"Rocky" wrote in message
...
What I don't get is his apparent ostrich-head-in-the-sand
attitude that his son's college roommates will help provide
adequate supervision, let alone stability and training.

What I see is the real possibility of son getting up in the morning and
taking the dog out. But he's running late for his eight o'clock so has to
put the dog back inside before dog has gotten cleaned out.

Half an hour later, dog is READY to go out and roommate is still sleeping
because HE doesn't have a class until this afternoon.

How likely is it that the roommate will get himself out of bed and take the
dog outside for a walk? What are the chances that roommate will think "hey
it's not my dog and it's not my mess to clean up"? What are the chances
that roommate might let dog out - not on a leash - and then go back to
sleep?

What are the chances that a bored dog will find leftover pizza sitting
around within reach while son is either sleeping or off at class?

What are the chances that son will want to give up his evening social life
to stay home with a dog who has been left alone virtually all day?

What are the chances that when son graduates from college and gets an
apartment of his own - no roommate - that he will also get a job that allows
him to be at home enough for the dog to actually get enough attention.
Because dogs really don't understand that whole "quality vs. quantity" time
thing.

I think either Fish wants a dog or doesn't. But neither of his sons are at
an age where they can be making the decision to commit to the fifteen years
of a dog's life. It doesn't make them bad people or bad for dogs. It just
makes them high school/college age kids.

My brother recently got a Bichon. Their Golden had died and the son still
at home (just starting college) wanted another Golden. Fortunately, his
parents had no illusion that the dog was actually his or that he would ever
take on full responsibility for it.

Judy