Being a responsible dog owner with all the benefits of a comfortable lifestyle for you and your pet is a challenge. Responsible dog ownership means that you should always find a way to ensure your pet doesn’t lose out because you are living a student lifestyle. Owning dogs is a real privilege and one that some students understand well and enjoy while at college. Whether you have owned pets for years or been a house and petsitter caring for dogs especially it is important to be mindful of some basic rules if you own a dog when you are a student away from home.

Here at HouseSitMatch we offer you  some tips on what it takes to be a responsible dog owner as a student.

It is hard to be a student on its own. It is harder to have a dog while being a student. Dogs show you a lot of love but they also a lot of responsibility. They want to see you all the time, they get sad whenever you leave the room. They require a lot of care and attention. Also, they have their own schedule that you need to follow and never the other way around. Probably, this is the hardest thing in being a student and having a dog to take care of. They need to go to the park a few times a day, they wake you up too early, and they always make a mess when you the least expect it. But they are always worth it! So here are our short guidelines on how to be a good dog owner while being a student.

Make Time for Your Dog

Yes, we know, you all are very busy. Your classes and homework take all your time, you have a part-time job in the evening and the exams are coming. You may be in the middle of a paperwriter review but try to make time.

Yes, it is a lot of work and time. No, it doesn’t matter. Your dog doesn’t know about it! Your pets love you no matter what and just want some of your time. So, please, the number one rule, dedicate some time to your dog every day, so it won’t feel sad and lonely. This alone makes you a very responsible person!

Accept the Responsibility in Dog Ownership

Dogs are there to teach you responsibility from an early age. A dog owner needs to wake up early, buy and prepare food for the pet, drive it to a vet once in a while and so on and so forth. It is a responsibility that can be compared to being a parent. Should we say more? It is a lot. If you are not ready to accept you are not ready to be a good dog owner. As a student, you do have a lot of help, from your colleagues, professors, internet services. You can always have ways to have an assignment writing on time with some assistance. Though, your dog has no help but you.

Learn how to multitask as a Dog Owner

Speaking of multitasking, a college student has a lot on a plate. Though, people with pets have mastered multitasking on a completely different level. Mainly because dogs have their own plans for the day. They may wake you when they need to go outside not when you plan to wake up. A dog may break something in your home, chew a shoe or steal your socks. They may get sick or require more care at certain periods of their life A pet owner needs to learn how to deal with those unplanned situations. Multitasking is definitely a skill that comes with having a dog. And if you need a little help with your work look up do my assignments for me by domyessay.com.

Dog Owner – Be a good provider

As students are learning the ways of the world, they may find they struggle to take good care of themselves, let alone being a dog owner at college. Be mindful that responsible dog ownership means your dog can’t and shouldn’t suffer because of your personal circumstances. You need to know what is best for your pet, what food it needs, medicine, diet. All of those things are crucial for your dog’s health and overall well-being. Of course, a loving owner will give the dog anything it wants. So your pets are your first lessons in providing for others even if you haven’t learned to do it for yourself yet.

In conclusion

At the end of the day, your dog loves you no matter what. The is the most important thing in dog ownership. You feel it in the way greet you when you come back for your classes, or in a way, they wake you up in the morning. Feeling all this affection inspires you to be not just a better dog owner but a better person. As a student, you may not have enough time even for yourself. Though, when having a dog you always have moments throughout the day when you can just relax, pet them on ahead and feel like there is more to life than work and deadline. Isn’t it the biggest gift of all?

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Bio

Sandra Larson is a freelance writer at https://elizabethanauthors.org/ and an animal rights activist. She is also an owner of two dogs who she picked from dog shelters. Sandra feels very passionate about the preservation of the environment and animal rights.

Further reading about dogs and dog care

At Housesitmatch.com we always try to share useful and informative blogs and practical advice with our members. Read on to find some helpful articles with useful tips for dog owners and dogsitters about dogsitting.

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Dogsitters’ tips – Dog’s body language and how to read it

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