[mcpd1202]

Hello!

I've grown up with goldens my entire life, I'm a 21-year-old Junior in college looking into getting my own Golden pup this upcoming summer going into senior year at school. I go to a rural school where I live with two other friends (Both grown up with dogs) in a house with a big fenced in back yard. I'm wondering if anyone either a college student or a young single person has dealt with breeders when applying for a puppy. Do they tend to shy away because of the young age or college factor? I am a very responsible person and when it comes to dogs like I said I have grown up with two in my household. Just looking for some feedback anything will be helpful.

Thanks!

 

[Prism Goldens]

I worry more about young couples who haven't had kids yet than I do college students who are responsible! Good luck to you on your search.

 

[ArchersMom]

I got my first golden while I was a senior in college. I think some breeders were put off by it, but not all. The biggest concern would be where you'll be going after graduating. The presumption is that you'll move and then might not be able to keep the dog because of housing. It's hard finding an apartment that will allow dogs over 50 lbs! It wasn't until I knew where I'd be settling and bought a house that I got more returned emails from breeders.

 

[Leslie B]

Yes, I do a double take when a college student applies for a puppy. It is not about being a student but about the uncertainty of future employement or even where you might live that concerns me. While you have flexibility in your schedule now, what happens when you graduate and get a job? Will you work long hours? Will you have to move far to get this job? Will you have a support nextwork there? Will you be able to find housing that will allow a 70 pound dog? Will that house have a fenced back yard?

There are so many changes that will happen in your life once you graduate. Most of them are great but most college students cannot see what they are right now. Many breeders are concerned that you might find yourself in a situation that is not so great for the dog. So, if you know where you will work and live post graduation then you could be a good candidate.

Personally, I look for more long term stability than most college students can supply.

 

[cubbysan]

I think it depends on the breeder. I know some college students that are very responsible and some that are not. Be prepared to answer many questions - like back up plans for finances or living accommodations, etc.

I know I already promised my daughters each a golden puppy of there own for their graduation gift - I know they are all responsible, but I will need to re-evaluate their circumstances when that time comes or even accept that the puppy will always have to have a place at my house until they are stable in their lives.

 

[Jamm]

I was 18 when I got Joey.. Mind you we got Joey as a "family" dog.. I still live at home and he is very much the family dog but all of his training, and "main" care giving is done by me. My amazing parents are on stand by though when I am at work. My breeder didn't mention anything about my age. I was the one in main contact with her and Joey is technically under my name. If you go in honest and being yourself you should have no problem

 

[carolinehansen]

I'm a sophomore in college and I just got Hank a few months ago. I never had any issues with my breeder. He never shied away because of my age. If you know you're responsible, then thats all that matters, you should be fine

 

[aesthetic]

Sorry this is so long lol

I got Kaizer as a 14.5 year old. Young yeah, and honestly, it took me over a decade of just general dog research, and then breed specific research, and then a year on top of that for breeder research before I was even comfortable approaching the idea with my parents.

I started reading the AKC Complete Dog Breed Book when I was 5 (I've always been an avid reader - practically came out of the womb reading Harry Potter), and by the time I was 10, I had a pretty decent knowledge on various breeds, and dogs as a whole.

It took me up until about March of 2014 before my mom agreed to get a dog. With both my parents growing in India, they're quite wary of dogs in general. My mom didn't want to be responsible for the dog, she thought that I'd get bored of caring for the dog quickly and it'd be left up to her to care for it. In a way, I agree. At a young age, there was no way I could've cared for any other living animal, I could barely take care of myself.

After I did some research on breeders and what to look for with them, I started contacting breeders. I was the one in main contact with them, not my mom or my dad. Obviously the breeder did talk to my parents, but I filled out the applications, had the conversation with the breeder, etc. etc. I am extremely lucky to have found a breeder who had enough trust from the conversations we had to trust me with a puppy of hers.

I take care of Kaizer by myself. I feed him, take him out, play with him, train him, walk him, exercise him etc. by myself whenever I'm home (its a different issue when I'm at school). I don't go out on the weekends, if I want to hang out with a friend, they come over. I wake up at 5:30 in the morning to walk him, sometimes I can convince my mom to ditch the gym and take us to the park. This is coming from a person who loves sleep and can easily sleep until 3pm with no problem. I'm even planning on titling him in as many things as I can. My parents do the most important part though, they pay for everything As of now, I'm too young to get a "decent" job and therefore my income is close to none. When I get a job, I'm going to start pitching in, buying food, toys, helping with vet bills, whatever I can.

