One of the many perks of being an in-state student is living close enough to home to steal my dog away for a few days. Last week, after much convincing, my mom let me bring my five-year-old, insanely energetic puppy back to school with me, and after seven days with her I was hooked.
I know people say it’s selfish to have a dog in college, and if you don’t have time to take care of one, then I would agree. However, there’s also a good chance you have more free time and fewer responsibilities now than you will at any other point in your life. Just because you’re in college doesn’t mean you shouldn’t share a bit of puppy love. So, if you’re on the fence, here are a few reasons why getting a dog is a great idea.
1. A dog will keep you on a regular sleeping schedule. They’ll wake you up ready to eat, play and pee at 8:00 a.m. sharp and are guaranteed to be asleep by 10:00 p.m — a great excuse to be a grandma.
2. You will never be ashamed to wake up next to a dog. Who needs boyfriends or girlfriends? Dogs are cuter, friendlier and most definitely cleaner — not to mention, they’re the best cuddle buddies.
3. Dogs will always be willing to stay in with you. So when you’re having one of those nights when Netflix is calling your name, you don’t have to do it alone. The FOMO is mitigated because your best friend is always by your side.
4. Dogs are your own personal, self-operating vacuum cleaner. Everywhere you go, they go. Drop a cheeto, they’ll eat it before you even realize. At this rate, you’ll never have to clean your apartment again. Say goodbye to robot vacuums and hello to hungry puppies.
5. Dogs force you to be active. With my dog here, we were outside every day, my vitamin D levels skyrocketed, and I got to revisit one of my favorite pastimes — power walking. Your dog will be the personal trainer of your dreams.
6. Dogs will step in as your best friend and family. Let’s be honest: college gets lonely. Everyone is running around in different directions and you probably aren’t sitting down to a family dinner each night. Coming home to a dog can be a life changer. While they may not be able to cook you dinner, they won’t grill you about how your day was. They’ll simply be there, excited to greet you and happy to spend time with you.
Whether it’s adopting a dog or another pet, or forming deeper friendships with humans, take the leap and expand your family. Who cares what other people — well, besides your landlord — say? We could all use a little more unconditional love in our lives.
Peyton’s column runs biweekly Wednesdays. She can be reached at p.williams@cavalierdaily.com.
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