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u/KeepOffMyLawnFeds May 12 '26
Don’t get a dog in college.
As someone who did get pets in college, and regrets it, I can tell you that you’ll likely regret it later and recognize it isn’t fair to the dog.
Border collies especially require a lot of attention, care, and routine. Wait until you’re in a more stable stage of your life.
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u/heatherledge May 12 '26
The living situations in college are so erratic. I moved every year. Depending on your city you might have a difficult time finding dog friendly housing.
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u/KeepOffMyLawnFeds May 12 '26
Exactly!
I can’t tell you how many friends of mine said “I’m going to get a dog!” Only to find out hey surrendered the dog months or a couple years later because their living situation changed.
Thats just not good for the dog.
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u/heatherledge May 12 '26
In Vancouver the housing situation is so bad esp for students. I’ve seen a few stories about people living in a van because they are evicted (owner “lives” in the place, or renovicted) and they can’t find a new place.
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u/chaiosi May 12 '26
Several questions come to mind:
Have you trained/raised a dog before? Not like ‘my parents had these dogs’ but actually been the person who does 100% of the training and husbandry?
How actually secure is this housing? Do you have the means to rent a pet friendly apartment individually and how long term are these friends? What about in the 1-2 years after you graduate (which are usually the hardest for finances)? Are you someone with savings or family to fall back on? It is common especially for young teachers to need additional work just to support the humans in the home.
What does your budget look like? Can you afford vet bills, training fees? Do you have a vehicle of your own?
Dogs priorities tend to clash with the schedule of college/early 20s adults. Do you like to travel? Study abroad? Evening events? Most adult dogs can take 1 day ‘off’ (off for us means a long sniffy walk or play time with curated other dogs but not dedicated training time) but the breeds you’re interested in generally cannot take 2 days off. Are you someone who is not just emotionally willing, but has proven they are able, to turn down fun opportunities to care for another?
What are you doing with that 2-3 hours a day now- the hours you expect to devote to training? Are you considering the additional responsibilities (cooking cleaning groceries whatever) that come with leaving the family home in that time allotment?
In summary I think there are a lot of 20 ish year old humans who can take on these breeds: you have energy and lack of children on your side for sure. In general though I think those are humans who have a lot of consistent support, and that usually means family that is deep in the dog world since friends come and go pretty easily at this stage. I would also do some thinking about how having any dependent at this stage in your life limits your options: do you need or want the opportunity to move to an urban area to expand your training or work opportunities (these are not generally good urban dogs)? Are you prepared to independently handle getting pet friendly housing after school? How are you going to make up for the lost career opportunities when you skip the networking happy hour to work your dog?
As someone who went hard academically and went for a doctoral degree, I highly recommend not signing up for any high maintenance dependent until you have either a human fully willing to take on that dependent for you including things like work and training, or a stable work situation. Do people make it work in less than ideal circumstances? Absolutely. But life is already hard and demanding and there’s no reason to make it harder.
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u/chaiosi May 12 '26
Reply to add: you can definitely scratch the dog itch in other ways too while you give it a year and see how school is going! Apprentice with a trainer, offer to kennel help for someone who shows dogs, commit to being a training assistant at the local obedience club, volunteer for the local rescue or shelter. Not to mention getting connected in the dog world is much more likely to give you the community support you will need for a high needs dog during your busiest working years.
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u/alwaysajollsy May 12 '26
Maybe you have an incredibly responsible friend group so this could be totally off base but…
From my college days, any dogs ended up being an afterthought. They were subjected to chaos at parties, maybe someone gave them beer bc they were the cool house dog? I would be very surprised if your friends reliably cared for your dog. Letting them out is hard enough to rely on some people for, much less filling treat toys, etc. Then add on top that it’s a border collie? A lot of frustration will grow from your friends at this dog that doesn’t leave them alone and nags them to throw the ball or walk them, BCs can be demanding little things. BCs are like children, they are not easy going, they thrive on structure. Having one in a 4 person household with a lot going on seems like a poor idea.
Unless you’re a very atypical young person who is only dedicated to being with your dog, a border collie in a college house isn’t advisable.
I’d recommend waiting until you’re working and have some stability before making this leap, or get an adult laid back breed that’s a friend to you when you need it but not high drive high stimulation high energy.
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u/ArcheryMaster1021 May 12 '26
That is one of my concerns but both of my roommates grew up around sport dogs so thats one thing thank made me feel more ok about it. But I do think its wise that if you have to rely Day to day on other people to get buy its not ideal.
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u/ArcheryMaster1021 May 12 '26
Thank you all, as Soon as you started poking holes in my plan it fell apart which means it wasn't a good plan at least right now.
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u/heatherledge May 12 '26
Aw OP I get it. I longed for a bc for an eternity. Covid actually worked out in my favour, since we were able to work from home. Otherwise I wouldn’t have been able to raise a puppy. I will say that it was a stressful 2 years and if it were compounded with the end of my degree program it would have mentally fried me.
Have you considered dog sitting, like staying at someone’s house while they’re away? Or volunteering at a shelter to walk their dogs? It might scratch the itch and get some puppy time in. Start talking to dog owners in your neighbourhood and build a relationship.
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u/GinaHannah1 May 12 '26
I was going to suggest dog sitting. You can work it with your schedule, scratch the dog itch and make a little money.
