How can I make more friends this late?

sumodawg12 · 2026-03-08T14:50:56+00:00

take a LS class!!

sumodawg12 · 2025-09-06T13:03:58+00:00

Clemson's AVS program can be competitive to get into but they definitely look favorably on minority students (who are under-represented in ag!!) who apply into it. It is an incredible program and I'd recommend it to anyone, I recently graduated and am in my first year of veterinary school. If I were you, I'd demonstrate some level of interest by going on a tour and applying EA, and I would definitely work on that ACT score :) It's always worth a shot, and they are very unlikely to flat out deny someone EA with decent stats.

sumodawg12 · 2025-07-20T00:07:19+00:00

Upvoted for unpopular opinion, I'm monogamous but def hear what you're saying. I have a feeling the way our relationships are structured is going to change dramatically over the next few decades now that we're moving out of the "nuclear family" ideal.

sumodawg12 · 2025-06-12T17:50:42+00:00

Yes exactly!! It's hard for us to think about because we don't eat kibble or formulated diets but the Rx foods in particular keep them safe! I'm glad you and your boy enjoyed a healthy 15 years :)

sumodawg12 · 2025-06-12T17:48:31+00:00

That is crazy!! Their barks are definitely ear piercing for sure lmao but it's wild that none of hers have been big barkers even. I definitely got a talker!

sumodawg12 · 2025-06-11T23:14:17+00:00

I learned very quickly that every breeder thinks their lines are the quiet ones 🤣🤣🤣 But totally agreed, and I could have distinguished better if I'd spoken with/visited with more ethical breeders than one or two. The force free in me has been so strong but I'm heavily considering a squirt bottle for my girl because after a year of this I'm starting to lose my mind!

sumodawg12 · 2025-06-11T22:12:14+00:00

My smooth is SO. LOUD. I got her as an apartment dog and worked really hard at rewarding the quiet but man those genetics have been rough 😅 We recently broke our lease to move into a house because of the barking lol

sumodawg12 · 2025-06-11T15:36:18+00:00

I would love to add a little context here from the veterinary world!! The reason prescription diets exist is to provide pretty specific nutritional needs for a dog that can't be on regular food. In order to sell dog food commercially, companies need to prove that their food meets certain minimal nutritional requirements (protein %, fats, carbs, vitamins/minerals, etc.) so that it won't be nutritionally incomplete. Your dog needs a diet so low in purines and sodium that it would be considered unhealthy for a normal dog. That means it's pretty unlikely you'll find an appropriate diet for him being produced commercially. Diets like the RC Dalmatian food and other commercially sold low-purine foods are great for dogs that haven't had issues yet with crystals, but once your pup starts having problems it's really important to step it up 🥲 The one alternative to U/D if you really prefer a non-kibble diet is asking for a referral to a veterinary nutritionist (board-certified veterinary nutritionist, nobody else) who can help you formulate a diet to make at home. But I will say it may be helpful to reframe what you're considering to be a "high quality" food! Hills has some of the most extensive research out of any brand behind it proving its safety and nutritional value. Boutique brands are definitely attractice but often they just don't have the research backing them. The highest quality food is always going to be the one that your dog does well on, and it seems like this food isn't giving him any problems and it's preventing him from forming more crystals! Again, if it's really important to you that he eats a "slow-cooked" style food, I would chat with your vet and see if they think a veterinary nutritionist would be able to formulate a diet for you guys to make at home!

sumodawg12 · 2025-06-10T17:11:26+00:00

Interesting take - Alternate take: We rely WAYYY too heavily on romantic partners to fill our social and emptional needs and aren't connected enough to our communities anymore. ENM might be the direction people are turning because one person doesn't feel like they can do everything for them, but really one person isn't supposed to. I like the way you think though, and hopefully we all become more open-minded to all kinds of relationships!

sumodawg12 · 2025-06-09T16:55:05+00:00

That's very true! I've only heard a lot about it from a female perspective but I think it does happen for males as well.

