Quote:
Originally Posted by Longblades
I suggest NOT a puppy. Neither you nor your room mates has the time a puppy will require for potty training, socializing, crate training, puppy class and more training. A puppy will not be able to jog with you till it's about two years old. This is because you don't run a dog till it's joints are closed. You don't even want to leash walk on a hard surface like pavement too much at first. You could play with it off leash on grass though. A puppy will not be much different for you than being the single mom of a human baby.
Only two of the breeds, as adults, will be able to do much jogging with you, the Beagle and the Klee Klai. And a mere 20 minute jog once a day is not near enough exercise for either breed. Both those breeds are tough dogs meant to hunt all day or run at sled for long periods. You do not have the exercise time either of those breeds requires.
Terriers are not for the faint of heart and not for students who have never had any kind of pet let alone a terrier before. No matter how dedicated you intend to be it will be hard.
REally a large breed like a Newfy or Great Dane or Saint Bernard would be a better match for you, exercise needs wise. An adult.
I really think you'd be better with a cat. I have four cats and one dog. The cats alone need about 20 minutes of play time each a day. They'd like more, or they did when they were younger. Cats won't jog with you (well most won't,  ) they practically potty train themselves, they are less likely to suffer from separation anxiety and scream when you leave the house without them. Your next landlord is more likely to accept your cat than a dog. Your next several landlords because cats can live 20 years.
REally, I think a cat is better. Dogs require a much greater time committment. I find people underestimate how much time dogs need. Even most cats want to be with you, play with you, interact with you, be with you far more than non-cat people imagine. |
I couldn't get a large dog because I'm afraid my house just isn't big enough. I would want it to be happy. I am also not looking to adopt a really really young dog, I'll probably get one that's at least a couple of months old, and I won't expect it to be able to jog with me until it's older.
In my research, I found a 6 week long puppy training class that's run just a 15 minute walk from my place, and would be planning to take it to those classes.
Also, I think you misunderstood my exercising habits
Every morning, I wake up and jog for minimum 20 minutes. Either me or one of my roommates comes home for lunch, so that's another 15-20 minute walk. When I get home from school, I usually have about 2 hours before work, enough for the longest walk of the day, probably 40 minutes (the walks will get longer as the dog gets older). You may have seen me write that I live in a residential area, not the center of the city, so there are parks nearby, one with a nice dog run! Finally, after work I get home and would take him/her out for a short walk before bed. Also, My Sunday afternoons are completely free, and there is a big park with a lake outside the city that's about a 30-40 minute drive from my house, which is why I was interested in a dog that could swim, because in the summer the water's really nice. There is a section that is cut off from the public beach that is large but fenced in, allowing dogs to run free and swim as they please. Don't worry, I will purchase one of those doggie life-vests.
I would be completely open to having a cat, but there are lots of cars in the area that I live, and we have tons of visitors coming in and out between the three of us, so I'd be worried about the cat escaping.