Eight years ago, I convinced my parents to adopt a dog. I named this dog the minute we met; Winston. You see, I needed my first dog to have a sophisticated, proper name. Winston was the runt of his litter. Surely, Dachshunds already have stubby legs and little stubby faces as puppies, but Winston was the tiniest of his litter with a short stubby nose and little tiny legs. His brothers and sisters were adopted and soon enough it was just little Winston and his only friend, a yellow starfish squeaker toy. I begged my parents for months and months until my mother's heart broke; she couldn't watch Winston and his only friend sit behind the little pet store glass window anymore. Nobody wanted the runt. So that's the day when I became a crazy dog lady, and I decided I would fight for my best friend until the very end. So this one goes out to all of the crazy dog people out there.

1. My day is instantly brightened when I see a dog on campus.

Some days are simply not as great as others. Maybe it's a bad grade, busy day at work, or a lack of ice in the ice machines. But when someone with a dog walks by, my day is instantly brightened to the point where there isn't a single worry in the world.

2. I cry during the Humane Society commercials.

All of the feels -- not just some. Sometimes I base my future around being financially stable enough to care for all of the dogs I will rescue in the future.

3. My dog and I have FaceTime dates.

We talk about the important things in life, of course. Plus he's the best listener. Sometimes college students just need some dog time at our dog-deprived campuses.

4. I become mama bear when people make fun of my dog.

When it comes to my dog, nobody messes with mama bear. He may have short and stubby legs but he has a big heart. Nobody makes fun of my dog on my watch!

5. I've thought about smuggling my dog in my dorm.

Nobody will ever know. I mean, it's always a possibility right? I'm pretty sure college would be 100x less stressful if we could all just bring our dogs with us. Who's with me?

6. I jump on every chance to talk about my dog.

He's my favorite subject and I'll tell you every single detail about my dog if you get me started... Just don't get me started.

7. I talk to my dog as if he is a human.

"Dog-nese." Plus my dog can understand it too, at least he pretends to.

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Fellow crazy dog men and ladies; embrace your craziness. Dogs are the greatest!