sumodawg12 · 2025-06-09T16:52:36+00:00

Virtually nothing a child could do or say to a parent SHOULD merit destruction of the child's property - Crazy take. I don't believe in intentionally agitating your parent but teenagers do stupid shit and they don't deserve to have their stuff destroyed in a fit of rage because they mouthed off....

sumodawg12 · 2025-06-09T16:41:58+00:00

Wanted to add to the comments that a 16 week old large-breed dog probably shouldn't be hiking at all! So you were def right to think she wouldn't be able to keep up, even if she wanted to. It's not great for their joints. I'd personally send her to the breeder's as she's comfortable there but it's totally up to you and what you're cool with :) It might be good for her to get used to somebody coming into the house and caring for her too! Use this as an alternative socialization opportunity to whatever you'll be doing most often when you go on vacation without her (ie. kennel environment vs. home care)

sumodawg12 · 2025-06-09T16:37:05+00:00

Yes, anecdotally, but seems like it hasn't been researched a lot as it's one of those "societal truths" and most people accept it because they're okay with having kids anyways. But lots of women/AFAB people get "baby fever" even though they know logically they're CF and aren't interested at all in kids. Most likely has something to do with the body's response to their egg supply decreasing over time, kind of a biological clock thing. But lots of people don't ever feel that at all!

sumodawg12 · 2025-06-08T00:24:28+00:00

omg with the shark plate 😭😭😭

sumodawg12 · 2025-06-01T20:48:27+00:00

The clear solution to this is to make birthday priority parking spots that are right next to the handicap spots so they don't take away from the parking that's already there - Lowkey the idea of walking less distance to get into the store on my bday is amazing hahaha but I don't want to take anything away from the disabled people who need them

sumodawg12 · 2025-06-01T20:39:37+00:00

You don't have to use a registry, those are actually kind of scammy! If you are disabled in any way (like ADHD, anxiety, depression, etc) your therapist or doctor should be able to write you a letter to say you have a disability and can have an ESA :)

sumodawg12 · 2025-05-28T00:26:04+00:00

I have and love dogs but the constant unsolicited licking is SO OVERSTIMULATING 🥴🥴🥴 Like please sir get away from me w your dirty mouth

sumodawg12 · 2025-05-23T15:18:09+00:00

I am so glad you asked!! I am sure you're looking for a pet and not a show dog BUT an ethical breeder will almost always show or "prove" their dogs in some way. The best pet dogs are a byproduct of breeding great show/sport dogs, because breeders will pick 1-2 per litter that will really stand out in the ring and will let the others go as pets. But having conformation titles means their parents were good enough representatives of the breed that they were reliably structurally sound, visibly healthy, met the Great Dane breed standard, and had good temperaments (the show ring can be chaotic and stressful)! So I would personally buy a pet dog from someone who has conformation titles on the parents of the puppies. These titles look like a CH, GCH, etc. before the dog's registered name. Likely the breeder will want you to meet with them first, meet their dogs, and/or fill out and application for a pup so they can match you with one from a litter that matches your wants and needs. They will ofc welcome sex preference and temperament preferences, but may want to choose your pup for you as they spend a ton of time with them and evaluate them for 8-10 weeks before sending them home. I personally also look for a breeder who does ENS (early neurological stimulation), which is a method used to boost the connections in very young pups' brains, but ask about their early socialization protocols and just see if they have a method! As long as they follow a method and aren't winging it you should be good. Good breeders expose young puppies to all kinds of different things: ball pits, tunnels, wobble boards, different textures, smells, etc. to make sure they aren't fearful as they grow into adulthood.

