BAILEY DEBARMORE
  • Blog
  • EPI
    • EPICODE
    • #EpiWritingChallenge >
      • About the EWC
      • All Posts
  • #JBTL
  • About
    • Work With Me
    • CV
    • Writing Portfolio
    • Policies

getting a dog in grad school

5/20/2017

1 Comment

 
Getting a Dog in Grad School from Bailey DeBarmore
Back in January I got a dog. Halfway through the first year of my doctoral program. 

We always had a family dog growing up. When I left for college, I was most excited to see our dog when I got home. Snuggling on the floor and playing outside brought me more joy than anything else. 

The past few years, in residency then a masters program, I've been assessing my financial status and time commitments to see if it was time to responsibly get a dog. 

The time came shortly after the New Year, and it's been the best decision I ever made.
My flexible schedule allows me to work from home, going to campus for classes. My flexible schedule also allows us to venture out to the dog park once or twice a day. I've made friends with other grad students/dog parents there and life is good. 

Often, landlord rules for rentals prevent tenants from getting a pet.  My pup is an emotional support animal, or an ESA. They're different from service animals in that they are not trained to do a certain task for their owner. But they are covered under legislation. 
​​
Taking the Steps to Getting a Best Friend via ESA
I read many stories online, most of them from websites that offer an ESA letter for a low price of $49.99 (generalization) with testimonials from happy customers who had been rejected from airlines or tenants for subpar ESA letters before. 

I also found articles written from a legal standpoint that those customer service provisions aren't necessarily the best way to go either. For details explaining the legislation protecting ESA and their owners in "No Pet" housing, read this article.

I contacted my landlord to find out what they would like to have. Specifically, what needs to be stated in the letter from my doctor (or other providers that are accepted) to avoid having to repeat the process. 

By process, I mean scheduling an appointment with my busy doctor to get the letter, only to find out there was some loophole my landlord found and having to go back, dragging out the process by months. And for someone with anxiety, that would not be the best prescription. ​
Life with an ESA Dog

Some people share that being a working student - having the responsibilities of class and a job - helps them improve their time management skills, actually revealing more time, and making them feel more productive. 


Having a dog is a big time commitment. Using "gift puppies" as an example (which usually end up at the shelter by the way), you need to be ready to have a pet. Think about the costs involved (food, vet care, accessories, not to mention emergency costs), what a typical day would look like (wake up earlier than usual, walk, feed, settle the pup before you go to class, get home, walk...etc.)

Are you ready for a dog? Check out these quizzes (who doesn't love taking online quizzes?)
Are you ready for a dog? (Rover.com)
Ready for a dog? (AKC.com)
7 Signs You're Ready to Get a Dog (Parents.com)

You also need to consider the age of the dog you want to get. A number of my friends (in "Yes Pet" housing) got puppies. Puppies are a lot more work than older dogs. Potty training. Teething. Training. Training. Training. Potty breaks every few hours. I decided I did not want a puppy, but wanted a dog between 8 months - 1.5 or 2 years old. Energy and time left before some of the health issues may set in, but without the crazy puppy stuff. 

I got my little darling at 8 months from a high-kill, low-funded shelter. It was hard to walk up and down the kennel, with the pups sitting pretty up at the gate, seeming to say "Hi! Take me home!"

I went back up to the front with a few names of pups I'd like to meet - I had considered their age, the vibe I got, their sex. To meet them, a shelter staff member took me to the reverse side of the kennel (just concrete, easy to clean, quieter) and opened the doggy door from their "homey" kennel side. My soul mate trotted out to meet me, sniffing, then sitting down and leaning against me. Sweetest little soul. But so so skinny. 

I met two others, who were much higher energy and also nervous. I'm glad I met different pups because it solidified my decision for the right one. The staff called my landlord to verify my pet policy, and I picked him up the next day. 

He's about 1 year now, and my best friend. I'm not lonely, he gives me purpose and a schedule, and the best snuggles ever. 

I'd love to answer your questions and hear your comments. 

XOXO,
​Bailey the dog mom.


Sources:
​1) Martin, Glen. Pet Therapy: Students Increasingly Bring Emotional Support Animals to College. California Magazine. 2015. Link
2) Steiert, Meleva. Therapy Dogs Reduce Anxiety And Loneliness for College Students. Dog Time.Com. Link
1 Comment
Ajay
5/22/2017 10:47:12 pm

Hey Bailey,

Hope you're doing well! I've been periodically checking in on this site since I stumbled across one of the earlier versions a few years ago- I love your writing style. Liked this post in particular. I've been having that internal debate over the right time to get a dog for a while now. Can't help but smile every time I see one- they're just perfectly blissful souls at peace with everything and everyone around them. Kept saying I'd get one as soon as I had an actual paying job (as opposed to the mirage of real money in the form of student loans), but as I'm about to start intern year the reality is setting in that the time commitment is equally if not more important than the financial considerations, so I'm yet again deferring the decision for sometime in the future. Glad to hear you found the right one for you, he sounds like a sweet pup! Also, I definitely never knew about the difference between an ESA and a service dog, so I learned something new as well.

Best,
Ajay

(Not sure how many Ajay's you know but this is the one from enloe haha)

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    about me
    Picture

    popular posts

    How to write your dissertation literature review

    #EpiWritingChallenge 2018

    Like what you read?

    Picture

    Study Smarter for the RD Exam

    Like Bailey DeBarmore on Facebook

    Picture

    categories

    All
    Admissions
    Advisors
    Business
    Dissertation
    EpiWritingChallenge
    Graduate Life
    Interpersonal
    Life After School
    Networking
    Not So Serious
    Productivity
    Product Reviews
    Self Care
    Self-care
    Studying
    Thesis
    Writing

    archives

    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    February 2018
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    December 2016
    August 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016

    RSS Feed

    This website uses marketing and tracking technologies. Opting out of this will opt you out of all cookies, except for those needed to run the website. Note that some products may not work as well without tracking cookies.

    Opt Out of Cookies

BLOGS

Work & Productivity
Health and Nutrition
EPICODE

About

About Bailey
CV and Resume
CONTACT

RD EXAM

Study Smarter Method
RD Exam Resources

FIND ME ON

Facebook
LinkedIn
Twitter
Google Scholar
Research Gate
Terms & Conditions | Privacy Policy | Disclaimers
Copyright Bailey DeBarmore © 2019
  • Blog
  • EPI
    • EPICODE
    • #EpiWritingChallenge >
      • About the EWC
      • All Posts
  • #JBTL
  • About
    • Work With Me
    • CV
    • Writing Portfolio
    • Policies