Edit: I am using my boyfriend's Reddit for this as I don't have one of my own

Introduction

1) Will this be your first dog? If not, what experience do you have owning/training dogs?

• This will be my first dog I own by myself. I have lived in a household with at least one dog for my entire life. I have trained my household dogs in the past but have never had to tend to their veterinary, grooming, or food needs.

2) Do you have a preference for rescuing a dog vs. going through a reputable breeder?

• I would love to adopt/rescue a dog but I require a hypoallergenic dog, so either is find if I can find a hypoallergenic breed.

3) Describe your ideal dog.

• My ideal dog is small(<15lbs), hypoallergenic, and playful but still loves to cuddle. I would also like a dog that is good around other dogs and groups of people (although I partially feel that this something more related to training than breed). I do not mind a dog that needs grooming frequently, but short hair is definitely preferred.

4) What breeds or types of dogs are you interested in and why?

• I am interested in Yorkies, shih tzu's, poodles, and I also love chihuahua's but this is more due to my childhood dog. I am interested in the first three breeds because they are all hypoallergenic, are small breeds, and I have had good experiences with these breeds in the past. I also like that these breeds have toy/teacup options, although I'm not sure how ethical "teacup" breed are.

5) What sorts of things would you like to train your dog to do?

• I would obviously want my dog to be potty trained, if it is small enough I would not mind puppy pad training but mainly outdoor potty training. I would like it to know the basic such as sit, stay, drop, give, etc. I don't expect much for "cool tricks," I just mainly want a dog who knows to stay, come, and play nice with people and other dogs.

Care Commitments

6) How long do you want to devote to training, playing with, or otherwise interacting with your dog each day?

• I don't intend to get a dog without being fully committed to it. While I do take classes and work, all of my time outside of classes and working would be spent with my dog so I am willing to put in as much time as it needs to train a dog but I would like for it to be potty trained fairly quickly.

7) How long can you exercise your dog each day, on average? What sorts of exercise are you planning to give your dog regularly and does that include using a dog park?

• Part of the reason I am looking for a smaller dog is due to the fact that I am in college. I am an RA so I live in a dorm still but I do not have a roommate so all the space I have my dog will also have. I can exercise my dog for 2-3 hours a day, and can frequently use the college lawns for outdoor interactions. I would mostly just play fetch, or let my dog interact with the other campus dogs and just run around. Within my room of course I will play tug of war or just let them roam around the room.

8) How much regular brushing are you willing to do? Are you open to trimming hair, cleaning ears, or doing other grooming at home? If not, would you be willing to pay a professional to do it regularly?

• I am definitely willing to do at home grooming, I just get nervous that I am going to mess something up, learning how to groom will be an obstacle I would have to face. I would not mind taking my dog to a groomer, but would like to no have to do this more than monthly or bimonthly.

Personal Preferences

9) What size dog are you looking for?

• Small, less than 15 pounds. A toy or teacup breed would be nice, but not absolutely necessary.

10) How much shedding, barking, and slobber can you handle?

• I am looking for hypoallergenic, so minimal shedding. Also, due to dorm life, minimal barking. I do not mind slobber though.

11) How important is being able to let your dog off-leash in an unfenced area?

• This is not that important for me, I am hoping that I can train my dog to walk or stay without a leash, but staying on a leash is also fine.

Dog Personality and Behavior

12) Do you want a snuggly dog or one that prefers some personal space?

• I would love a snuggly dog, if the dog wanted to stay at my hips 24/7 that would be fine by me.

13) Would you prefer a dog that wants to do its own thing or one that’s more eager-to-please?

• I would prefer something in the middle, I would want a dog that wants to get my attention, but also inherent curiosity is expected and fun.

14) How would you prefer your dog to respond to someone knocking on the door or entering your yard? How would you prefer your dog to greet strangers or visitors?

• I do not mind a dog running to the door, or sniffing, but I would like minimal barking and no jumping or that they at least stop jumping on command. I would like y dog to great strangers by sniffing, and licking.

15) Are you willing to manage a dog that is aggressive to other dogs?

• I do not want an aggressive dog, being good around other dogs is a complete necessity.

16) Are there any other behaviors you can’t deal with or want to avoid?

• biting, snapping, and crying for the entire time after I leave

Lifestyle

17) How often and how long will the dog be left alone?

• The longest I would leave my dog alone is to go to class, maximum of 4 hours, although I do intend graduating and getting a job eventually where at that point it would be about 8 hours.

18) What are the dog-related preferences of other people in the house and what will be their involvement in caring for the dog?

• The dogs main caregiver will be myself, the only time another person will be taking care of my dog is for the occasional being taken out if I will not be home for a while.

19) Do you have other pets or are you planning on having other pets? What breed or type of animal are they?

• No, no other pets

20) Will the dog be interacting with children regularly?

• No children, but a lot of college aged adults frequently.

21) Do you rent or plan to rent in the future? If applicable, what breed or weight restrictions are on your current lease?

• I do not know yet, I would pick a place to rent around my dog.

22) What city or country do you live in and are you aware of any laws banning certain breeds?

• I live in the United States, and any breed I am interested in would not be banned.

23) What is the average temperature of a typical summer and winter day where you live?

• I live in Ohio where the weather can vastly vary. In the winter it gets very cold, and in the summer it gets hot.

Additional Information and Questions

24) Please provide any additional information you feel may be relevant.

• I would like to be able to train this dog to be a therapy dog for local nursing homes or shelters.

25) Feel free to ask any questions below.