the leashed) dog really fearful.”
Another key factor to consider is your finances. Adopting a shelter dog typically saves you hundreds to thousands of dollars, but some, including myself, value knowing the specific lineage, health background, and trainability of bred dogs. For myself and Bannatyne, our parents help pay for our pets. Nevertheless, dogs cost a hefty sum.
“Willoughby’s food costs me about $50 every two weeks, his grooming is about $75 every couple of months, and his vet bills are insanely expensive,” Bannatyne said. “You will need a big emergency savings fund because you never know what can happen and you need to be there to support your dog.”
Your living situation can be unpredictable, but providing your dog with comfort amidst the chaos is vital. Roommates can be a pivotal factor when deciding to live with a pet, and it’s important to gauge their flexibility and opinion on your pet before making that decision. Would they be open to helping you take care of your dog if you have a busy day? Will your pup thrive in a busy apartment with multiple roommates, or will they acclimate better in a quiet, quaint living space?
When you get a dog, your lives become one, but a solid support system can alleviate some of this weight.
“If you have friends you trust or roommates you trust, it helps to have a village,” Savageau said. “Picking people to live with who either also have their own pets where you can all kind of help each other out, or people who at least like pets … using friends to help (cut responsibility) can be really helpful.”
After considering the factors of time, responsibility, finances and your living situation, you have to conduct research about the kind of dog you are looking for. Whether it be a shelter dog or from a breeder, understanding a breed’s temperament and ideal exercise level is crucial.
I researched dog breeds for months. My search history was filled with, “best apartment dogs,” “best dogs for first-time owners,” “small to medium dogs.” I decided on an American cocker spaniel – a low-energy, minimal exercise, medium-sized, loving, friendly breed.
Bannatyne, however, would not recommend a Westie to first-time pet owners due to their prey-motivated behavior, unfriendliness, timidity, reactivity, and energy level. Savageau said to consider breeds like cocker spaniels, French bull dogs, pugs, and Chihuahuas.
“It’s really important to just investigate different breeds and make sure that the lifestyle you currently have fits with the lifestyle that the breed needs,” Savageau said.
Additionally, something vital to consider is a breed’s sensitivity to heat, especially when living in Austin.
Getting a dog, in college specifically, changes your life beyond measure. With that being said, I can confidently say it’s impossible to imagine my life without Minnie. Despite the sacrifices and difficult days, the invisible string tied between us feels unbreakable.
From helping with my mental health, maturing my responsibility level, to showing me true, unconditional love, dog ownership in college has made growing up less scary – Minnie keeps me young.
Making the leap to get a dog can make or break your college experience– you just have to make an educated choice.