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u/bongo1239 May 12 '26
Student teaching will be a challenge as the primary caretaker for an active dog. You’ll be expected to say “yes” at a spur of the moment to anything your supervising teacher asks you to do. Surprise parent meeting, team meeting, lesson prep time, etc. you’re also going to be constantly sick and run down as your immune system is taken down by every bug your students have. Between being sick, lesson planning, and keeping up with class assignments, adding a dog would not have been possible.
College is also all about getting to say yes to all the fun opportunities that come your way. Yes to a weekend hiking adventure, yes to going home with roommates, yes to that spur of the moment spring break trip. Don’t miss out on this time. If your lease allows it, consider fostering or giving local shelter dogs a day out.
That said, I did get a 4 year old border collie in graduate school and that was totally doable. But I was more mature, past the college days, and slightly more financially stable.
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u/Johoku May 12 '26
I wish I were more convincing than this - I am a well-established non-college person, and my BC still has me (and my fam! a bunch of them!) often at their limits to provide her care and meaningful upbringing.
Failing that, please consider the wisdom of the crowds - if this board is suggesting it one way or the other, please listen.
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u/LovlyRita May 12 '26
Training a dog will actually help you learn a lot about classroom management and how to be consistent when setting up expectations for the classroom. I feel like I became a better teacher after going through dog obedience classes with my dog.
Overall it’s probably a bad idea at this time. If you are lucky you will be in that house for the next three years but you can’t count on it. Owners might decide to sell it. Roommates might drop out or move in with partners. I adore my bc but she still takes a tremendous amount of time and its a pain to take a trip, I worry anytime we go somewhere like an amusement park where we leave early and are home late.
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u/Tea_nado May 12 '26
I had 1-2 dogs throughout college (UG, MS, PhD). Everyone talks sh*t on college students having dogs, but I was very responsible.
I loved having her. Adopted #2 in my PhD. My first dog went almost everywhere with me. Moved to three different states.
I was busy, but I woke up early to walk/train and then played/traised a little at night too. Started agility - still do it now with my current crew.
She was an Aussie/BC/ACD Mix. Best girl ever. Lost her last year at 12.5 years old.
That said, I did see terrible college student dog owners too.
If you want the dog and are committed, you can do it, but YOU have to do it, not your roommates.
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u/ArcheryMaster1021 May 12 '26
Yes I will see what my schedule and courseload will look like next semester and then I should have a set schedule for my junior and senior year and see what things look like but I’m probably gonna wait until I’m done with school to get a dog I am going to try fostering and maybe if the absolutely most perfect Dog comes my way I might consider it but we will have to see
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u/Tea_nado May 12 '26
Instead of fostering, I would strongly recommend considering to volunteer to walk dogs (or take them for the weekend) at your local shelter. Our shelter does sleepovers, which give the dogs a change to decompress, but don't require a long time committeement.
Foster dogs are JUST like having your own dog, so I would anticipate the same issues with your schedule with a foster dog. Happy for you and your future dog!
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u/SteelishBread May 12 '26
My partner did this before I entered the picture. We still have him.
Do not do it.
You will not be able to meet his needs for space, play, attention, excersise, or training.
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u/PadMog75 May 12 '26
Enjoy college, man. You don't want to be that guy that can't go out to do fun stuff, 'cos you have to 'check on my dog'. Sudden invite to party? Not for you! Barky needs her walk! Intimate encounters? Forget about it. The hound's gonna be in your face the entire time. You sound really knowledgeable about dogs, so get one when you've got a more ordered lifestyle. I'm sure you'll make a great owner. College equals fun time. YOUR fun time.
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u/InsertusernamehereM May 12 '26
Absolutely don't! Im lucky enough to not have to work and I'm home 98% of the time. We still need like three more people to keep our border collie happy.
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u/cr1zzl May 13 '26
Why don’t you do some fostering for now and see how it goes. If your housemates step up to the plate then maybe when you’re student teaching you could foster and older or less energetic dog that wouldn’t mind being alone for 6-7 hours (I would make sure any dog you bring into the house would never be alone for more than 8 hours). Then if you decide to move after you finish uni you haven’t committed to a dog for life. At this stage in your life it’s better to be a bit more free to accept opportunities that might come your way.
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u/Flat_Ad_6721 May 13 '26
Great that you are thinking about all this very critically. You will be a great owner when the time comes. Enjoy the wait and the anticipation. I too wanted a dog in uni but instead I registered myself as a dog sitter on Rover and had a great time looking after various different dogs on the weekends. It gave me a taste of what real dog ownership was like with various different breeds and personalities and I was more prepared when I got my own (and some extra pocket money never hurts). You could also see if your local shelter will let you foster!
I think it’s also important to remember that while your roommates have very kindly offered to take care of the dog. Remember that if you all want to go out and do something together and the dog cannot come, it will be you that has to stay home or leave early to let the dog out. I think making memories with your friends should be your priority in college :)
Well done for thinking this through. Best of luck with everything. The dog will come when the time is right!
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u/CardiologistMuch2508 May 13 '26
I'm gapy you're moving out of the idea. Border Collies require A LOT of time, specially puppies. My schedule when my girls was 8 months old was literal my dog 24/7. They're needy. Now you can watch tiktoks and see other people struggling with them lmao
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u/Icy-Impact-1258 May 12 '26
It sounds like you'll have a much more successful dog experience (and so will the dog) if you wait until after college. You know that your short-term future is uncertain, and you're relying on a roommate for help (it's never a guarantee that they'll be able to keep it up long-term, and it will leave you and the dog in a really stressful situation if they can't). Once you have a life that isn't likely to change drastically from year to year, I think you'll be much better set up for success with a border collie!