Having a dog in law school Forum

[dibs]

i own 2 dogs right now: a border collie / black lab and a whippet. there's no way in hell i can not bring them with me. they have been such a huge part of my life for the last 2 years.

i have no idea how i'm going to make this work. but i'm going to.

[john titor]

i think you all are worrying about this way too much.

[zreinhar]

I have a pit-bull... im gonna teach him to attack gunners....

[LegalGENius]

Unless you have a service dog, I cannot imagine TOO many professors will allow you to bring a puppy or large dog into class... I would pay a dog-walker if you are in NYC!

[SpaceDawg]

I have a dog in law school. She is awesome and super cute, and taking care of her really hasn't cut noticeably into my schedule at all. However, Davis, CA and NYC are two very different places, so I'm not sure if my experience is comparable.

Great little face!

[FunkyJD]

I have a pit-bull... im gonna teach him to attack gunners....

176

I really want an English springer spaniel, but no way am I getting one during 1L. I'll barely be able to take care of myself much less provide the level of attention a pup requires and deserves.

[zreinhar]

I have a pit-bull... im gonna teach him to attack gunners....

176

Or at least teach him to hump the shit of their leg, its all he really does anyways, there isn't an aggresive bone in his body... (unless you refer to the humping and think dirty... but hes fixed.. so its all good)

[FunkyJD]

I have a pit-bull... im gonna teach him to attack gunners....

176

Or at least teach him to hump the shit of their leg, its all he really does anyways, there isn't an aggresive bone in his body... (unless you refer to the humping and think dirty... but hes fixed.. so its all good)

154

[zreinhar]

oddly enough thats 1 point lower than my first lsat... .yeah i dont wanna talk about it

[pugalicious]

Come to Florida State and be my roommate and you can time-share this one

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She's a brat though : )

[CmonSD]

Having a dog for school is amazing. Having a puppy....not so much. But that little dog will love you no matter how stressed you are or what kind of grades you pull.

[SaintClarence27]

I'll be bringing Lucas, but not to class. He's too big:
--ImageRemoved--

[jbjb1]

Getting a puppy right before law school = bad idea

Getting a puppy 6-7 months before law school = good idea

[jbjb1]

I'll be bringing Lucas, but not to class. He's too big:
--ImageRemoved--

I want your dog.

[gugi13]

i think you all are worrying about this way too much.

+1

[chicagolaw2013]

I'll be bringing Lucas, but not to class. He's too big:
--ImageRemoved--

LOL great pic.

[thinkbig]

I really want a dog too. If you already have one and are comfortable with taking care of it, or if you get one after you get a handle on what your lifestyle is like in law school, that's different. But personally, think it would be best not to get one just before starting law school.

[SaintClarence27]

The nice thing about him (aside from the good temperament) is that he's SUPER quiet. It's fantastic for apartment living. Never barks.

One thing I WILL say WRT owning a dog in law school - I can't imagine that 1L is a good time to train a puppy. I honestly don't know a whole lot about the stresses of 1L year, but puppy training can be rather stressful in its own right. They pick the WORST time to tear through the trash or to chew up your iPod headphones. Or to have an accident - and I'll tell you, every accident a dog has is YOUR fault, not theirs. There are all kinds of other things involved, too, like having to go home and take the dog out rather than go out for drinks, not being able to go out of town for the weekend, vet bills, food bills, etc. Lucas' food costs around $60 per month. That's $720 per year. Then you have an automatic annual vet visit that's usually in the neighborhood of $150. THEN you inevitably have emergency vet visits for sickness, bites,etc. Figure 2 a year at another $200 a pop. And if you need to have him kenneled to go out of town, that's not cheap either (though when I lived in central IL it was). It's $60/night here in NYC, though I would imagine that's about as expensive as it gets anywhere. Treats (like greenies) cost, as do poop bags, toothpaste, toys, etc. If you're too squeamish to do the bathing, then that's another expenditure as well. Don't forget you'll have to pay to replace anything he destroys! And all those completely ignore the startup costs - adoption fees, crate, obedience training, brushes, nail clippers, bowls, bedding, more toys, more vet bills, etc. All told, I've had Lucas less than two years and I'd be shocked if I found that I've spent less than $4000 on him. And he's healthy. I have to dedicate around an hour and a half per day just for walking him, then there's play time, continued working with him on obedience.

Don't get me wrong - I love it and wouldn't trade him for anything. But I've also gotten to the point where I can do a lot of the work with him on my time, so I can force myself to use time with him for breaks that I would need anyway. The walking is good exercise and recreation. And the companionship is great. But it's a lot of work, and I've already put in the HUGE bulk of the work when I got him.

[john titor]

[servinDizzert]

Why would you put a dog through the top-law-schools.com? I want a dog but hed be bored as fuck

...being a law school student's dog=cruel and unusual punishment

[SaintClarence27]

Why would you put a dog through the top-law-schools.com? I want a dog but hed be bored as fuck

...being a law school student's dog=cruel and unusual punishment

It can be, but it depends on the dog, the student, and the law school.

[beesknees]

If you literally have no sense of work like balance, a dog's life will suck. But I'm pretty active and I just make time to walk him, play with him, and take him places and I work full time. Just like you have to make time for yourself to exercise, socialize, etc, you make time for your dog. This isn't even an issue bringing him.

I don't really see the big deal. People raise families while in law school. I think that's far more time-demanding than any pet.

[reverendt]

Having done 2 years of law school with a dog I'd say.....

1) If you have a mature, decently trained dog that's not TOO demanding and that you've had for a while, it's a fine idea. I managed to keep walking my dog 1/2 hour a day throughout law school. He lays behind my chair while I study.

2) If you don't already own the dog before L/S DON'T get one, at least until you finish a semester and know what you're schedule is like. DON'T try to do law school with a puppy unless you have a significant other with plenty of time on their hands. Puppies are a royal pain that you DO NOT NEED in law school.

[beesknees]

Having done 2 years of law school with a dog I'd say.....

1) If you have a mature, decently trained dog that's not TOO demanding and that you've had for a while, it's a fine idea. I managed to keep walking my dog 1/2 hour a day throughout law school. He lays behind my chair while I study.

2) If you don't already own the dog before L/S DON'T get one, at least until you finish a semester and know what you're schedule is like. DON'T try to do law school with a puppy unless you have a significant other with plenty of time on their hands. Puppies are a royal pain that you DO NOT NEED in law school.

I agree with this assessment. Puppies/a new dog is one thing, but debating on whether or not to bring your existing pet is a non-issue, IMO. But yes, puppies require a lot of time with training and socializing, so its not something to undertake lightly as it can result in a poorly socialized dog and a stressed out owner if one isn't prepared for it.

[ruthist]

OK so I know a 3L who is not only the owner of a GIANT Burmese Mountain dog but also a single mother to a 5 year old boy. OH yeah, she's graduating in May at the top of her class at Northeastern.

Yes it's possible to have a dog. Your life doesn't end when you're in school.