Having a Puppy in College

Arianna Bouchard Student Contributor, Boston University

BU Contributor Student Contributor, Boston University

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at BU chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.

I love animals. I grew up always having cats at home and going to my aunt’s house to see the dogs at least once a week. I volunteered at an animal shelter in high school where the highlight of my shift was playing with the kittens. When I met my friend Lara she was talking about how she was getting a puppy. I got so excited because, come on, who doesn’t love seeing a puppy on their way to an exam or when you’ve had a bad morning.

When I first met Puck he was a tiny ball of fluff and I just wanted to take a nap with him. But over the last few months as he’s gotten bigger and his personality has grown I’ve learned quite a few things from being a puppy-aunt.

1. Unfortunately, they don’t stay small forever.

Like I said, when I met Puck I could pick him up with ease and carry him like a child. But as he’s gotten bigger I can’t really do that anymore. As a Newfoundland, he’s getting pretty big even though he’s only 4 months old. So, while they remain fluffy and adorable, they do grow.

2. They really do need to be trained.

Lara sent Puck to puppy school because she knew she didn’t have time to train him properly with her schedule. Everyone has to do what’s best for them and their dog whether its puppy day school, boarding school, or training them at home. Just be prepared for accidents and some bad behavior — it’s a process.

3. It’s a ton of work.

Having a puppy is like having a child — they wake up and start whining or barking at all hours because they have to pee, they get grouchy when they don’t get their way, they tear apart the house, and they always want food (although that’s not strictly for little kids because I also always want food). But, at the end of the day you love them and wouldn’t want things any other way. If nothing else, view running around after them as a workout and good prep for parenting one day because trust me, it’s a lot of work.

4. People love dogs.

Every time Puck comes to campus (every Friday if you wanna see his adorableness), we get stopped every 50 feet or so with “aww” and “oh my gosh he’s so cute” and “can I pet him?” It’s cute, but beware of it so you leave yourself some extra time to get where you’re going because no one can resist a cute dog in a bowtie.

5. Be careful.

While puppies wanna play a lot, sometimes they don’t realize how big or aggressive they are. Puck is pretty big so when little kids come to pet him and he’s in a really playful mood we have to be careful. He’s teething so he likes to chew on things and he plays a little rough so be weary of how your dog acts around people because you don’t want anything to happen to you, the other person, or your precious pup.

6. I’m really not ready to own one by myself.

I commend Lara for getting up at 5 am to take him out, rain, snow, or shine. It’s fun being the aunt because I can give him back at the end of the day. Having a dog really does teach you a lot about responsibility because they depend solely on you.

As I said, having a puppy is so fun, but it teaches you a lot of important lessons. So, while I love dogs, I don’t know if I recommend getting one until you know you can handle all of the vet expenses, lack of sleep, and constant worry about accidents happening on a carpet. But Puck is always around so feel free to come say hi because he loves people and attention. Or follow his Instagram: @puck_the_newfie for your daily dose of the most adorable dog you’ve ever seen and his many BU adventures.