Should I bring her with me?

MechWolf

Lurker
Hello everyone! I would like to hear some opinions about what to do on the situation I'm facing:
So, I recently went to my grandma's farm, and there I found this lovely female dog (is it ok to call her "bitch"?) called Koda. She started jumping on my leg as soon as we met, and I returned the greeting with some head pets and scratches. The days passed, and lots of cuddling, playing and running happened. It would be all fun and games, weren't for the fact she's trapped all the time in a small porch, except when she gets a way out by herself. The reason for this is that she likes to run after (and eventually kill) the chickens, and also to make a mess in the house.

Taking that into consideration, I asked my grandma if I could take Koda with me (I'm soon moving to a small apartment in a big city to study Engineering), and she quickly agreed, in case I could take care of the dog. My idea is that she would still be restricted to a small space, but could receive proper care and love, and we could go for walks and exercises on a daily basis.

The problem is that, after a bit of research, I found she's actually a Blue Heeler (or Australian Cattle Dog), a breed made to work on the big australian fields, which make them a very energetic and space-demanding type. This is the complete opposite of what I'm going for in the college life. But then again, either in the city or in the farm, her usual amount of space would be about the same, except that she would have a couple hours of daily walk with me.

Another thought I ran across is the time. Studies, specially Engineering, can be a hell of a time and energy consumer. Sum that with with an eventual treineeship. I get afraid that at some point I would be so tired I wouldn't be able to give the attention she deserves. But hey, college is a temporary compromise. Maybe Koda could handle some days without exercises? She's still got a whole life ahead, after all (her age is only 1yo). Also, on the other hand, having a dog as a company could be an incentive to live a healthier life with more disposition.

Overall, I must say I fell in love with Koda. Her ability to show affection and communicate is something I've never seen in any other dog. On my last day in the farm, I went to the porch to kiss her goodbye. She always get damn excited just by the sound of me coming by, but this time she was chained, unlike the other days. I tried to play with her, but there wasn't any willingness on her side. No single word was needed to understand what she felt. This only made me more sure that I'm willing to make sacrifices to give her at least some of what's being denied to this dog.
 
That is difficult. It looks like she will need a lot of getting used to considering what she is used to now. You can probably expect a lot of destroyed stuff once you leave home. Maybe you should prepare for that and hide anything valuable or dangerous like cables.
You will also probably need to do a lot of training as it seem in her current position she did not get much of that and maybe is not even used to walking on a leash.
 
If you have the ability to spend HOURS with her playing and walking outside, every single day, and don't have problems with neighbors minding some barking, or don't mind possibility of her destroying some things in your household as she gets used to it, I would go for it. But only if you can really meet the condition of enough physical activity, if you want to go for it, you need to do this for her, otherwise it doesn't make sense and wouldn't be good for the dog. Even larger breeds can be happy in small home, if taken care of properly. It's commitment and you need to decide for yourself, whether you are ready to give her your time and enerhy, no matter what.
And I understand you, just like with people, sometimes you just feel that the particular dog is different, than any other you have met so far. If you can make her happy and well, it would be worth it, in my opinion.
 
Dog sitting available? Plus training her to stay calm can help. Invest in a kennel and make it a happy space for her so no destroyed items when you come home. If long term going out (say work) i advise dog sitting maybe a muzzle we wouldn't want any mistakes happening as you mentioned she killed chickens.

But yes no matter the breed it takes commitment to follow through her quality of life
 
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Thanks for the replies and tips everyone! That's more or less what I expected. I think the best is to first spend a month or two in the college before making a decision, this way I can have an idea of what my routine will be. I'll also take some time to research about training and special services for this situation.
Also, I would like to hear a bit about traveling with her. I suppose big breeds really don't go well with staying in a box for hours... Hell, I wouldn't too! So what would be the solution in this case? Would going in a car be better? Would she be ok to visit a totally new place?
 
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