How is having a dog during nursing school?

havehope · Oct 23, 2013

I have a boxer and she's been fine and very happy since I started school last fall. There are dog breeds that aren't super active. Not every dog wants to go for runs and be walked three times a day. There's a survey on the animal planet website that asks you questions about how often you'll be able to play with/walk your dog, if you want them to be a runner or couch potato breed, how high maintenance their coat should be ect. And it gives you a list of breeds to match your current ability and available time. Mastiff comes to mind as a pretty lazy breed. Small dogs also don't usually need to be walked long distances and can get a lot of energy out just running around the house. Besides it looks like there's only one a day week that's even a concern. Do a little research and find the right breed for your current lifestyle.

I agree with this! It all depends on the breed. My brother has a bloodhound and trust me, he would rather do anything BUT go for a walk. He just likes to lounge around and sleep all day! Every now and again he will want to play. You are lucky if that dog gets up before 10 a.m. and you best believe he is sleeping by 8 p.m. It's funny how dogs are so very different.

Let me add to my other comment, if you are going to have to put the dog in a crate the times you leave it I would not dare get one. However, if you let him stay open in the house(that's what we do for our lab) it's a little different.

nlynrob · Oct 23, 2013

if you are going to have to put the dog in a crate the times you leave it I would not dare get one. However if you let him stay open in the house(that's what we do for our lab) it's a little different.[/quote']
Good point! My dog is free to roam the house whenever we're not home. We would never leave her in a crate, but she's also not a puppy and fully trained so we're not worried about accidents or her tearing the house apart. A puppy would probably be a bad idea in the middle of school.

LoriRNCM, ADN, ASN, RN · Oct 23, 2013

Please don't leave your dog outside for 12 hours... that is not a good proposition, find someone to let him out if need be.
Please rethink getting an animal while you're in nursing school. I have 4 dogs but I have a lot of help with neighbors and friends letting them out for me and feeding them on those long days.
As an animal rescuer with a local golden rescue group, I see dogs liek yours coming back in because dogs are pack animals and will not be happy with your schedule. You won't be happy with what happens when you're not home and crating a dog for that amt of time is ridiculous. Do the dog a favor and wait until you've a stable career

I concur. This is a bad bad time to make ANY life changes and certainly a bad time to ADD to your responsibilities. I've done English Bulldog rescue for five years and not having time for the dog = the dog acting out = the dog being turned in to a shelter (where it's likely to be euthanized as owner surrenders are first to die) or turned in to rescue to become someone else's problem. Please wait til you are out of nursing school to make such a huge commitment. You will be happy you did. Maybe what you could do is volunteer at your local shelter as a dog walker on your off days. That way you could get your doggy fix without making such a drastic commitment. This is coming from someone who has four dogs (all well in advance of starting nursing school) and I can tell you, it is my number one stressor. My dogs have a doggy door and can go in and out at will into the backyard, there is usually someone home with them when I am not, but I do have one who is a rescue who doesn't get along with one of the other dogs nor any person in my home besides me. So when I am in school or clinical this poor guy has to be separated from the other dogs and even the people due to his biting, and then when I get home from long hours at school or clinical he gets to have free run of the yard and gets all my attention. I worry about it constantly but I can only do what I can. The guilt is tremendous.

rubato, ASN, RN · Oct 23, 2013

I think bringing a new dog into an environment where he spends most of his time alone is doing a disservice to the dog. I have a dog, and I have school 4-5 days a week. But, with my random schedule, my hubby's days off and my son's school, the dog only spends 2 eight hour days alone. The rest of the days, it's never more than 4 hours. I take him for a 3 mile run before I leave every day, we play a lot of ball with him in the afternoons/evenings and he gets a short walk in the evening before we go to bed.

Like others have said, dogs are pack animals. They need their pack. Whether that be humans or other dogs. They are social creatures. He may not be destructive and tear stuff up, but he won't be fully happy either.

Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN · Oct 23, 2013

I think if you are careful about your choice of breed and go for an older dog it would be fine. I have always had a dog and would be lost without one....when I was single and worked long shifts at times I had a local teen or my parents come play and sit with the dog for a reprieve.

I am a believer in crates but not for long confinement. Dogs are den animals....they like their "dens". My weimaraner loves her house and goes there on her own. If there is ever a need to evacuate with your animal or you are out of your home for whatever reason a crate trained pet is more welcome.

Watch your breed some breeds, like weimaraners, are very attached to their humans and have high energy demands....crating them for long periods doesn't make a happy weim.

Ruby Vee, BSN · Oct 23, 2013

I cannot imagine life without a dog! I've had dogs my entire life, even when I was single and working 12 hour shifts. I'm sure I'm going to get flamed for this, but dogs can "hold it" for 24 hours if they need to, and mine have had very few accidents. When they did, it was usually MY fault. (There was that 20 hour shift I got stuck with once, and the time that I couldn't make it home because of the blizzard.)

Dogs are wonderful companions, even when you're in nursing school. I had 2 when I was getting my Master's, working full time and living alone. Walking those dogs is what kept me sane during that time! But I'm not entirely comfortable with the idea that you want your dog to protect your property. I associate that with dogs chained up outside and poked with sticks so they'll be sure to bark at/attack any stranger who comes near them. That's just cruel.

We were robbed a few years ago. My dog was at home when it happened, and the robbers smashed a glass vase over his back. He was so traumatized he never recovered. My friend wasn't as lucky. The robbers killed her dog right on her living room floor. The police who came to my house said that robbers will either kill your dog or open the door and chase it away if it's going to be a problem for them. I'm sure you don't want your companion hurt, killed or lost in the name of "protecting property." A barking dog may discourage robbers from targeting your house if there's an easier target nearby, but you might want to seriously consider the implications of a barking dog. It's difficult to sleep -- especially when you work nights -- if your dog barks every time anyone comes near your home.

