I received these questions form a grad student who is planning on getting a GSD in the future. I am hoping you can respond with your answers based on your experience with dogs:
1) In what living condition would it be acceptable to begin owning a dog?
2) Being a student of Physics, grad school is in my future. Would it be acceptable to begin caring for a dog in grad school?
3) My physical activity consists of walking a few miles a day, swimming once a week, and camping usually one weekend every two months. Is this level of activity similar to what I should be doing with a dog, or should I be doing more?
4) Financially, what should I have set aside as an emergancy reserve for a dog?
5) Financially, what should I dedicate per year to a dog?
6) What are the qualities of a good owner?
7) What is the best way to learn how to properly train a dog?
8)Is there any advice my previous questions did not cover?
*All instances of “dog” refer to the standard life cycle of the German Shepherd, from puppy, to adult, to senior, to grave.
Thanks for your time.
What great questions! I can only give advice based on my own experience — your mileage may vary. Hopefully it helps you make a well-informed decision.
I waited 5 years after I left grad school before getting Batman. I did not have the right situation to raise a GSD puppy until I had two things: My own apartment located near a park, and financial security. Establishing an amenable living situation and adequate finances are very important before getting any dog, but especially a GSD puppy.
Looking back, I’m kind of amazed that I managed to raise a GSD puppy in an apartment in an urban area. I only succeeded with help from Carole and the FL aunties, Julie, and access to a good GSD trainer in my area.
I also gave up my entire social life. Seriously. For that first year, I had no friends but Batman. This giant, goofy puppy occupied all my attention, all the time. Weekdays, weekends, even in my sleep — it was all Batman, all the time. Be ready for that level of commitment.
I find that the exact square footage of your home doesn’t matter as much as having access to safe, open outdoor space where you can give your dog at least one hour of exercise, on average, per day. Batman does best when he gets at least 90 minutes per day, but an hour will do. Again, it depends on the dog. Batman is medium energy.
Another thing to remember is the need for transportation. I didn’t even have a valid drivers license before getting a dog. Once Batty came, I needed to get a car (or Zipcar if available in your area) to shuttle him to and from training classes, hiking trails, beaches, and other dog-friendly destinations.
The financial burden for me was significant. For food, vet, insurance, training (which has been my No. 1 expense) and supplies, I spent over $8,000 on Batman in the first year (not including the car). Year 2 has been more reasonable, but will still be at least $4,000 (closer to $6K, if you include a 2-week Michael Ellis training seminar, but that is not a normal expense, and I didn’t want to inflate the total with it). I expect Year 3 to be lower still, but still significant, probably around $3,000.
I’m not sure if this level of spending is typical. It seems like a lot when I see it in writing. It doesn’t help that I live in the Bay area and the cost of living is among the highest in the country. You cannot find a good trainer for less than $90/hr around here.
Food is my No. 2 expense behind training. The Batpig’s raw food bill is over $200/mo. You can do this for less if you have a big freezer and make your own, but I’d say $100/mo (or $1,200/yr) is the absolute minimum for food. Also it helps if your dog isn’t a total pig, and doesn’t inhale 3-4 lbs of premium food on a daily basis.
Anyway, I hope this helps! My best advice is BE PATIENT, and do not get a dog — and certainly not a puppy — before you know you are 100 percent ready. If I’d gotten a GSD even one year earlier than I did, I don’t know if I would have made it. It is a real (and wonderful) life choice with real costs and commitment attached.
As I’m still technically a ‘college student’, I have lots to say on all of this! So here’s my two cents:
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Living conditions are something that can be worked around. What you really need when having a dog is TIME. Not just extended lengths of time to spend with your dog, but a regular schedule of sorts. For us with Fenris, it helps knowing that at least someone will be at home during ‘scheduled’ bathroom outings and feeding times. We also know that at least one of us will be able to spend time with Fenris, either for training, relaxing, or just going out on the town.
Grad school can get busy, but it’s certainly possible to take care of a dog. However, I say that with caution.
As an undergraduate student with a full time job, I’m thankful that there is a second person at home. When finals and midterms come up, sometimes I’m not home often enough to give Fenris all the love and attention he requires (or rather, all the attention and exercise he requires). In this case, I’m glad I have James who is more than willing to cover for me since he has a steady, relatively low stress job and not a lot going on outside of that.
Take your schedule and current set of responsibilities into consideration.
Also, look at finances. Most of your money may be going into student loans at the moment or other regular payments (car, rent, etc.).
We spent a fair amount of money on Fenris. There was the initial cost of adoption, training classes, and the supplies (multiple crates, toys, training aids, etc.). I think our first year ‘startup’ costs were somewhere in the range of $5000, perhaps a bit more.
