Relocating for a New Fuzz

So, I have been giving serious thought into adopting a new dog before I relocate out to Ames, Iowa for 4 years of veterinary school. I wanted to adopt the dog toward the beginning of summer so that I would have adequate time to socialize, train, bond, and love the dog before I started pack full days of studying at the vet school. I understand that it may be a little selfish to get a dog when I am planning to go away for school, but the worst part about undergrad and living in a dorm was that I couldn’t have a pet. It didn’t even hurt as bad as when i didn’t have a roommate. It’s just nice to come home to a warm, loving, fuzzy creature. But it might just be the FMA.

However, as noted before, I have a fuzz living in my parents house that is used to being the only fuzz, getting all the attention. I know that it is often hard to bring a new dog home and train it. I don’t want to make Lucky jealous when I spend time with the new dog, and I know that lots of energy will be put into planning how to spend time with a new dog without making Lucky jealous. Also, I am afraid that if I get a new dog and Lucky gets used to it, as well as the new dog, that it will hurt them both when I separate them in August. For that reason I checked out the room in the house (with a fenced in yard!!) where my cousin Mike has been living for the past year with his friend Max. Max has agreed to let me live there – but Mike has not yet mentioned the prospect of the dog. I think it would be good as I wouldn’t have to live at home (read earlier post), wouldn’t have to worry as much about Lucky, would give me place to socialize him with dogs and cats (Heather’s plus parks), and I would enjoy spending a summer up there with Heather. However, this is all if Max let’s me keep a dog there.

If that is a no go – I am unsure of what I am going to do. I am, however, certain that I will have a dog. I need to do this for myself and for the dog. As I said before, I have an addiction. And 8 hours just talking about fuzzes and not being able to come home to one – this would break my heart.

So I was thinking that I would probably keep him at home and go through letting him know Lucky. Despite how much of a pain in the ass this is.

Then…an idea struck me. At Mike’s house there is a one room apartment above the garage – they have a backyard where dog poops already. I could socialize it with that dog. The other dog is tiny, and I know isn’t territorial (when I brought Lucky there). Unfortunately, I know that my aunt and uncle with voice great complaints. And it would probably be worse living there than here even though it’s a separate apartment than from the house. They are clean freaks, who dislike anything that is not theirs. It’s hard enough to let someone borrow a car, or a rake, or some other meaningless thing. I highly doubt that in this life time they would let me live in the apartment over the summer AND train a dog there. “But housebreaking…and you’re so irresponsible…your house is so close”. I could just imagine the millions of protests they have.

So this is my current dilemma (as well as my messy messy room). I shall find a solution one way or the other. My sanity depends on this.