bradpattison.com

Okay, I'll try and make this brief but I'm a little bit of a rambler!

I'm 21 y/o and have lived in the same basement suite for 2 and a bit years (Since April 2006). My old roommate moved out in May 2008 and the new one moved in July 2008.

I have a 4 month old Shepherd X (Bobbie) that has been the most enjoyable handful of trouble since I got him at the end of May (got him at 7 weeks, he's almost 18 weeks).

Murray, who is my new roommate, is a friend through soccer (I ref, as does he) and is 18 y/o in Sept. First time he's lived on his own and he's enjoying the independent life.

I get home last night from BC and Murray is like "Does Bobbie get a long well with dogs?" and I tell him yes, since we've done lots of socialization. Then Murray pulls out the "not this pay cheque, but the next one I'm getting a puppy."



I asked him what kind of dog and he's thinking pit bull/rottweiler/big-dog route.

My concerns are:
A) Our basement suite and backyard isn't really big enough for two trouble-causing puppies!
We have a super nice family upstairs that takes Bobbie for walks and plays with him while I'm at work, but I don't know how they'll feel about a second puppy
C) Murray is away from the house 7:30AM - 6:00PM, and I don't know who he expects to take care of the puppy during the day (I'm back at university come Sept, so am only away from home for 3-4 hours most days, Bobbie will be going to day care on Tuesday when I have class all day)
D) Bobbie is only 4 months, and I'm concerned that his training may be harder to maintain/advance with another puppy to distract him
E) I was more or less "told" that he's getting a puppy without any thought into how I might feel about it... he also said that if anyone in the house (i.e. people upstairs, landlord, etc) had an issue with it, that he would be using my situation with Bobbie as leverage (aka: if you can do it, I'm doing it)

I'm pretty frustrated this morning because I think that he shouldn't rush into getting a dog - it's a big committment!

Any suggestions on how I should approach Murray on this and what I should say/suggest to him?

This sounds like a tough one. Not sure how mature Murray is but sitting down with him and talking about how much it costs to have a dog between food, training, doggie day care, vet bills etc. might cause him to think twice about it. I don't think he has really thought it through as to what he is going to do while at work all day, or out/away on weekends or vacation time. If you make it clear that YOU aren't going to be responsible for his puppy or any damage it might cause.... Maybe you need to talk to your landlord first about the situation and have them impose a "one dog" rule for the household and prevent your room-mate from even thinking about getting a puppy. I think that you are going to end up being responsible for a puppy you didn't ask for or financially responsible for damage caused by the pup if your room mate is able to get this dog. Good luck!

Knowing a little about teenagers and how they like to sleep in, I would suggest he sets his alarm every night for every 2 hours and stay up for a 1/2 hour before going back to bed, and he'll have to set his alarm earlier to get up and take care of HIS dog, he'll also have to come home during the day to let it out. Maybe he should just try helping you out with your dog to get a little bit of an idea of the commitment it takes. At 18 he's probably barely able to take care of himself never mind a dog.

I agree with Mayasmom, this is a recipe for disaster.. Brad doesn't recommend a new puppy until the first dog is 3 years old..human years that is. The puppy needs attention and training and a new dog will interrupt that. I have an 18 year old son and even though he loves our old dog he isn't mature enough to have a dog on his own as yet.
As a landlord myself having 2 puppies in a basement apartment is ridiculous. If he feels the need to play with a puppy maybe he should try volunteering at a shelter or something for a while. A puppy is very similar to having a baby. Maybe ask him if he feels he is ready to be a parent and try that angle. If you dont stand up for this not only will you suffer but both dogs will too! Good luck!

wen in Ottawa

Thanks for the reassurance. I was definitely caught off guard by the comment last night. Often when I'm away from home and Murray gets home before me, I'll get text msgs of "I can't get your dog to stop jumping on me" and "I'm so frustrated by Bobbie" so I was surprised when he said he wanted his own puppy.

After watching the episode in which the girl (landlord) struggles with her boyfriend and two roommates, I've tried suggesting to Murray to take Bobbie for walks or play with him in the backyard to help Bobbie learn that he also needs to respect Murray. Hasn't happened yet, so I don't see how getting another puppy would fix his issues with Bobbie. I think he also thinks that my training beliefs are wrong (i.e. I don't think that rubbing my dog's nose in his pee will help him stop peeing in the house, but apparently that's what everyone "but the people who write the books" do!) so he might want to get a puppy to prove that his dog would be better behaved.

