By this point in the semester most of us have settled into dorm or suite life. *cue The Suite Life of Zack and Cody theme song* College is now our home away from home, but coming “home” just doesn’t feel the same. The reason is seemingly unknown, until you look down. At the base of your feet is just a carpet, without your four-legged friend there to greet you.
That feeling your dog gives you when you walk through the door is unlike any other. They act as if they haven’t seen you in years, even if its only been a few minutes. Now, we go months without seeing them and this takes a toll. Dogs are a great stress reliever and emotional stabilizer even when we don’t suspect they are doing it. They can sense when we are overwhelmed or anxious and come to our rescue. This lengthy period where we aren’t getting to pet our beloved pooch makes them just as sad as us. Our dogs wait for us at the front door each day and even sleep outside our bedroom doors at night.
For many students, fall break is the first time some will be venturing back home. Our dogs, having no clue where we went, will be there waiting as expected. When we walk through our front doors, they will jump into our arms and welcome us home with kisses. If your dog is as big as mine, they may greet you with a bit more force and knock you over out of pure joy from your arrival.
If you’re missing your dog or any pet for that matter, don’t worry. They didn’t forget about you and they are ready for you to come home. Maybe after reading this you can text mom, dad, grandma, or grandpa and ask for a picture of your furry friend. There is no shame in loving your dog as much as I know some of you do, so give your pup a howl, they’ll be waiting!