Campus Pets
From OSU Wiki
College is a very exciting time for millions of students across the nation, but sometimes it can be very lonely, especially when you are far from home. A solution to this problem would be owning a pet...I suggest a dog.
Dogs are very fun and loving companions. But besides being great companions, dogs are a lot of work. Unlike cats, a dog needs a lot of love and a great amount of attention and exercise. Caring for a dog is hard work, but along with hard work comes a lot of love.
Contents |
Puppy Considerations
Before getting a dog you should consider the following:
1. How much time you have to care for the dog.
All dogs need love, but some dogs need less exercise than others.
2. If you have a big yard and time to play and walk your dog, you should consider getting a larger dog.
Golden Retrievers, Labradors, and German Shepards are just a few of the choices.
3. If you have a small yard you should think about getting a smaller dog.
A Dachshund (my personal suggestion, and best pick) or one of the many kinds of small dogs, such as Terriers. These dogs need less exercise.
4. If you have children, you need to consider that.
Some of the best dogs with children are Labradors and Golden Retrievers.
Dalmations and Pitbulls would not be a good choice. They tend to be very temperamental.
Male or Female...you decide!
The next things you will need to consider, is decideding whether you want a male or a female pet.
*Females are generally calmer and easier to train.
They also do not tend to urinate everywhere because they don't need to mark territory.
*Males, tend to be aggressive toward other males, but can be very affectionate also.
You should also spay and neuter you dog.
A helpful hint: Spaying is for females and neutering is for males. Fixing your dog will stop them from having puppies, also making them less aggressive.
Caring for Your Puppy/Dog
Once you finally pick the perfect dog, you should let the dog walk around your house or apartment so he/she can used to it. If the dog is a puppy you should get it lots of chew toys, because it is about to start teething.
Grooming your dog is very important, and should be done weekly. Aside from a bath, remember to remove the dirt and wax for your dog's ears. This will not only keep the dogs ears clean, but you can get an early detection of any ear mite or other infection. Also, use dog shampoo (which can be found at almost any pet store) and warm water, to prevent the dog from chills
Brushing your dog is also a good thing to do. You should brush your dog about once a week. Long haired dogs especially need to be brushed so they can avoid hairballs.
As soon as you get your dog, you should take it to a vet to make sure he/she is in good health. Dogs need many shots to prevent them from disease. One shot the dog with get is the rabies shot. Your dog will need to go in for a series of shots when it is a puppy. From then on you should take it in about every six months to a year.
You should feed your dog a balanced diet. Which means lots of protien (meat), carbohydrates too. A dogs diet should consist of 50 percent carbohydrates and 50 percent meat or protein.
You can feed your dog dry food or can food. Usually meat based can foods have a high amount of sugar in them, which leads to future dental problems. The amount of food depends of many things.
- First the type of dog.
- If the dog is active then it should eat more.
- Puppies, working, and pregnant dogs need more calories.
A lot of pet owners like to feed their dogs table food. You should not feed your dog any more than 10 percent of it's daily intake. Feed your dog highly digestible foods, such as chicken, rice and scrambled eggs. Dogs also like vegetables and fruits. Dogs like carrots, apples, and green beans. If your dog vomits or gets sick, you may have to limit the amount of table food.
Dogs need a lot of exercise. To help control the urge to dig, chew, retrieve and chase, exercise your dog a lot. Regular exercise helps burn calories and keeps your dog in shape.
The exercise level depends on your dog's:
- age,
- sex,
- and level of health.
Dogs love jogging, race walking, frisbee playing, and fetch. Be careful when doing this. You should start off slow. Some dogs don't know when to stop.
Owning and caring for a dog is hard work but is also very enjoyable. But don't worry!!! Pretty soon you will start to build a strong relationship with your dog. It will become a part of your family. Take it from me, owning a dog is a true pleasure.
A Goldfish
When you are little it is normally typical for you to have a fish or want a fish. Sometimes your parents buy you Beta fish that kind of just sit there. When I came to college ( I love fish by the way) I brought two gold fish with me. They weren't expensive fish that I paid a lot of money for. It was really nice because you don't really have to do anything for them and they kind of just hang out in your room. Then you feed them and they do their own thing, you clean the bowl out when it get's dirty. If you want your fish to live long. You should dump out half the water from the tank every week or so, and add distilled water. To make your own distilled water, so you don't have to buy it, just fill a bottle with tap water and let it sit out over night on the counter. Another great thing about Goldfish for OSU first year students is you are allowed to have them in the dorms. You aren't aloud to have other pets, such as cats, dogs, or small rodents. My fish actually lasted me a long time, which was nice. If they died I would just go back to the fish store and buy a feeder fish. I considered it "saving a life" because I was giving a poor fish a chance to live. The feeder fish are so inexpensive because people normally just take them home and feed them to their bigger fish. If you do want to spend more money on a cooler fish there are many cold water fish to select from. Just make sure you get a cold water fish because you don't want to have to worry about getting a water heater and that kind of thing.
