There's nothing more that I love than my dog. I'll be straight up about it. I'm a hardcore stereotypical, college-aged girl for saying this, but my dog is my best friend. Why is my dog my best friend? Simple really: she's the best. However, since that answer won't suffice in the majority of conversations, here are 10 reasons why having a dog while in college is the best thing ever.
1. If you're a girl that lives in a house with no roommates, it can get lonely real fast. Who better to have by your side than your trust worthy dog? No one. You also don't have to worry about your dog using your dishes, either.
2. This is a reason that's close to the one above, but not quite the same. Cuddling with your four-legged friend is one of the best feelings ever. Your dog is always there for you, no matter if you're happy, sad, stressed out or tired. No matter what, your dog will always cuddle with you, especially if you give them a treat before cuddling.
3. A dog is like another person, at least in my house. Therefore, you can talk to your dog without getting judged. It also helps when you're in a quiet house to talk to your dog just to get the reply of a snort or a bark from the best dog ever.
4. Having a dog helps you to make friends. When you take your dog with you, many people will stop and want to pet it, opening up for casual conversation that you would have never had if you didn't have your dog with you.
5. I know this is probably one of the most heard-of reasons, but having a dog is a huge responsibility that helps you to grow and learn a little bit. I know from personal experience that keeping a dog in your house can be a bit of hassle, between specific feeding times, to getting woken up in the middle of the night so your dog can go outside, and the ever present slobber and dog hair on every article of clothing that you have. On the contrary, however, these things may annoy you, but they also help you to learn to put someone other than yourself first.
6. You feel safer with a dog. This is a common known fact for many people. If anything ever makes noise outside my house, my dog is the first one to hear it, much faster than I ever could.
7. You have something to look forward to when you get home after a long day. One of the best feelings ever is being greeted by your dog after you've had a crappy day.
8. If you're really lucky, your dog can travel well. Bringing your dog with you on a quick trip to Little Caesar's to pick up pizza can be made much more fun when your passenger is your dog. You'll also get compliments on how cute your dog is, even though they leave fur behind in your car after they get out.
9. Sometimes your dog is an animal that lived at your parents' house, but came with you to college. Having a dog that was also a family pet is a constant reminder of home and how loved you are. I know that occasionally my parents text me to see how my dog is doing, and we all laugh about how much of a hot mess she is, but how we wouldn't want it any other way.
10. Lastly, a dog is an animal that will love you on your good days and your bad days. Your dog won't care if you made a bad grade on a test, or even if you walk around the house in an oversized t-shirt and shorts with no makeup or hair done all day. Your dog will love you no matter what, because it may not seem like your dog is your world, but you are definitely your dog's world. Your dog wants nothing more than a loving, caring home, and you want nothing less than the best for your best friend.
