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Getting a puppy when 20: PROS // CONS

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first_rodeo
Posts: 2383 - Karma: 7,764
Sister is pushing her new pure breed pit bull on me

- parents already have two labs to take care of

Although I'm out of the parents house I'm only 20

Junior in college, don't work and need to get an internship

Have my own apartment in an urban setting


PROS CONS OF TAKING ON THE DOG


Oct 21 2013 4:34PM
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theBearJew
Posts: 10951 - Karma: 15,633
Don't do it. you won't have time to properly care for a dog at this age.
Oct 21 2013 4:36PM
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yelsel
Posts: 12967 - Karma: 3,451
tell your sister to take care of it.

i dont understand why people get animals when they dont have the time to take care of them properly.
Oct 21 2013 4:38PM
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first_rodeo
Posts: 2383 - Karma: 7,764
i spend all my time outside of class

skiing drinking blazing skating biking hiking

so it's not so much the time
Oct 21 2013 4:52PM
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theBearJew
Posts: 10951 - Karma: 15,633
so please for the sake of the dog don't take it. You will end up neglecting the dog for social activities.
Oct 21 2013 4:54PM
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Daph
Posts: 5978 - Karma: 5,005
Don't do it. Even people who think they're stable enough for a dog at this age, usually aren't. They're a huge time, money and space commitment. For the dog's sake, and your own, wait a few more years until you have a stable paycheck and know that you can always find a place to live with the dog.

And if you do end up getting one, despite all the people here telling you no, DO NOT GET A PUPPY. Yes, they're cute. They're also a great way to never get a security deposit back on an apartment, and the time you'll need to take out of each day to ensure it becomes a properly behaved pet is huuuuge.
Oct 21 2013 4:58PM
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Malcolm
Posts: 15949 - Karma: 9,431
I personally wouldn't do it. I don't know how it is where you live but over here it's harder to find an apartment that allows dogs and they're more expensive
Oct 21 2013 5:00PM
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Wallisch_pl
Posts: 5260 - Karma: 1,022
holy fuck this new "newschoolers follow us" tab is fucking annoying, get rid of it now NS
Oct 21 2013 5:02PM
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Caucasian_Asian
Posts: 2447 - Karma: 1,665
Finding a place to rent that will allow animals can be tough.

Oct 21 2013 5:07PM
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goodnoooo
Posts: 555 - Karma: 2,075
i am 20 years old as well and I have had a dog on my own for a year now. it is a lot of hard work and money to take care of a dog properly. I have had to give up a lot of things in order to be there for my dog. I don't regret it but it is soooo much work. i would recommend waiting until college is over.
Oct 21 2013 5:09PM
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GayWolf420
Posts: 36680 - Karma: 110,562
Don't do it. Too much of a risk. Not to mention puppy pits are pretty wild. Ours was for a while. And it sounds like you don't have a lot of time for it either. I hate seeing people get pets only soon to realize they can't take care of it. Nothing against the person. It's just stupid to make a decision like that.
Oct 21 2013 5:13PM
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roddy116
Posts: 10622 - Karma: 7,396
only do it if you have roomates that can take care of the dog as well.
Oct 21 2013 5:15PM
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Peter.
Posts: 23796 - Karma: 13,012
definitely don't do it.
Oct 21 2013 5:16PM
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Miomo
Posts: 4302 - Karma: 14,131
Get a cat. Dogs are for pussies.
Oct 21 2013 5:20PM
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Byron_tha_gr8
Posts: 4573 - Karma: 14,298
From experience living with my cousin who got a puppy when he was 19.

pros

- take that dog out, and bitches will come flying out of nowhere
- good companion, that applys no matter how old you are
- good reason to get outside regularly and find cool new places to walk

cons
- the novelty wears off real fast
- it WILL piss you off, puppies usually spend a good deal of the day acting like 5 year old pagant queens.
- it WILL piss off your roommates. Eating food it finds, chewing shoes, shitting everywhere, theyll be more pissed than you are since its your responsibility
- harder and costs more to rent. Mainly for above reasons
- Most owners get too busy and stop walking, don't maintain a consistent feeding schedule, and generally at 20 you aren't responsible enough to own an animal that requires that much care.

