Advice from a Collegiate Dog Mom
The Truth About Pup Parenthood
Article by Madison Corley, Photos by Emily Greco, Graphic by Julia Vasilyev
Dogs—we love them with all our hearts. From the way they walk to their ability to cuddle, we can’t help but fall in love with our four legged companions. But what about owning a dog while being a college student?
As a personal college pup parent, I know that there are many ups and downs when it comes to juggling a dog on top of being a student. I currently own a yellow lab named Avery and she is the light of my world, my best pal, and my soulmate, but there is definitely a price that I pay both literally and figuratively. There are countless days where I think, “What on earth did I get myself into?” Then, there are those amazing days where I’m reminded how thankful I am to have my dog here because I’d probably lose it if it weren’t for her.
Before bringing her down to College Station, I juggled between whether or not I could handle taking care of not only myself, but her as well. Although I had many thoughts bubbling in my head over whether or not I should bring my dog to college, I mainly had to be honest with myself in answering these five questions:
1. Do I have the proper means to efficiently care for her?
2. Are my roommates okay with me bringing her into our house?
3. Can I financially afford to have her with me at this moment and in the foreseeable future?
4. Can my grades afford for me to have her, knowing she might distract me from studying?
5. Do I have enough time set aside for her to receive love and attention?
With honest answers to each of these questions, I found myself loading my fur baby into my car and bringing her into a whole new world with me. Even though these questions helped me decide if I was ready to bring Avery to school, they never answered what the pros and cons are of pup parenthood as a college student. Let’s talk about the costs and benefits, shall we?
Pros:
In my personal experience, the most prominent benefit to having my dog with me in college would most definitely be the stress relief she provides. There have been so many days where I come home feeling so overwhelmed by school and as soon as I open Avery’s kennel, I am instantly lifted. Her body language and happy energy completely changes my mood. Not only does Avery help my mental health, but she has also made an impact on my physical health by getting me out of the house to take her on walks or play with her in the yard. On top of all of that, she also makes any social gathering with my friends complete. Any time I have friends over, she is always the life of the party. Whether that be with her casually mingling with guests or bringing over one of her new toys to show them, she always helps to bring such a positive energy to any get-together.
Cons:
Owning a dog in college isn’t always cupcakes and rainbows. From a financial standpoint, owning a dog in general is very expensive with the accumulation of expenses from food, vet bills, cleaning supplies, toys, pet deposits and sometimes doggie day care. Personally, I spend around $50 per month on Avery’s food alone, even though her food is far from the most expensive options. I also pay $15 per month to be able to have her at my apartment complex. If she needs to go to the vet, her average vet bill for a checkup usually runs around $60 and if she needs any medication, that could range anywhere from $15 to $100, depending on the medication itself and the dosage. Aside from financial pressures, there is also the fact of not being able to spend enough quality time with Avery every single day. As a student, I’m typically in class or studying for a majority of the day, meaning that she is in her kennel for elongated periods of time.
As a whole, I personally recommend bringing your dog from home or getting a dog in general to bring to college. It is so important that you go through the logistics and are confident that you can handle a dog. My experience with Avery does not mean that every pup parenting scenario is going to be perfect, but one this is for sure: the pupabilities are endless with pup parenthood.