So my point? It's to say that a younger person is capable of raising a puppy. I think that I'm doing a pretty good job with Kaizer, I mean, he's an AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy, he sits when we pass people, he's fairly good on leash even at 6months, he's learned to love being outside, his recall is somewhat decent, his house manners are progressively getting better, his tail is always wagging and his eyes are always bright. I don't want to seem like I'm not giving my parents any credit, because they do a great job of taking care of him while I'm away. But I trained him myself, and I'm immensely proud of that. So yeah, a younger person can raise a puppy, and do it right.

I do think, though, that you being in college is probably really different than my being a sophomore in high school. For one, I have a solid living place for the next 6-8 years of my life. Two, if I get a really good job out of college, great. if not, well both my savings account and help from my parents will take care of Kaizer's needs. Three, I'm not drowning in homework yet. Most of it I finish in school so I can leave my afternoon/evenings free for Kaizer (if you want to know how much time I spend with Kaizer per day, it's about 8+ hours on a school day, and 14+ hours on days off). He gets so much interaction with me + strangers, and new sounds and noises and situations. I don't know how busy you are as a college student, but there's so much more to owning a dog than a yard and the age of owner. I think it comes down to what you're willing to do for your puppy, and what kind of lengths you'll go to to give him the best life possible.


((P.S. Kaizer is technically a "family dog" and he is under my parents name))

 

[george58]

I'm a junior in college also, and got my first golden, George, over the summer. Like you, I wanted to get my puppy over the summer so I could have around 4 months to solely devote to him. I wanted to ensure that his transition would go smoothly, and that I could expose him to as many things as possible.
I talked to a lot of breeders while searching for the perfect dog. Some emailed me back and some didn't. I was open with the fact that I was a college student, and I think that my upfront honesty helped the breeder to understand that I was serious about wanting a puppy. I also have a lot of goals for my puppy. I want him to get his CGC and I want him to become a certified therapy dog, so that might have helped as well.

When sending my initial emails I would write so much information about me and what I was looking for in a dog that I actually had one breeder tell me to just call her. But, I think that this is a great way to start communication because the breeder knows so much about you and what you are looking for in a dog. I'm lucky enough to have financial support from my parents, and live in a house with a huge backyard at school so George has room to run and play. My roommates also will play with George while I'm in class so he is rarely in his crate.

I got lucky with finding George's breeder. I had been in contact with a breeder last year, and really really liked her dogs and her program, but like I said earlier, I wanted to bring my puppy home during the summer and that wasn't likely to happen with a puppy from her program. But she shared a pregnancy announcement on Facebook of a litter that was sired by one of her dogs, and I was able to get in contact with the breeder who owned the bitch, and have the other breeder "vouch" for me in a sense because I had talked to her before. I was lucky because George's litter had already been born, and I only had to wait the long eight weeks to bring him home.

I will admit, George has been one of the easiest puppies to raise. He passed his puppy class with flying colors, and I even had someone ask me the other day if he was a service dog. It was quite possibly the best compliment someone could ever give me because we have been working so hard to earn his CGC and therapy dog title. Not every puppy will be like him, so you have to be prepared for the worst. I had lived with a puppy that was "the worst" so I knew what to expect, and was prepared to do anything and everything to make sure my puppy wouldn't be like that. Also, you will have to give up a lot of time to be with the puppy, especially your social life. I've given up going out with my friends some nights because I didn't want to leave my puppy home alone. Be prepared to spend a lot of money, some unnecessary I will admit (George has way way too many toys). Just this week, my roommates boyfriends GSP was over playing with George in the backyard, and he somehow sliced the webbed area between his toes. It was a freak accident, and the only thing that he could've possibly sliced it on was a stick. $500, sedation, and 8 stitches later we found out that he had severed two arteries in his paw. Luckily, her boyfriend had the money to pay for it, but if something like this was to happened to your puppy and you couldn't pay for it, what would you do?

After this long rant I've typed up (hopefully this all makes sense) I guess what I'm saying is to have a plan. Figure out what you would do in certain situations that would effect your puppy, such a financial strain, moving, a new job, etc. Have backup plans, and be prepared to tell the breeders you're in contact with all of this. In my experience, more information is better when it comes to connecting with breeders!

If you have any other questions for someone who just went through what you are currently going through, feel free to PM me! I'll answer any questions you have, or give advice on my experiences with breeders.

Where are you looking and what are you looking for in a puppy? I could possibly give you some breeders to look in to, and I know other members on here could!