Getting a puppy just before starting law school? Thoughts? Forum

[fireflies]

So I've always wanted to have a dog of my own, but was never allowed to have one as a child as my parents did not want on in their house (understandable). The agreement always was that I could have one when I moved out on my own.
Although I did move out for undergrad 3 years ago, and will soon be returning for my final year, I held off on getting a dog because I knew I would be studying abroad third year (required for my program) and wanted to get used to all of the responsibilities of having my own apartment.
I finally feel ready to get my own puppy and should have all of the necessary finances in order by the end of this school year (early May). However, I will also be applying to law schools to start in the Fall of 2015...
Is it unrealistic to think I can manage 1L (then 2L and 3L) with a dog to take care of? I'm looking mostly to study in New York, a fairly walkable city, and I am not a big partier whatsoever. I feel fairly confident studying in an apartment alone (as opposed to a library) when possible. I only plan on getting a low-exercise, apartment-friendly breed, but want to ensure that I can devote enough time to both a dog and my studies. It is still extremely important to me that I be a very dedicated and responsible dog owner, as well as a hardworking student: possible or impossible?

Any advice, especially from past/current dog owners, would be greatly appreciated (but please - try to stay constructive). Thanks!

[ymmv]

It's not hard to take care of a dog in LS once they're housebroken, and as companions they can be a wonderful encouragement/stress reliever/grounding in reality outside LS. Best to live in easy walking distance of school, though, in case you have long days and need to take a break or two to check up on her and let her do her business.

[sideroxylon]

2L or 3L is a more common time for people to get puppies I think

makes sense to do it before biglaw, though

[Cogburn87]

makes sense to do it before biglaw, though

Not really

[ymmv]

2L or 3L is a more common time for people to get puppies I think

makes sense to do it before biglaw, though

Yeah, you want them to be moving out of the needy puppy phase by then for sure. I'm assuming doggy daycare while in biglaw is not a tax deductible work expense?

[NoDayButToday]

.

[BigZuck]

Search puppy or dog or pet at the bottom of this page and you'll find a lot of discussion on this topic. This exact thread is started like once every couple of weeks.

[Flips88]

I got a puppy after I finished my 2L summer job. That gave me about a month to be around all the time and deal with the shitty bathroom schedule such as the middle of the night. 3L wasn't too bad. My schedule was set up so the longest my dog would be up was about 4-5 hours.

I'm in Chicago so the winter was notoriously shitty this year, which made it rough for a puppy that was only 6 months old. Also, the puppy had a rough time getting potty trained and wasn't completely trained until he was like 11 months old. As someone already said, it's sometimes best to get a dog that's like 1 year old and already trained and stuff. As cute as puppies are, they are a lot of work.

A lot of it depends on where you're living and what kinda place you'll be living at (house vs. high rise vs. walk up apartment). I was on the 19th floor of a high rise so it wasn't exactly a convenient thing to go down for bathroom breaks. I just moved to a place that's on the first floor and things are so much easier. If you're in a non-major city and can live in a house with a backyard then that probably makes things much easier. A lot depends on your circumstances.

[First Offense]

If you're male and single - take your puppy to social events and get used to the ladies being all around you. Beyond that, enjoy your new best friend.

You'll have time to take care of it.

[DELG]

Law school is a great time to have a dog. Biglaw is less great.

[hillz]

I got a dog two weeks after I graduated from undergrad. In fact, I signed her adoption agreement before I'd even signed an apartment lease or had a job -- I just wanted a dog so badly, because my parents never let us have pets either.

It goes without saying that my life would be less expensive and less complicated without Luna, but adopting her was one of the best decisions I've ever made.

Totally agree with everything NoDayButToday said. I adopted my dog as a 6 week old puppy and she is now almost 2. Like NoDay said, you might want to consider not getting a puppy. Because my dog was so young when we got her, our bond is really close because I'm all she's ever known...but it was really difficult to raise her. She obviously wasn't potty trained and we had carpet in our apartment at the time. Long story short, we ended up having to pay to replace the carpet when we moved out. Many older dogs (1-4 yrs) are very fun and able to bond just as well with you, but are potty trained.

Secondly, consider that you might have to pay for significant emergency medical expenses. My dog got really sick around Thanksgiving last year and we paid for emergency stomach surgery. Consider getting some sort of pet insurance or yearly plan from your vet if you can, and maybe build up an emergency vet fund. You might think something crazy will never happen, but trust me, it can.

All of that said, I would be very, very sad without my dog. Just sitting next to her when I am stressed out comforts me and as you probably know, studies have shown that dogs can ameliorate depression and anxiety in humans. http://www.webmd.com/depression/feature ... depression Good luck!

[Mack.Hambleton]

perhaps look into getting one year or older. should make things easier than messing with a puppy (and puppy mills ugh)

[ash0117]

I got a puppy a few months before law school. I had time to potty train him and get into a routine with him before I started classes. It worked out well. You do have to make some sacrifices having a dog (not going right out after school, going home at lunch instead of out with friends, studying at home more, money, for example) but I thought it was worth it. My dog provided me with great stress relief. I had a dog walker for emergencies or when things come up. It is MUCH harder to handle working full time (i.e. during summers and after graduation). You'll need a significant other, a dog walker, or a doggy day care. So definitely plan for that stuff (and the money it may cost). Otherwise, I definitely think it is a great idea. My dog really helped me survive 1L!

[plainplaid]

If your getting it before it's potty trained or anything, i'd say no