Food is currently our largest recurring expense. Fenris eats about $260/month (1lb of Honest Kitchen Embark per day, $350 for 40lbs). I’m sure we could cut that by switching brands to something else, but I’d rather pay the price for food I know he loves and is good for him.
Vet bills… Since he hasn’t had any major issues in his lifetime of almost 2 years, we spend about $400/year on vet bills (annual shots, general visits, payment for flea/tick/heartworm medications). We also have a pet insurance policy through PetPlan that will cover any seriously expensive vet bill (annual policy limit is $22,000). I would guesstimate that without those discounts we have (military, multi-pet policies, microchipping, etc.) it would be about $40/month for the insurance.
Now, if you’ve assessed all that and still thing you can handle having a dog; consider this:
Most GSDs will benefit from an hour or two of exercise each day. Exactly how strenuous the exercise is depends on the drive of the dog.
Fenris is a medium-high drive dog. His need of energy outlets is higher than my drive for physical activity. I feel he would probably do well with someone who enjoyed running 5ks and marathons. I’m not that kind of person, so I’m constantly being innovative and finding ways to keep his mind and body occupied.
One solution was the treadmill. He loves it and enjoys being able to run at a good pace for an hour at a time. It’s not a substitute for a nice walk outside (to give him the opportunity to spend time with me and smell ALL OF THE THINGS), but it is nice to be able to put him on it every other day and actually wear him out a bit.
Medium drive dogs aren’t as bad, but they still need at least an hour of doing ‘something’. Swimming, playing two-ball, running, hiking, etc. Even obedience training sessions can be good for them. A tired dog (mentally, physically, or both) is a happy dog. Or at least an easier dog to manage.
A good dog owner is realistic with what their dog truly needs vs. what they as an owner can provide. They understand that a dog is a living creature and gives it the respect, love, and attention it deserves. A good owner will not cause deliberate harm to their dog and will teach their dog how to handle life and the varied environment around them.
Honestly, a dog owner is like a parent. It is a parent’s job to raise a child and teach them how to manage themselves before they become adults and jump out into the real world. Owning a dog is similar, except they will always have the child like tendencies. They’re not always smart enough to understand not to run out into the street, but they know when you’re unhappy with them and are generally eager to fix their mistake (or try to understand what they should never do again). As a dog owner, it will be your job to teach your dog to handle the world, no matter what comes at it (trucks, strollers, tiny children, cats, etc.) and to refer to you when it questions something.
Going back to the parent simile, a good dog owner knows how to be authoritative without overbearing or coming down too heavy-handed on their dog. And even if you don’t know how to do that precisely now, don’t worry. Watch, learn, and try.
How to train a dog…
To learn anything, go to an expert. How do you know they’re experts? Ask around, investigate, use common sense, and trust your instincts. Good dog trainers understand how to use both reinforcing and corrective feedback. They understand that effective timing is necessary to teach a dog if the behavior they presented was right or wrong or none of the above.
I also recommend watching videos from Leerburg and Susan Garrett. I rented so many DVDs from BowWow Flix and learned everything I could on training a puppy before I even had one at home. Watch YouTube videos, read books from the library, find everything you can. If you know anyone who is taking their dog to training classes, ask if you can watch. Or even if you don’t have a friend, find a dog training class and go watch anyway.
Ask yourself: Do the dogs seem happy with what they’re doing? Are they being abused to the point that they will give up and no longer face the ‘challenge’ or ‘problem’ that they are presented with? Training is not something to be forced on a dog until they shut down from frustration or despair. It’s supposed to be fun and a little challenging.
My only other piece of advice is to do your research. Getting a dog is a big commitment and one to be taken very seriously. It took me a long time to realize that I wanted a German Shepherd. It took another year to find a breeder I liked, then another two after that to wait until my life was in a place where I felt like I had the time to raise a puppy and could afford one.
It has been a fun and sometimes crazy ride raising a dog from puppy to… slightly bigger puppy (he’s almost full grown, but at less than 2 yrs of age, he’s mentally still a puppy). But, it has been one of the wonderful things I have ever done.
Good luck!
Love your advice. It is very true what you say about time, and how much it helps to have another person share the load. It does feel a lot like parenting to me, too. Except you can’t accidentally trip and fall over, and then on top of, a human baby without getting reported to Child Services. Batman loves to fling himself in my way for such encounters.
Also could not use your human child as a footrest while watching football. Probably that would be frowned upon.
I agree w/the above. Let’s not forget that if you need to move, not taking the dog is NOT an option. A puppy is easily as time consuming and should be as big a commitment as a baby if it’s not that kind of a priority do not get one.