If you are set on a pet, maybe try to find one thats easier to manage. I have a snake that takes feeding and cleaning its shit. I have a friend that has a chameleon and it doesn't take much either. Find a pet that doesn't require tons of time out of its pen/tank/cage and close to constant supervision.
Oct 21 2013 5:24PM
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Ski_the_east01
Posts: 5203 - Karma: 2,304
Don't do it. You don't have the time/lifestyle suitable for a dog, let alone a puppy.

Wait a few years..I know it's not what you wanted to hear but listen to the people on here. Dogs are a huge responsibility and puppies are practically fucking children. It won't be fair to the dog if you take it
Oct 21 2013 5:24PM
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snowdon
Posts: 2480 - Karma: 391
Cons:
-Having a dog makes finding a place to live one million percent harder. No one wants to rent to people with dogs. To make it even more difficult, most places have breed restrictions against pit bills.
-You can't just do whatever you want, because you have to be able to take them out every few hours, feed them, walk them etc. You wanna go on that weekend trip with your friends? Cool, but you can only go if you find someone responsible enough to babysit the dog. (And on that note, finding someone you'd actually trust the dog to who is also down to watch him is hard. At least I think so. I have very few friends I'd actually be ok leaving my dog with. My friends are great but most of them are barely capable of taking care of themselves, let alone another living being.)
-They're expensive. Food, supplies, vet bills etc add up.
-Puppies are cute but holy shit they are an insane amount of work. The first 6 months to a year you will be questioning what you've gotten yourself into.
-Just assume if you get a puppy some of your things will be destroyed.

Pros:
-Dogs are awesome and will bring you joy.
-Having a dog keeps me from being scared when I'm home alone and hear a noise since she'd bark if someone was breaking in
-They are fun to take hiking and stuff/they will help you stay in shape

I got a dog 5 years ago while I was in college. I love her to death and she's got a home for life with me, but it is harder than you would think. It CAN work, but I've seen several of my friends get dogs and almost all of them decided to find the dog another home after a few months. Given the fact that you already said you don't have much time, I can almost guarantee you'd either end up getting rid of it or neglecting it. I'm not saying that to be mean, it's just how it usually goes with college kids. If this was something you'd been thinking about doing and planning around for a while then I'd say maybe, but this seems like you'd be doing it on a whim and you don't sound like you'd be ready to give the dog a really good life. I'd say think about it hard before you agree to take the dog.



Oct 21 2013 5:24PM
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first_rodeo
Posts: 2383 - Karma: 7,764
haha

we have 2 cats that are terrified of the dogs

but the cats at my other house go ape shit
scare the 100 pound dogs so bad they'll diarrhea
Oct 21 2013 5:26PM
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Barefootin_Fiend
Posts: 7618 - Karma: 4,727
This for sure. What kind of snake do you have, dude? I also have a snake. I got him for that exact reason...i didn't have the time for a dog.
Oct 21 2013 5:36PM
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first_rodeo
Posts: 2383 - Karma: 7,764
i went through my terrariums fad in my teen years.

Feeding an reptile//amphibian would get super old

Plus snakes smell like snatch gone bad
Oct 21 2013 5:41PM
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Byron_tha_gr8
Posts: 4573 - Karma: 14,298
its a 5 year old milk snake i got from my uncle 2 years ago. Hes about 2.5 feet long, and actually a pretty friendly snake who loves people. I mean its not a dog, but I just went on a 2 week vacation and left him with my brother, and it was no issue. Really a low stress pet.
Oct 21 2013 5:43PM
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danderson.
Posts: 6560 - Karma: 5,252
OP, I will buy the dog. Zipper length?
Oct 21 2013 5:45PM
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first_rodeo
Posts: 2383 - Karma: 7,764
huh