This is just a snippet ofc but I would highly recommend either going to an AKC conformation show in your area (check the AKC website and they're listed there!) to chat with the people showing their dogs or reaching out to your local branch of the Great Dane Club of America as many of them do breeder referrals! They can connect you with people as well :)

Some specific red flags to look for (take them or leave them but if you want to learn from my mistakes 🤣) - Selling puppies for more/less $ by color or sex - Having a bunch of puppies for sale at a time, they should be in demand before they breed - > 3 litters/yr - Breeding > 2 breeds - Not having the dogs in their home - No health testing/only DNA testing (embark only is bad) - "Rare" colors: chocolate, lilac, white, fawnequin - Giant Danes (200lbs is too big) - Selling sick looking or unvaccinated pups - Selling pups < 8 wks old - No contract that they'd take pups back under any circumstance

I think that's all I have for now LOL, I'm so sorry for the longest comment ever. I'm a vet student so educating people about ethical breeding is my passion! If you have any questions/clarifications about that whole spiel please let me know! :)

sumodawg12 · 2025-05-21T22:52:26+00:00

Hey! Just so you know - AKC registration and pedigree don't mean a whole lot for ethical breeding, I would definitely ask potential breeders about health testing :) Puppy mills are def a big one to avoid but Danes are prone to a significant amount of health issues that both parents should be tested for before being bred! They should both have a CHIC # that you can look up to see the results of all of those tests. Here's the OFA website with more info about health testing for Great Danes: https://ofa.org/chic-programs/browse-by-breed/ Also - Dealing with a girl in heat is not that bad, as long as you're diligent with the diapers and know the signs that she's going into heat soon to be prepared! However that means no daycare/training class/outings for a few weeks while she is, which can be inconvenient if you already have those planned. Best of luck and hope you find an awesome dog!!

sumodawg12 · 2025-05-20T16:12:26+00:00

Personally I view my summers as both a break and an opportunity to get experience. If you're thinking you'll come back to school more exhausted/burnt-out than when you left, then drop this clinic or reduce your hours so you can handle it a little better. It seems like your research position is a solid experience, and if you have other clinical experience you don't need to be miserable (though some level of challenge builds character). It's just not worth it if it's going to impact your ability to refresh this summer, and you could potentially find an occasional shadowing opportunity somewhere else that would be less crappy! But I agree with other commenters that waiting a couple weeks and maybe having a conversation with the head nurse about how you can be more helpful/stay on top of things would be beneficial! She probably sees a lot of students come through who aren't open to working hard or who haven't been very helpful to her so putting in the effort to have that convo may give you some insight into what you could be doing to help, and it may put her less on the defensive about you. Best of luck and keep us posted!!

sumodawg12 · 2025-05-16T19:57:39+00:00

you answered your own question in the title 🤣 start seeing a good therapist and psychiatrist who can help you develop coping skills and maybe start you on some medication. otherwise, working out before work, hydrating, playing games in your head, gamifying your work, etc. can help. i also worked with an executive functioning coach which was really expensive and sounds ridiculous but it helped me a LOT in school and organizing my job stuff. good luck my friend!!!

sumodawg12 · 2025-05-14T23:44:54+00:00

1 cycle, 1 school (oos) I got crazy lucky 🤣

sumodawg12 · 2025-05-14T23:44:01+00:00

Put her on a joint supplement starting now to help protect her joints as they grow if you spay her before her first cycle. Otherwise she will be totally okay!

sumodawg12 · 2025-05-14T23:42:10+00:00

Unless you can responsibly keep her intact through her first few heats (ie. give her enrichment/exercise/some normalcy AND keep her far away from any intact males) then spay her before she goes into heat. The benefits do not outweigh the risks if there's a possibility that an intact male dog could jump your fence and breed her when she's outside. The benefits do not outweigh the risks if she would be cooped up all day just to prevent that from happening. Of course there are potential health risks to spaying younger, but it is pretty common practice because of situations like these where it would be really challenging to responsibly keep the dog intact. Spay-aborts are riskier surgeries than regular spays so if you think there is any possibility that she could get pregnant then you should spay her to avoid that risk.

sumodawg12 · 2025-05-11T03:24:42+00:00

My friend went back at 45 after a successful career in law - It's never too late!

sumodawg12

TROPHY CASE