<p>What will you do with your dog when you are in medical school, or during your residency when you will probably work overnight at the hospital every third night or so, and that’s in addition to working all day? This may seem far in the future, but believe me, it isn’t. It will be very difficult to be home to take your dog outside regularly, much less do the long walks. (And no doctor I know has the time to take a dog out except when it’s dark out – 6am or 9pm. And taking your dog to work is definitely not an option.)</p>
<p>We have the world’s easiest dog, which we got as a puppy. She can be left alone for hours, is never destructive, and can easily go 8-10 hours without relieving herself. She’s one in a million. Even so, I did nothing but train her for the first month of her life. And I mean NOTHING – I had to put my life on hold. Realistically, it takes at least 3 months to train a puppy.</p>
<p>Also, you may have taken a lot of responsibility for your dog while growing up, but raising and caring for a dog as an independent adult is not the same. It sounds like you have done a lot of research and, certainly, you’re more prepared for dog ownership than we were. But we were a family of four, all willing to pitch in.</p>
<p>Just make sure you think about the logistics of caring for your dog in the near (and foreseeable future) when you will have absolutely no control over your time. Some day, no doubt, you will have the dog of your dreams, but for now, waiting may be the truly mature and unselfish thing to do.</p>