If you have a pet at home and you love animals, going to college may seem hard without bringing your furry friend with you. The change from always having a dog around to not having a pet at all can seem like a drastic difference. This may tempt you to get a dog as a pet in college, especially once you see people around campus with puppies could make you want to also get a puppy of your own. There are definitely great things about getting a puppy in college. However, there are also some things you should be aware of before getting a puppy.
Pros
Providing companionship
If you have had a puppy before or have grown up with dogs, you know that they are great sources of companionship. Puppies are very dependent on their owners and love to spend time with them, unlike some other types of pets who are more independent. This means that you will always have your puppy to play with when you get home or if you are bored. This is especially true if you live alone because it can get lonely after long periods of time but if you have a puppy, they will make all the difference.
Relieving Stress
Another great thing about having a puppy in college is the connection that they have to relieving stress. Since dogs seem to be always in a good mood, they have been linked to decreasing the stress and increasing the overall happiness of people. For example, at UF, dogs have been brought in during exam week to help relieve the stress of students dealing with finals. This is also the reason why dogs are used as service dogs because people who have anxiety get relief by having a dog with them. By having a puppy in college, it could help you to decrease your overall stress levels and therefore, help to improve mental health.
Improving Physical Health
Not only can puppies help to improve your mental health, but also your physical health. Puppies are very active, and they need to release their energy through physical exercise. This will provide you with a way to remain active without having to go to the gym. Also, since most college students live in apartments, you will have to take your puppy for walks which can help you to get even more exercise.
Cons
Time Consuming
Even though there are many great aspects about getting a puppy while in college, there are definitely still some issues that you could have if you decide to get one. One of the main issues is how time consuming having a puppy can be. In college, students rarely have any time for themselves because of the many responsibilities that we have from extracurricular activities to schoolwork. By having a puppy, it could significantly decrease any time that you have because of the attention that you need to give them. This is especially true when you are sleeping. Puppies need to release all of their energy, therefore, if you do not play with them during the day, they will have a lot of energy at night.
Being Available
Not only do puppies want to play and have fun with their owners, they also require you to be available to make sure that they don’t do something they’re not supposed to do. For example, when puppies are around a few weeks old, they will start teething and will want to chew on anything that is available to them. This means that you will have to watch them closely and keep an eye on their chewing habits.
Puppy Training
Another big thing you need to have in mind before you get a puppy is that you will need to train it. If you have never had a dog before, you may not know how much time and effort you have to put into training a puppy. This is especially true for college students who are living in apartments because you will need to train your puppy not to bark, so that you do not get noise complaints from neighbors or roommates. Also, you will need to put in a lot of effort into potty training your puppy. This will take some time because it can be hard for puppies to learn this skill quickly, especially if you live in an apartment building because you will have to make sure that you take your puppy outside many times.
You should definitely take these things into consideration when you are thinking of getting a puppy while in college!