the dog is like barely weened from mother
literally can cuddle up in the head of a lacrosse stick
Oct 21 2013 5:48PM
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Barefootin_Fiend
Posts: 7618 - Karma: 4,727
That's cool...I've got a 4.5 ft ball python. I just leave him at home when i go on vacation. Just make sure his water bowl is full...feed him before i go and when i get back. easiest pet ever. and he loves people....super friendly.
Oct 21 2013 5:53PM
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Byron_tha_gr8
Posts: 4573 - Karma: 14,298
I think its a pretty common misconception that snakes are assholes.Mine likes being played with more than most cats, but the really nice thing is if i don't have the time or im gone for a while, hes fine not being played with too.
Oct 21 2013 5:55PM
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no_steeze
Posts: 23992 - Karma: 4,270
wait until you're more settled, ideally not in an urban environment. you want the freedom to be able to go away for the weekend or pass out somewhere else and not have to worry about waking up to feed your dog at 7 am. Even when you're past the stage of caring for a puppy it is still a ton of work, especially if you want to give your dog a good active life. That entails multiple walks a day that include actual exercise and not just taking it to the park and smoking weed. I would never advise a college student to get a dog, since even with the best intentions you're still busy and have a lot of shit going on and you're living a lifestyle that is very much up in the air
Oct 21 2013 6:02PM
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VT_scratch
Posts: 8710 - Karma: 5,615
how do snakes show affection?
Oct 21 2013 6:04PM
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djdillwill
Posts: 132 - Karma: 555
Technically you can pay 50$ to register your dog as an emotional support animal, which makes it so a landlord cant reject your dog from the premise under the Fair Housing Act
Oct 21 2013 6:07PM
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will_powder
Posts: 3194 - Karma: 5,445
This is exactly why pitbulls have a bad rep. People don't have enough time/care to raise them probably, and boom pitbull bites/kills a kid/some one's cat/etc.

With that said, pitbulls are gross.
Oct 21 2013 6:09PM
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first_rodeo
Posts: 2383 - Karma: 7,764
DOGS AND PEOPLE ARE PRODUCT OF THEIR ENVIRONMENT


being a bad owner is no different that bad parenting

Oct 21 2013 6:12PM
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cornholio
Posts: 3952 - Karma: 3,057
not sure how urban you are but i am against having dogs in an urban area. my rule is i gotta at least have a yard for the guy
Oct 21 2013 6:13PM
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will_powder
Posts: 3194 - Karma: 5,445
That's what I just said. I said you're going to be a bad parent.
Oct 21 2013 6:33PM
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Lemuel
Posts: 14477 - Karma: 10,515
As the old adage goes, if you have to ask do not do it.
Oct 21 2013 6:38PM
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GayWolf420
Posts: 36680 - Karma: 110,562
Not to mention society hates pitties. Expect people to stay away from you when at the dog park. My dad said some dude told him to "get your fucking mutt out of this dog park" one day when he was playing fetch at the dog park. It was wack.
Oct 21 2013 10:25PM
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UrbanYeti
Posts: 107 - Karma: 530
Get a kitten. They are easy
Oct 21 2013 11:41PM
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Malcolm
Posts: 15949 - Karma: 9,431
Oh yeah and puppies destroy the shit out of everything. Last year when I lived at home the dog destroyed 3 pairs of goggles.
Oct 21 2013 11:48PM
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skier58284
Posts: 1705 - Karma: 5,365
Depends if the dog will be happier/better off living with you or the alternative. How much attention can you provide? Can you provide the necessary veterenary bills? Can you take the time for daily walks? How big is your apartment?
Oct 22 2013 12:22AM
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first_rodeo
Posts: 2383 - Karma: 7,764
large bachelor pad......  the complex is actually really spread out


im a spoiled fuck, so dad pays for everything


the dog will go to shelter if i dont take it in


 
Oct 22 2013 9:56AM
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fortyvalve
Posts: 1442 - Karma: 1,570
Pure bred pitbull, don't do it. i'm not hating, i have one of my own and i love her, she is like a kid to me, but honestly i didn't bring her when i moved for a reason, my parents take care of her. pit bulls have sooo much energy, like i can bring her on 3 hikes and a run in a day and she will still torment me on the couch to pull a rope or play with a bone with her. they are loving dogs and you could definitely get away with having one but they are a lot of work, as much as i love mine i know for a fact living on my own, being in school and working i would not be able to give her the time and attention she would need. a cat would be chill though, my room mate is allergic sadly
Oct 22 2013 10:01AM
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fortyvalve
Posts: 1442 - Karma: 1,570
i didn't see this, take it. it will be better than it being in a shelter
Oct 22 2013 10:03AM
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Jane6
Posts: 5359 - Karma: 4,505
Ive wanted a dog my entire life buuuuut I am going to wait until I
am done with school
have a stable income

and most importantly

until I feel mature enough to have responsibility over another living creature.