I love dogs, and I'd encourage anyone who wants one to love to bring it home and love it. But your dog has to come first, and I've made a lot of decisions for the dog -- where to live, whether or not to go out after work. I've never regretted having one, though.

zeus&lincoln · Oct 23, 2013

Having recently completed nursing school and having two Boston Terriers who are like children to me, I can tell you how difficult it was to have them while in nursing school. Had it not been for my wonderful boyfriend who would let our pups while I was gone doing the nursey thing, and take them on walks and love on them, I guarantee I couldn't have done it. I am finally working as a nurse and have much more time to allocate to them, but during nursing school your schedule is so inconsistent with clinicals, class, obligatory things for nursing school, and possibly work. I would advocate NOT taking on this HUGE responsibility just yet if you do not have any help. My furry children would have been hugely neglected if I had them without help during nursing school. By the way as a sidebar, I have utilized a crate in the past but never for longer than 6-7 hours. Dogs are den animals, if you introduce the crate at a young age they will love the crate. Even though I don't crate Lincoln anymore, we still have the crate because he loves to lay in there with the door wide open. But I digress! Please think long and hard about this HUGE commitment. I am worried that you will be spreading yourself too thin and something will give... Either time with your pooches, your work or school. Think about this... It is much more of a commitment than you may realize, they are needy of your time and affection no matter the age of the dog. Don't let a fleeting thought about having a companion change the reality of your situation.

christina731 · Oct 24, 2013

I have had dogs since I was young so I can't imagine what life would be like without one. I'm also lucky that I live with 2 other people who have odd schedules like me, so my little rascal is never alone for more than a few hours. He does tend to chew so he stays in a crate when he is alone. It really depends on the breed. Mine is a 6lb chihuahua/dachshund mix who is perfectly content with sleeping all day so it's not so bad. Now if you had a retriever or something, that would be a different story.

flightriskRN · Oct 24, 2013

I adopted a seven week old lab mix puppy my senior year of nursing school. Looking back, I realize that if was probably not the best decision for her sake since I was very busy with school and I also worked 16 to 20 hrs per week. I was fortunate to have a roommate who helped let her out when I was gone for more than four hours. However, trying to train her while also keeping up with school work was very tough. But we got through it and now three years later she is a wonderful, well trained dog and she's been a great companion for me when I was living alone my first two years out of college.

LoriRNCM, ADN, ASN, RN · Oct 24, 2013

I cannot imagine life without a dog! I've had dogs my entire life, even when I was single and working 12 hour shifts. I'm sure I'm going to get flamed for this, but dogs can "hold it" for 24 hours if they need to, and mine have had very few accidents. When they did, it was usually MY fault. (There was that 20 hour shift I got stuck with once, and the time that I couldn't make it home because of the blizzard.)
Dogs are wonderful companions, even when you're in nursing school. I had 2 when I was getting my Master's, working full time and living alone. Walking those dogs is what kept me sane during that time! But I'm not entirely comfortable with the idea that you want your dog to protect your property. I associate that with dogs chained up outside and poked with sticks so they'll be sure to bark at/attack any stranger who comes near them. That's just cruel.
We were robbed a few years ago. My dog was at home when it happened, and the robbers smashed a glass vase over his back. He was so traumatized he never recovered. My friend wasn't as lucky. The robbers killed her dog right on her living room floor. The police who came to my house said that robbers will either kill your dog or open the door and chase it away if it's going to be a problem for them. I'm sure you don't want your companion hurt, killed or lost in the name of "protecting property." A barking dog may discourage robbers from targeting your house if there's an easier target nearby, but you might want to seriously consider the implications of a barking dog. It's difficult to sleep -- especially when you work nights -- if your dog barks every time anyone comes near your home.
I love dogs, and I'd encourage anyone who wants one to love to bring it home and love it. But your dog has to come first, and I've made a lot of decisions for the dog -- where to live, whether or not to go out after work. I've never regretted having one, though.

I would never do that to a dog, holding their urine makes them prone to all kinds of medical issues and disease.

mytwoboysmom · Oct 26, 2013

Three weeks into the second semester of nursing school, my two year old Maltese got very sick and died. I was devastated. I have a 7 year old shepherd and where I love her very much, I missed my baby so bad it hurt. I got in touch with a Maltese breeder, who had an older puppy (they were hoping for show quality, but puppy didn't make the cut) I bought him immediately. I only have 2 days that are 12 hours long, and my wonderful neighbor comes and takes them out, and lets them play with her dog for awhile outside(or inside if it is raining) my pets have never been kept outside, the puppy is crated during the day he loves his crate and is sleeping in it right now, but my shepherd is free to roam the house (but she also will sleep in her crate). I would never use my dogs as protection for my things, I have a security alarm system for that, but Bella has a very vicious bark so I hope the robber would choose a different house, as I could not stand to have her harmed.

I don't regret getting my new puppy, but he does take a lot of attention. He hasn't taken the part of my heart that belongs to my baby that died, but he has numbed the pain that part of my heart still feels.

From_nanny2nurse · Oct 27, 2013

I start Jan. 6th as well and I have a 1 1/2 chihuahua who means the world to me. I am fortunate in the fact that I live with my fiancé, as well as my BFF and her husband plus their 3 big dogs. Luckily we have different schedules so someone is almost always at the house and can let out the dogs as needed, plus the other doggies love my little Odin and they all play together. I also plan to make the back deck my go to study spot so that I can spend time with my pup without sacrificing my studying. Do you have friends or family that can stop by to play with him and let him out? If not another option is to maybe get 2 dogs so that they aren't alone...? That way of you did leave them outside(with plenty of fresh water and shade) they won't get to bored since they have each other!