When everyone sees a dog on campus or just roaming around, everyone’s immediate thought is, “oh my gosh, it’s so cute!” What many don’t know is that having a pet in college can be costly and time-consuming. As college students, many of us are living on a budget, and when it comes to dogs, your living expenses will increase exponentially.

In July of this year, I had talked to my parents about getting a dog that I could take back to Lubbock, and they were very hesitant at first because it is a huge responsibility, and usually as a college student, class and studying takes up a majority of my time. After bribing my parents, they finally caved and I adopted an 8-week-old Maltipoo named Finn.

He’s adorable, don’t get me wrong, but without my parents' assistance financially, it wouldn’t be possible. I’ve listed 5 of the biggest thoughts one should go through when debating if they want to adopt a dog in college:

1. Cost

Dogs are expensive, especially when it comes to vet bills and making sure they’re groomed every month, depending on the breed. I know within the first couple months of having Finn, each time we went to the vet it was around $40-$100 depending on what needed to be done. You also have to remember food and other supplies they could potentially need.

2. Time

Dogs take a lot of time. I know especially when Finn was a puppy I could barely leave the house for more than an hour because he would bark and cry in his kennel until he was let out. Puppies are basically babies and most people don't realize that it's a huge day to day responsibility.

3. Does your pet fit your lifestyle?

There have been some days where I've had class all day and I've had to say no to going out because I felt bad leaving my dog at home. You also have to consider how much exercise your dog will need and you'll have to alter your schedule to fit his or her needs.

4. If you can't afford it, don't buy it.

If you can barely afford the adoption fee, then your best bet is that you can't support that dog. Not everyone is meant to have a pet, and it doesn't have to be something that you force into your life. I know it took some time and planning for me to finally realize that I was ready for a dog.

5. Puppy training is tough

Within the first few weeks of having Finn, I was exhausted and honestly wanted to give up. Luckily for me, my mom helped me out tremendously. She was up at 5 a.m. every morning to take him out and feed him. Though it did take a while for him to catch on that he's supposed to do his business outside, it's a completely different world when they finally grasp the concept.