How to Train Your (Tiny) Dragon Part 2

As many of you know, Mr. Blue (my ESA) is my all time favorite, and he follows me around everywhere I go. I mean, he's basically perfect.

About 2 years ago, it was time for me to move from home (Greenville, NC) back to my apartment in Chapel Hill for my junior year. My family and I had a hard time deciding if I should take Blue with me, but ultimately we all knew Blue and I were both better off with each other.

A big concern my parents and roommate had when I "took full-custody" of Blue was how I was going to balance my school work, social life, internship and part-time job while taking care of him and giving him the best life. Although those are all valid concerns, I knew I could make it work. I was actually excited to incorporate more discipline and routine into my life, and Blue was the perfect excuse.

I altered my sleep schedule, exercise schedule, work schedule and social schedule around his needs, and it was kind of easier than I thought. Although I had no control over my class schedule since it had already been established, I was all online/remote, so it was easy.

Fast forward one year, and now I'm a senior living in an off-campus house with 5 roommates, and all my classes are in person. Although my parents were doubtful, it's surprisingly been an easy transition. I am also lucky enough to have the most incredible professors in the Hussman School of Journalism and Media, so they have no problem with me bringing my Blue to class.

So, if you're a college student contemplating getting a dog, hopefully this blog will help you decide if you should or not.

1. First things first, make sure you have the time, ability and space to train your pup. If you're adopting or your dog is already potty trained, this might not apply to you as much, but it's still 100% a necessity. My family got Blue over COVID, so I had all the time in the world to research and prepare for his training. Potty training was my #1 concern and crate training was a close second. It's natural for a dog to have an accident once in a while, especially when they're getting acclimated to a new environment, but it's crucial to have the cleaning supplies and be ready when this inevitably happens. I was fortunate enough to have my family's help with training Blue, but if you're doing this alone, you will need to dedicate a lot of time in your schedule to training. Telecommuting or working remotely is probably essential in order to train a dog because you can't properly take care of them or train them when you're at an office from 9 am-5 pm. For the average college student, I would advise that you get a dog over the summer so you have more time to dedicate to your puppy. I would also suggest living in a house (preferably with a backyard if you're lucky) because it's easier than an apartment. However, it's not impossible to have a dog and live in an apartment; I've done it, I have friends who have done it, and it's definitely possible.

Also, if you have a roommate(s), PLEASE check with them before bringing home your puppy. I know it sounds

obvious, but people never fail to surprise you.

2. My second tip is to critically evaluate your work life. If you're working in an office, interning at the hospital every other day or spending all day in class on campus, you should probably (aka definitely) not get a dog unless you know your circumstances will change in the near future. However, for many college students, most of our classes and internships are hybrid which gives us more flexibility in our schedule, making it easier to train and take care of a dog. In my current situation, most of my classes are in person, but we do still meet online at times. As I previously mentioned, I am lucky enough where I can bring Mr. Blue with me to all my classes and even the library (Davis Cube 3 is our spot). If you do not have this luxury, make sure you have ample time in between your classes to go home, let your dog out, take them for a walk and love on them as much as you can. On a typical day in my life, I usually get up around 8 am, let Blue out and start a pot of coffee. While the coffee is brewing, I take Blue on a 20-30 minute walk and return home around 9 am. I then feed blue while I drink my coffee and get for my day.

3. My next piece of advice is budgeting, and I mean reallyyy budgeting. My parents raised me to be fairly financially independent, so when Blue came to live with me full time, I also became responsible for all of his financial burdens. Along with my (unpaid) internship, I have a part-time job as a waitress to help pay for Blue's kibble, heartworm medication, vet visits and pet insurance. If you think pet insurance is unnecessary, THINK AGAIN. Without going into too much detail, I had to rush Blue to the Vet ER at 3 am one night over the summer, and without pet insurance, I would have had to pay $1,500+. Thankfully, Mr. Blue ended up being okay after a couple of shots and IVs.

4. As much as you love your social life, you should love your dog more if you're going to commit to such a big responsibility. In all honesty, this was probably the hardest adjustment for me when I got Blue. I'm not saying that your social life becomes nonexistent when you get a dog, but you definitely need strong willpower and be okay with making sacrifices. Essentially this means you have to come home every night and can't stay out until the wee hours of the morning. For me, this meant offering to be the DD for my friends when we went out. When I wasn't the Designated Driver, I made sure I had an uber scheduled ahead of time or could walk home with someone when I needed to. At first, I was annoyed that I couldn't stay out until 2 am with my friends, but as time went on, the envy faded. As my dad always says: "Nothing good ever happens after midnight." However, I love going to "He's Not Here" with a group of friends because I always take Blue with me! It's all about compromise.

5. A big reason Blue is such a blessing in my life is that I have to schedule my sleep and exercise schedule around him and his needs. As someone who struggles with depression, anxiety, PTSD and ADD, it can be incredibly hard for me to get out of bed sometimes and will myself to start my day. Now that I have Blue and am responsible and care for someone other than myself, I am forced to get out of bed in the morning, feed him (and myself) and go on a walk/run to get some exercise. Some people might find this to be annoying, and if you do, maybe don't get a dog. But for me, I love it. Blue has drastically changed my life in so many aspects, and I am noticeably happier with him.

If you have more questions or want a more detailed look into the everyday life of a college student dog owner, watch this short vlog and email me at katemiller0531@gmail.com for more info!

Love Always,

Kate