STYLETHREAD -- LET'S TALK SHOP!

bebegirl020 · BCBG

dachshund + law school = possible???

Hermione · Kate Spade

i know you really want both, but honestly you will probably overwhelmed with a dog (esp a high maint one like a dachsund, but any dog) during law school - law school is really intense (from what my dad has told me and others i know who have taken it) and it will just be too much!

i would wait until you're done with lawschool - it's a long time, but better than getting an animal that requires more than you can give it and either neglecting it or having to get rid of it!

(p.s. - i learned this the hard way with a rabbit. i wanted one soooooooo bad and finally got it - spent a ton of moolah on just the right cage, little house, food, blankets to sleep in, toys, accessories - it just need too much attention for me to give it while i was in school, had to give it to a friend :(

Kari · Dooney & Bourke

Well, I think it is totally manageable. I don't know what kind of student you are (where you like to study, etc)...but you'll have time to go home and let the dog out.

Law school is hard the first year...but seriously, it isn't like you are busy 22 hours a day or anything. You aren't in class all day. If you study at home, then no problem. If you are a library studier, then you take breaks to go let your dog out, go for a walk (and keep your sanity).

I think you'll find your routine rather quickly and find out it isn't that bad at all. I am about to graduate!!! - so if you have any questions, feel free to pm me!

Hermes

I would do some research on dachshunds to learn more about their characteristics - I think they're pretty independant, but you should see if the personality and needs of the breed suit you. For example, I was seriously considering getting a yorkie at one time - but I leaned they needed tons of attention. Also, if I ever got a dog again, I would get two so they have a companion... a single dog's life can be very lonely, and the dog is going to live longer than the three years you are in law school - so consider what your professional life will be after school, and if managing a dog will work with that. Maybe once you finish school, you can get another dachshund to keep the other one company when they're locked up for ten hours while you're at work.

here's something in regard to choosing the right dog that I found on the net:

http://www.petnet.com.au/selectapet/dogselectapet.html

member · Hermes

Some of the girls on here have dachshunds, so maybe they can help you out. I know alb had one and if I remember correctly, so does tara t. I talked to both of them about dachsies because my BF and I want one. Everything I've read about them has said that they get very attached to their owners and get seperation anxiety. Something to consider if you won't be home much. But like I said, one of the girls on here w/a dachsies can probably tell you better

Good luck - they are adorable dogs and I'm dying for one!

Dizzy · Marc Jacobs

I think it depends on your school, your style and your level of responsibility. Personally, I wouldn't have time to take care of a dog, and if I had one more thing to remember I would just be in tears by 3 p.m. every day. Seriously, I do NOT have time to go home every day in the middle of the day - not even once a day - and I live four blocks away from school. (If I forget a lipstick or something, that's just tough). Also, friend of mine had a daschund she'd had for five years before law school, and she tried to keep him with her, but he had to go back and live with her mom because she just couldn't give him enough attention. And she was just a regular student, she didnt' have a clinic or a journal or anything...

zeitgeist4 · Gucci

In my opinion, people in general should not get dogs if they don't have the time to spend with the dog. Dogs are "pack" animals and love their people. I don't think it's fair to leave a dog home alone all day, or to not take it on walks because you're too busy or tired. Don't get a dog if you're not willing to invest your time and energy to make sure it is really happy.

I say this based on personal experience. My neighbor's dog used to be a really happy, active dog (he's a Yorkie). She worked but her boyfriend was around most of the day, so the dog always had someone to let him out and give him attention. Then she broke up with that BF and had another one who had a full time job. The dog was left alone from whenever they left in the morning till whoever got home first at night. The dog became visibly depressed. It craved attention whenever a person was around. I feel so sorry for the dog. Then they got a Boston Terrier puppy to keep the Yorkie company. The puppy (now 1 year) is still so hyper that it is constantly bugging the Yorkie, and the Yorkie is now left alone all day with an annoying dog.

I know some of you will disagree with this, but I would say to keep the dog's interests in mind, not just your desire to have a dog.

tara t · Marc Jacobs

you can train him in a year. but i lived close to school so i could run home and take him out. will you be living alone?

i know some people are agianst dog cages, but my dog loves his. the door is never closed and the whole living are in the cage is very posh ;) the first week i got him i was in college and i would go to class i'd come home and he would have eaten a shoe or went #2 on the floor. so a cage was the only option for me. but it's big, and he freaking loves that thing. i kept him in it for about 1 month only while i was in class and i think it really helped train him. but now he's 7 or so and when we aren't home that is where he hangs out.

alb · Marc Jacobs

Dachshund owner and attorney here. My husband and I both work FT and we crate our dog during the day. This sounds bad to do but she is fine. We take her out in the morning and then when we get home (whoever gets home first) and then again at night. It works fine, but she is 8 yrs old and sleeps most of the day. Puppies are a little more high maintenance, but after you train them they should be fine in a crate. My roommate in law school had a dachshund. She got hers before her first yr so she wouldn't be lonely. I don't think it was a problem for her because when we moved in to our house with a yard, she got another one. So we had two dachshunds running around and were able to manage law school just fine (I helped her out with the second dog a lot but it was technically hers, although we picked her out together). One thing to think about though--it really helps to have a fenced in yard so you can just let her out instead of having to put them on a leash, go down an elevator and walk hrm. Kari's right though, you'll have time between classes to come home and check on him/her, esp. if you live close to the school (which I did and would highly recommend). Another suggestion--can you ask your parents to be "back up" caretakers of the dog if law school gets too overwhelming? Just a thought. Good luck, and good choice! Dachshunds are the sweetest dogs!

halleybird · Hermes

I have never owned a daschund or been in law school, but I have had many, many dogs.

I agree that it's cruel to own a dog and then not give it any attention, but being alone for an 8-10 hour span isn't cruelty IMO. It just takes sacrifice -- i.e., not going out as much after school/work, etc.

We started crating our last dog almost immediately, and he loves his crate. He has water and toys in there, though he doesn't really use them. He even goes into his crate when we're home. My trainer says this is because dogs are "den" animals.

Puppies do need more attention, though, especially when they're very young. Have you thought about adopting a slightly older dog? That would be the best option IMO. The idea of a 2nd dog is a good one, too, but I'd make sure you're comfortable with the first one before you do that. HTH!