Job Discussion Forums

[mtheta]

Hey, I am going to buy a dog this week, if all goes well. I was wondering if anyone moved here and bought or adopted pets? How has your experience been? I know its a pretty general question, but whatever info you feel is important to know before taking the plunge, please share.

[canuck]

I think the idea is a bad one. It limits the time you can spend away from home because you have to feed and walk your dog. I assume you've checked with your landlord that you can have a dog in the building. Pets require a lot of time. And when you finally leave Japan, what are you going to do with your dog?

Obviously you're still new to Japan, and things might be lonely and tough. Battle through it. Once you finally get comfortable, you'll be happy that you don't have the extra responsibilities of taking care of a dog.

[JimDunlop2]

Well, a new pet shop opened up in my city... They are selling Vietnamese pot-bellied pigs for about 20,000. I figure that would make a great pet! Then, to save you all the hassle of taking it with you when you leave Japan....
...
..
.

BBQ!

[gaijinalways]

Depends on the person, and assuming he is thinking of getting one, checking that the place you live in willl accept one is usually a first. Pets are a nice stress reducer, though it does depend on the size of your place.

That being said, a cat is easier to take care of, but not that much less expensive when it comes to boarding when you take vacations .

[mtheta]

I live in a house. The dog is a Yorkie, so very tiny. Smaller then any cat. The tenent previous to me had a cat and I was never told I could not have pets. I also didn't sign a contract....that is besides the point. Brining the dog back into Canada is easy, no quarintine, ext. Where I live there aint much goingon, so I forsee and quite year. Just my thoughts so far.
Yes a dog is a big commitment and will take up a lot of me free time, but watching Japanese t.v. or going out and spending money shopping are no better ways to spend that time.
Ya I could sit on it a little more, but I need to decide soon or she will be gone .

[red dog]

What do you mean, "gone"? Killed? Or sold to another person? Does this dog live in a pet store? I think you should think very seriously about what Canuck said ... sometimes it seems as if it will be dead easy to take an animal with you and then something unexpected happens and you run out of time or money ... but if you're really stable enough and know for sure that you'll be able to keep an animal forever, of course you should rescue one. Pet stores are evil places and if you give them your money you're paying them to keep on churning out more puppies who will only end up in pounds. The pounds in Japan are such terrible places, I'll spare you the details, but you can read about them at this site -- which also has info about adoption:

www.arkbark.net

[canuck]

[Brooks]

it can be expensive.
You have to go to the vet to get the shots, and get your dog checked.
Finding a decent vet who won`t rip you off isn`t always easy.

My dog has lots of toys that she rips up so from time to time I have to buy new toys.

Dogs need exercise, and mine really does. She is a schnauzer and she needs to walk for about an hour and a half every day.

We take the dog to a kennel twice a month, and there she gets a shampoo, and her nails are clipped, her hair cut, and she is groomed.
Her ear hair is also trimmed.
This is done by students, so it costs 1,500 yen, which is a bargain.

My wife takes our dog to a clinic that can be really busy. It is usual for her to have to wait there at least 30 minutes to see a vet.

My dog is a female, and if she is spayed, that will cost 30,000 yen.

In the summer she takes medecine once a month to ward off the mosquitos.

My dog does have to spend time alone because my wife and I both work.
I have thought we need another dog, to keep her from being lonely.

I am thinking of going back to the US in the next couple of years, so I will have to find out about how to do that. There is a quarantine period.

Having a dog is a good way to meet people.

[red dog]

[canuck]

[gaijinalways]

I would consider it, and as noted, you can meet Japanese people with your pet, even join a dog club! Apet doesn't mean you stay home all the time, it just means sometimes you have to schedule feeding and walking time in there somewhere (and the clinics..).

[Like a Rolling Stone]

What's the weirdest pet you've ever had? In Japan some kids collect beatles. I was walking along the corridor in the school and this eight year old kid suddenly put a beatle on my shirt. "Get it off!" I said and he looked well surprised as if everybody thougtt it was cute

[Quibby84]

I had a duck that I loved very much but then it got old/I got tired of it and put it outside with the chickens. Since it never had a mother but me it had no self control; and one day he ate so much that he couldnt get up...then he died...

[Like a Rolling Stone]

[TokyoLiz]

A friend and fellow ESL teacher moved to Kanagawa Prefecture with an elderly dog and made out quite well. Quarantine wasn't too hard on the dog as he got lots of treats from the kennel staff, and got kind of round!

Check out the quarantine rules going home to your country before you get a dog, so that you're not heartbroken later when you and Pooch have to go home.

With my Kanto lifestyle, I can't have a dog, so I spoil the neighbour's cat, who sleeps over and gets tidbits frequently. Think carefully about what you'd like to do in your town, and how well a dog fits in with weekend trips, events and other people. Without a car, it's really hard to socialize when you have a dog. All my dog-owning friends drive.

If you're in rural Japan, well, having a dog may actually be a lot easier. I used to live in the sticks where there was ample space to run a dog, but I was only staying a year.