The more I grow up, the more I miss my dog. And I don’t mean that he has passed on or anything, but I have found it quite difficult to try and sustain my relationship with my family dog, Bubba, even while living at home. Day after day I’m at school, at my job or staying out late in the library, meeting up with friends or just shut away in my room doing homework.

I’ve found that while on Christmas break, I wanted to make time for Bubba. I wanted us to bond again like I did when we first had him, when I was home more and could play and run and just cuddle him on the couch.

I knew I had been feeling guilty about the time I wasn’t spending with him, and I wanted that to change. I didn’t want to feel like a bad pet owner, but I also didn’t want Bubba to think I just up and left him (even though he still had my mom, dad and brother when I wasn’t there).

My goal was to wake up every morning, have breakfast and then take him out into our backyard and woods for a walk. I found that by just spending that hour or so with him was making his day, as it was making mine.

There is something different about your relationship with your pet than there is with a friend or family member. There were numerous times when I was upset and Bubba would come to my side because he sensed something was wrong. There were also times he would come lay with me just because he wanted company and I was there to provide it.

Our walks are simply following him around the yard, encouraging his sniffs, his digging and even him going to the bathroom. Once, as we get to the trails further back, he becomes the leader and I the follower. He’ll run the trails, look where deer have been and even stop when I do to listen for scratching or turkey calls. He is a very conscious dog, who will sit and ponder, who will almost look so pensive, like he’s contemplating life.

This is the happiness I get from making more time with Bubba. It’s being active in each other’s lives and creating these memories. The effort I put into finding time for my dog, the happier I’ve become. It’s also peaceful, being outside, not staring at my phone or seeing my dog sadly looking at me over the top of my laptop. He’s so happy to go out, to run with me, to search and be excited. It’s also nice to see him enjoying this moment, and hoping that he can understand that I’m enjoying it too. Rekindling my relationship with Bubba has become therapeutic for me, as I believe anyone with his or her own pet should find. Relationships with pets are not easier than ones with other people, it’s a bond between you and them that you have to continuously work on, that you should cherish. I've already seen this happening over the short time I've made changes to be more active in my dog's life, and I hope others with busy schedules will realize this too.