Fuck, I can barely take care of myself yet. And the thought of not being able to be impulsive and stay out late, sleep over at friends' houses and stay away from home for longer periods of time makes me feel like having a motherfucking turtle neck on.

and I dont mean like this

Click for larger image

idk, thats just me though. I enjoy my freedom of coming and going as I please, so getting a dog (or worse, a child D:) will be a huuuge comittment for me. I'm willing to wait. In the most perfect of worlds I could have a job where bringing the dog to the office/whatever would be ok. Its cruel to get animals and not being able to take care of them properly //Captain Obvious strikes again
Oct 22 2013 10:17AM
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first_rodeo
Posts: 2383 - Karma: 7,764
besides working my schedule around it

the only thing i see limited by the dog:


- can't pass out at random places
-probs have to stop doing so much acid
- cant visit friends at party schools
Oct 22 2013 10:31AM
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Ski_the_east01
Posts: 5203 - Karma: 2,304

"pitbulls are the shit, it's like a gun you can pet!"
Oct 22 2013 10:50AM
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Ski_the_east01
Posts: 5203 - Karma: 2,304
there are so many more...like many people said before NO ONE wants to rent to someone with a dog. It is a huge liability and they have to get additional insurance. That's just for dogs in general, pitbulls are an entire different exception - places that might allow pets have breed restrictions and pitbulls are at the tip top of that list.

You can't go anywhere. You can't do skiing for the weekend, what will you do with the dog? What will it do on teh mountain? You can't just go out for a night and spend 6+ hours drinking with friends somewhere. That's not even okay with a dog, forget a puppy. They're almost two different kinds of animals because they require so much more work than a dog
Oct 22 2013 10:58AM
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Jane6
Posts: 5359 - Karma: 4,505
also wtf you use the same word for a place to park your horse as secure?
Oct 22 2013 11:00AM
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sugarloaf
Posts: 7866 - Karma: 299
one of my acquaintances (and his gf - so the pup doesn't really know who her "owner" is) got a puppy about a month an a half ago and then left to go back east last week for 10 days, leaving the puppy with us. who does that? you got the puppy, now take care of it.

she (a 4.5 month old puppy) sits in her crate anywhere from 3-8 hours a day because he and his gf work all day and don't bring her out. one walk a day for an active puppy is not enough. i feel bad for this puppy already, and it's only going to get worse once the snow falls. so based on first hand experience of someone watching a puppy grow up with young owners who don't have enough time for the pup, don't get one. it's better for you and the dog.
Oct 22 2013 11:27AM
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yelsel
Posts: 12967 - Karma: 3,451
that's absolutely terrible and i feel so bad for the puppy.

trust me, a puppy is A TON OF WORK.

your lifestyle changes when you get a puppy and it has to. when i first got mine, i had endless nights of lost sleep because the puppy was whining for this or for that. i'd walk her in the morning before i went to work, walk to work, come home from lunch to take her out, head back to work and then take her out as soon as i got home. after that, she was going to the dogpark for at least 2 hours to get her lil puppy spazzes going and sometimes that still wasnt enough for her.

friends would get a hold of me and be like oh let's do this, let's go here for the weekend, let's get hammered tonight, etc. yeah, i cant. i have a puppy right now. i learned quickly how to puppy proof things and trust me, i learned the hard way. the first night i did decide to go out and get blasted, i woke the next morning to find that she tore a hole in my down mattress topper.....a million feathers all over the place. do you have any idea how much that sucks to clean up when it feels like an elephant is sitting on your head?! she ate a limited pair of sneakers i forgot to put away. she ate countless expensive pairs of high heel shoes. pretty much anything she could get her paws on, she did and i learned from it. boy, did i learn.

now though, she's a stand up dog. but man, i worked as hard as i could with her and it truly doesnt stop. im still working with her. but it's awesome to hear from someone how well trained or whatnot your dog is. honestly, it warms my blackened heart.
Oct 22 2013 12:08PM
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Byron_tha_gr8
Posts: 4573 - Karma: 14,298
They don't really show affection in the same way a dog would, but just being around one for a while i can tell its mood.
Oct 22 2013 12:16PM
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Randy_Quench
Posts: 5447 - Karma: 4,342
As a 20 year old junior in college who loves/grew up with dogs, I will not be getting my own for at least another year or two.
Oct 22 2013 12:39PM
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fireballin
Posts: 392 - Karma: 13
you sound like a horrible dog owner.(at least at this stage in life) please do the pup a favor and let it go to the kennel where hopefully someone more responsible will adopt it. Thanks
Oct 22 2013 3:33PM
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first_rodeo
Posts: 2383 - Karma: 7,764
is this true in NYS
Oct 22 2013 6:38PM
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