Let me cut right to the point: college students do not deserve to have dogs.

I'm crazy for saying that, right? You hate me, maybe?

Look at that statement again. Stick it in your mind and let it sit there. You don't have to think into it, just remember it.

While you're doing that, I'll tell you exactly why that's true – but don't forget that statement.

Dogs are wonderful.

They're great companions, they understand emotion and they're extremely lovable. It's no wonder so many people want them – especially in college when our emotions are tested.

We're stressed easily, people will come and go, and at times we might need some unconditional love.

Almost everywhere you go in college, someone has a dog, but chances are, some of them don't return the love to their dog.

Dogs, big or small, are social animals. They require room, love, friends, and freedom. They need all the same things humans do, but dogs obviously aren't as independent has humans, so it's our job to help them.

We feed them, take them out, play with them, and help to give them all they need to thrive.

We discipline them and we reward them. Dogs see us as gods, and will give unconditional love and attention as long as they are given what they need.

Dogs are great responsibilities because they need so much, but so many college kids will only do the bare minimum and believe they are the greatest pet parents alive.

This is the problem.

So often people have seen dogs be deprived of play time or socializing with others. Those things are very important for dogs, but owners care more about the fact that they own a dog than the fact that it's a living creature with needs.

These are the kids who never let their dogs out of kennels, who keep them locked in rooms, who pull them away from strangers on potty breaks, and keep them from getting the things they need to be happy.

A friend once complained that all day long, they would hear a dog somewhere in their apartment building cry and whine when it was left alone all day. When the owners came home and the crying would stop, the dog would almost immediately get put on the apartment patio to cry and whine even more until it was time for people to go to sleep.

Other people keep their dogs strictly in their rooms, even if the owner or others are home. These dogs are left in small spaces without the ability to really roam and socialize.

People will argue it's because they don't want to lose pet deposits, their dogs are annoying, or they get into things too much. If you wonder why your dog hates people or takes forever to warm up to strangers, maybe it's because you don't let it socialize enough.

The truth is, if you cannot discipline your dog to not get into things, don't get a dog. If your dog makes a lot of noise or bothers you for attention and you find it irritating, do not get a dog.

Dogs are a very large responsibility, but college kids find the responsibility annoying. They refuse to train their dogs and often keep them cramped in rooms and cages all the time because it's "convenient."

How would you feel if you were forced to live your life in only one room, with little interaction, and only be allowed to leave to use the bathroom?

There is absolutely no excuse for keeping a dog stuck.

They are commitment, and if you don't want to put the time or money into caring for a dog, you do not deserve to have one.

I never knew my roommate before she moved in, but it was easy to set up sort of routine for when her dog should be let out of the kennel.

If no one's home, she stays in a kennel as to not get into anything. If someone is home, she's allowed to walk around all she wants.

It's as easy as that.

Someone can keep an eye on her, and she's able to get all the attention she needs to be happy.

So often, college kids fail to realize how much they deprave their dogs of this.

They fail to let their dogs be dogs.

If a college student – or anyone for that matter – cannot give their dog everything they need, they do not deserve one.