Nonetheless, I'll have to sit down with Murray an evening this week and explain to him my reservations about him getting a dog!

I would talk to your landlord. Even though they let you get a puppy, doesn't mean they should allow your roommate to get one. It is ultimately their say about any new pets. I don't know what kind of contract he signed, but if it didn't say anything about pets, then they can make the decision now. You should try your best to convince them that another puppy is not a good idea.
If your RM uses Bobbie as leverage, you could argue that you had lived in the house for 2 years before getting the dog. He has lived there about a month. He doesn't have the same creditably that you do.

Talking to your RM is a great idea. He needs to understand the responsibility of having a dog and a puppy. He also needs to understand the level of commitment. Not only is it a 24/7 job, but it can last 15 years. At 18, he may not understand that the dog will still be with him when he is 35. Get him to do some of the everyday things that Bobbie needs, like walks, feeding, training, cleaning up after. Have him come to the vet with you to see the costs of a puppy.

I am only 19. I have 2 small dog. I have had them since I was 13. I fully understand the commitment. The dogs come first both financially and time wise. If it come to something I want and something one of my pets needs, the pets come first. I lived for about 3 months on $50 because my rabbit got sick and I didn't have a job (the vet costs was my Christmas money).

I would talk to him. Make sure he understands the commitment. Getting a dog is a little like having kids. Can't leave them alone for too long, need to find sitters, need to teach them appropriate behaviour, etc. Make sure he understands this. They aren't just toys.

I would like to play devils advocate, though. At 18 my lifestyle wouldn't have suggested I would have the time to take care of a dog. But I got my beagle, and I put as much time and effort into her as I could. People in my life were concerned, assuming I wouldn't have the time to train her, or spend enough time with her. And now, they're all impressed with what a great dog she has turned out to be.

I wouldn't neccesarily discount him because of how he is now.

On the same note. I own the house I live in, have owned it since I was 18 - we had roommates. Shortly after I got my beagle puppy, they wanted to get a basset hound puppy. I told them no for several reasons, one being 3 dogs and 4 cats + 3 lizards. WAY too many animals. But the biggest thing being whenever we'd ask them to watch our dogs for a night - I'd come back the next day being told "Coda was way too hyper when I let her out of her crate after work, so I let her out to pee a few times, and she was in her crate the rest of the time" Needless to say, we started taking the dogs over to a friends house, who has dogs - where they wouldn't be locked up all day.

If they couldn't deal with a puppy for one night, they wouldn't be able to deal with one every day.

So ask him if he'd be willing to work with Bobbie, just as a dry run, to be sure it's what he wants. He may realise it's more work than he's willing to do, or he might rise to the occasion and really want to do it.

I too agree with everything everyone here has said on this matter. Although you do not "own" your house, you are the "landlord" of that space, since you had been there the longest and I am assuming the lease is under your name.

Just sit down and talk to him; voice your concerns. Get him to do the trial run. Get him up when you are taking Bobbie for his morning walk; take him with you for the feeding, get him to help you clean up poop (that'll fix him! Ha Ha!). Show him your vet bills, costs for food per month, equipment he will need (crate, leash etc.). If you put it in a non-accusatory manner, hopefully he will be more receptive.

Good Luck! Keep us all posted!

You could also mention that puppies=money, there is the initial cost of buying/adopting, crate, food, bowls, toys, collar leash, then shots, then fixing, then emergencies after they are sick, then licensing, then doggy day care, then training classes, grooming . . .and in the mean time you are buying food and collars as they grow. Dogs cost about $1000-$1500 a year to maintain, this is the average dog who doesnt have and long term medications or anything like that.
If he cant afford the roughly $500 this paycheck for puppy start up, how does he think he can afford it on the next one?
Money can be a good motivator, maybe tally up what you have spent and show him that?
Meaghan

Good idea Meaghan.

With Bobbie I've probably spent over $2000 this summer so far - including two crates and bedding (since he ended up being a bigger puppy than I thought he was going to be and out grew the first one in 5 weeks), two sets of shots (including the bordetella, gardia, plus I go home to the Okanagan lots so heartworm tests), his neuture next month will probably cost $500 including micro-chipping and anaesthesia tests, food, toys, leashes, collars, puppy classes (x2 - since I don't like the original one I enrolled him in), etc. I'll make a list and let him know that that is how much Bobbie cost, and if he can really afford it!

Thanks for all the feedback everyone. I'll keep you posted after I've had a chat with him!