July has finally moseyed up to the front door and that means one thing: the dog days of summer have finally arrived. School is finally out for students across the country and traffic starts to build at a rapid pace as people load up their minivans for family vacations.

Maybe you're one of them.

Or maybe you're the type of person that wants nothing more than to spend the entire summer in the comfort of your own home.

Either way, the one person that will always know exactly how you feel is the family dog. He's adventurous but also snuggly in his familiar habitat. He's ready to go out and play one minute and curled up in a ball beside you on the couch the next. No matter what your personal preference is for your summer, you can always count on a dog to be right by your side.

Since I have been given the misfortune of having an "outside dog" and my cat is nowhere near as friendly, I like to envision summer vacation through the eyses of my dream pup: the Shiba Inu.

Preparing for your afternoon nap

One of the best things about summer vacation (well, for students anyways) is a gaining a few hours of sleep that are usually lost to the early rise of the school day. Second best to that are the sweet hours of sleep that are gained when afternoon classes are removed. Summer means you can curl up on the couch on the daily and take a nice nap. Roll yourself up like this adorable pupp-irito and catch some Zs, you've earned it after a long semester.

Being woken up from a nap

What falls asleep must be woken up, right? Inevitably, some obligation will arise that requires you to wake from your slumber and actually be a part of the living world again. Some days it's not too hard but other days it's too hot and you are too tired to move. Let them shake you and poke you and pour all the water on you that they want, just like this little fellow, you aren't getting up for love nor money.

Vegging out behind your laptop

When you finally do rise from your seemingly endless slumber, all hope for relaxation is not lost. After you poke around the house and take care of a few simple responsibilities, it is time to treat yourself with a quick peek on Pinterest. Hours later, you have fallen down an Internet rabbit hole and have somehow stumbled upon a Vietnamese recording of "The Catcher in the Rye" on YouTube. You're not sure how you got here, but just like this pooch, you aren't really paying attention to the screen anyways. At this point, it's more about relaxing on the couch than actually looking at something on the Internet.

Snack breaks

Only one thing can tear you out of your post-nap fog and away from your laptop: snacks! Like every good Shiba, you know that a quick bite to eat will leave you recharged for another nap marathon and another Internet binge. Trust this fluffy canine, you need your fuel for all of your summer relaxation. It's harder than it looks!

When your snacks have "mysteriously" disappeared

Although it's usually one of the most joy-inducing, exciting moments of your daily routine, there is bound to be a day this summer when the unthinkable happens: the one snack that you have been saving for "just the right moment" is gone. You know you didn't eat it and you hid it very well. Or did you? Just as you start to sulk over to the pantry to find an alternate snack, you notice the wrapper for your favorite candy bar sticking out of your little brother's gym bag. He comes into the kitchen and asks your mom to buy another box because he just tried them and they were "so delicious!" Don't snap your neck when you whip around to give him the death glare, you may not be as flexible as this young Shiba.

When your family tears you away from your laptop

If your family cares about you, they will eventually drag you away from the screen before your brain rots entirely out of your head. I know you usually don't trust people that tear you away from your leisure time but, just this once, trust your family. It'll be good for you to get up and, you know....actually do something productive. The Internet will still be there when you get back.

Working a summer job

With full-time employees leaving and tourists flooding into town, summer is the prime season for a part-time job. Now is the time to try your hand at several different jobs, try to develop some of your lesser-used skills! Maybe you have better interpersonal skills than you thought or maybe you can type faster than the average secretary. Maybe you are the best ice cream scooper that the local ice cream truck has ever had! You never know, so suit up and get to work. Who knows, maybe your coworkers will be just as friendly and fluffy as this little guy.

Babysitting as a summer job

For every great summer job, there is at least one terrible summer babysitting story. Maybe the kids drew all over the walls. Maybe you forgot a pizza in the oven. Maybe the kids talked you into letting them push you in the baby swing at the local park and you got stuck, which required a call to the fire department. Regardless of what happened, you ended up like this pooped dog, with a little puppy incessantly yapping in your ear.

Pretending to enjoy the "beautiful" weather

Face it, the sunny weather and the warm breeze are nice but only in theory. In reality, the oppressive heat and humidity greatly outweigh the benefits of the summer months. Who are we kidding with all of this "beautiful summer days spent in nature" nonsense? If I start sweating within seconds of walking outside, it is too hot to enjoy anything. Still, there are those few people that enjoy this weather (or nature in general.) Take a moment to humor them every once in a while by pretending you're not dying of heatstroke, like this pup.

Visiting a packed pool

What's the "number one way to beat the heat?" A trip to the city pool! Sure, the water is nice and cool when the air around you feels like Death Valley on broil and you would enjoy a nice tan but is it really worth it? You always have this "great idea" the same day as everyone else in town and, by the time you get there, you can barely get a toe in the water. There are kids running around everywhere, screaming and splashing in their summer revelry. Five minutes later, you're packing up your floaties and returning to the air-conditioned comfort of your own home. It was worth a shot.

Summer projects

So what do you do instead of going to the pool? All of the things you don't have time to do during the other months of the year, of course! Without the responsibilities of school, you can finally tackle that craft project you've had saved on your Pinterest board since Christmas! What are you doing sitting around for? Bust out that pack of canvases, whip out your measuring tape, and fire up the hot glue gun! Whatever you do, just make like this helpful Shiba and let your creative spirit run wild!

Getting stuck in traffic

If you prefer to escape the comforts of home in the summer, you know this dog's dilemma all too well. You thought it was a great idea to book a beach excursion this weekend--just like everyone else in America! Suddenly, your trip to the shore has become a six-hour trudge through a single 8-mile strip of Interstate and you're wondering if it's too late to get a refund. In fact, the only thing that's keeping you from turning around and going home is the fact that you can't move your car that far without hitting the family behind you. Practice the iconic Shiba Inu patience and remember that your relaxation is only a couple hundred miles away.

Watching the latest summer thriller

Without fail, Hollywood hits the public with a new thriller or horror movie each and every summer. Maybe people like to be scared out of their wits when it's hot out. Maybe it's a remainder from childhood campouts and ghost stories. Maybe it's just the ability to stay up late wondering if there's a monster under the bed. Whatever the reason, people seem to flock to this type of movie in the summer. You don't like to think of yourself as a lemming but you just can't help but jump off of that cliff and see this summer's blockbuster thriller. You're no coward, but there are a few moments that you had to cover your eyes like this adorable pup.

Flirting

Sandy and Danny had it right in "Grease," summer loving does happen fast! This means that you have to make your interest know quickly and nobody knows how to do this in a more efficient manner than this Shiba Inu. Want to impress that hot guy on the lifeguard stand? Want to catch the eye of that cute girl across the pool? Want to land a date with the attractive bartender and the local bar, even though you're pretty sure you went to high school with her and hated her back then? Just make enough eye contact to ensure that they notice and slide in a quick wink and a grin. Trust this doggo, it's worked a thousand times for him.

Running into old classmates

Without fail, you will run into people that you knew in high school while you're home for the summer. No matter how careful you think you are, you will see somebody before you head back to school in the fall and they will recognize you. Before you know it, your "quick trip to the grocery store" turns into a four hour trip to Food Lion in which you bought a single box of cereal but learned that the kid you sat next to in Chemistry now has four kids and a parole officer. Just pretend to be interested, surely they will have to report to the courthouse at some point.

Whether you're a dog person or a cat person or some other lesser-known animal fanatic, surely you can relate to at least one of these adorable pooches. How can you disagree with that charismatic mane and that friendly, jaunty tail?