Guys walk them to pick up chicks. Girls tote them like tubes of lipstick. Gone are the days of Lassie and Rin Tin Tin. Today, dogs aren’t famous for being man’s best friend. Celebrities like Paris Hilton flaunt behaved pooches, but viewers never get to see what happens when Tinkerbell pulls ornaments off the Christmas tree. Dogs are a huge responsibility, especially for a college student.

Like a Prada bag, a Chihuahua or a Golden Retriever may be a good investment, but make sure you’re bringing fido home for the right reasons. Remember, he or she is more than just a chick magnet or designer handbag. Aside from how well those big brown eyes complement your ensemble, here are five things to consider before buying a dog while in college.

1. Your Living Situation
College apartments usually come in two sizes, small and extra small. Dr. Ambrose, a veterinarian at Plains Animal Hospital in Plains, Pennsylvania feels that the size of your space is very important, especially when deciding what type of breed to get. “If you have a small backyard or not a lot of walking space, labs wouldn’t be a good breed because they need a lot of exercise,” she advises. “Shitzus on the other hand, you just take outside to go; they get all their activity in the house. A bulldog would be another good breed because they’re fairly self-sufficient; they sleep a lot.”

Layout isn’t only important to designers on Trading Spaces. “Some big breeds are prone to arthritis, as early as two years old,” says Ambrose, “and so if you live in an apartment with three flights of steps, you might consider buying a smaller dog that you can just carry down.”

2. Training Your New Friend
Sure puppies are cute, but training them is a full-time job. “Ideally, if you can be at home with them, a new puppy should be taken out every two hours,” suggests Ambrose, “but if that’s not as convenient, every four hours is good.”

When Sarah Keller, a sophomore at King’s College in Wilkes-Barre, PA was helping me train my four-month old mini dachshund, Renegade, she was surprised how difficult it was to raise a puppy. “My parents always had big dogs and took care of the puppies,” remembers Keller, “Training [Renegade] was a 24-hour job.” It may be hard for a college student to dedicate 24 hours to anything, especially if they’re involved in campus activities or hold a part-time job.

Classes alone make it difficult to give a puppy the care and attention it needs. “I have classes from nine in the morning until two in the afternoon straight on Tuesdays and Thursdays. If I had a dog, I’d have saw dust for a desk and a very sick pooch,” jokes King’s student Rachel Dumont.

3. You Can’t Buy Flea Medication at the Dollar Store
You may not hold a part-time job now, but if you bring a dog home, you’ll definitely need one. According to Ambrose, when you get a puppy, there are a series of vaccinations involved. They need one at eight weeks, 12 weeks, and 16 weeks. “Sometimes, the place you get the dog at will take care of the first shot and the deworming,” she says, “but if they don’t, the checkup, the shot, and the dewormer pill will run about $35-$50 per visit.”

After that, puppies usually come in once a year for routine shots. If you want your dog’s nails clipped, it’s another $10. Ambrose also suggests that your dog be spade or neutered at six-months, which costs $150 to spay or $100 to neuter.

King’s student and dog owner, Ashlee Gavenus, reminds students not to forget about the obvious costs of food, treats, leashes, collars, toys, and a license as well as the hidden costs. “Most students don’t think about the accidents [puppies] can have, so they’ll need cleaning supplies too,” says Gavenus, “and if they’re renting an apartment, they might need to put a larger deposit down or pay for damages when they move out.”

4. Dog and Roomie Relations
When it comes to your roommates, make your kindergarten teacher proud and use a little common courtesy. The first thing Ambrose suggests is that you get their permission. “You don’t want to bring a dog into the house without asking.”

“We never had any conflict over the dog,” admits Gavenus, “because when we moved in with each other, we talked about me bringing my pup with me.”

Second, Ambrose advises that you account for your roommates’ allergies, “Bichons and Poodles don’t really shed, so they are good breeds for people with allergies.”

My old roommate and King’s student Talia DeFalco suffers from pet allergies, but she knew about Renegade coming into the apartment. “Sometimes if I’d pet Ren, and then touch my eyes, they would get really red and swollen, but I just had to be conscious of that, and I took a lot of Benadryl,” says DeFalco, “but Renny was so cute, how could I stay away from him?”

5. Your Social Life
If you’re used to attending sleepovers at Cindy’s or going on spring break with the guys, you better think about finding a sitter for your pup now. Even day trips are out of the question. You can’t leave dogs home alone for extended periods of time, especially when they’re being trained.

Ambrose says that some dogs suffer from separation anxiety. In this case, the dog will generally react in one of two ways, either chewing things like table legs and shoes or going to the bathroom inside the house.

Keller once returned home after Renegade had been alone and found a very messy apartment. “He destroyed a whole box of tissues; they were all over the place, but it was funny,” laughs Keller. “He also ruined a pair of my favorite sandals, but he was too cute to yell at him. He was mad that I wasn’t paying attention to him, so I deserved it. I can replace shoes but not Renegade.”