Hooray – you are officially a university student! Your hard work, your grades, your extracurriculars – all have paid off and led to this moment. You’ve gone dorm shopping – your new sheets are all packed up, you just realised how much stuff you own and have struggled to close your last suitcase, your mini fridge is boxed up and you are officially ready to go. That’s it! You’re ready! Only…

You have to leave your bestie behind.. And boy are you gonna miss them!

As you embark on this new step in your life, your bestie will be waiting patiently, lovingly back home. They will be in full body wagging mode when you come back for breaks. They will sniff your old bedroom and curl up on your twin bed. They will dream of your belly scratches. And, even though Mom and Dad will be taking amazing care of them, and they will be happy and loved, you now they’ll miss you as much as you miss them.

Consider these ideas to make the time away from each other and the distance less stressful. Being home-sick for your pupper is a real thing, but we have your back!

Be That  Pet Parent

You know the kind – the ones that have their homes decked out as an altar to their dogs. Dorm rooms devoted to your dog are where it’s at! When your away from your dog, everything pulls at your heartstrings and reminds you of your one true love… your bestie!

To mend those broken hearts, knowing that after lectures they won’t be there to greet you, we have come up with some solutions to make you feel right at home! Make your ring tone your dog’s bark. Bring one of their toys with you! Get a portrait painted or print out your instagram pics and hang them up in your room, in a heart shape! Puppy pictures everywhere! Set your phone and your computer background as their picture. Did you know you can get a photo blanket made? Custom kitty cuddler, here we come. And, of course, carry little photos of them in your wallet like you’re a proud mom in the ‘90’s. If you’re super clever, you can persuade your family to keep your dog’s instagram account up to date with pics and cute captions! So that you don’t miss a thing that they are up to! Fear of missing out? We all have it when we are away from our bestie’s!  FOMO is now FOMMD – Fear of missing my dog!

Bark the Bark

Skype is wasted on people, tbh. Facetime your furry friend every chance you get! You long to hear their woof and see their adorable nose. They wanna see your funny, fur-less face, too – and try to sniff you through the screen.

While you might not be able to reach out and snuggle them, keeping their cute little face visible and hearing their barks  – will go a long way to kicking the bestiesick blues.

What would your bestie say if they could talk? Would they tell you all about the squirrels they chased or the YUMMY new treat they just ate? 

A word of advice though, don’t tell them about the dog that you petted at the park the other day and, yes, you pet them but it meant nothing and you love them only and ONLY them! Uh, not speaking from personal experience or anything… Bestie’s get jealous too!

A Constant Reminder

An American Tale sang it best – 🎶 “And even though I know how very far apart we are/It helps to think we might be wishin’ on the same bright star/And when the night wind starts to sing a lonesome lullaby/It helps to think we’re sleeping underneath the same big sky.” 🎶

Even though you may be far apart from your bestie, it helps to know you’re still connected. Wearing a little memento, like a FriendshipCollar, is the perfect way to keep your bestie feeling close. When you look down at your wrist and see the same thing they are wearing about their necks – you know you are always on each other’s minds.

When all else fails…

Head to an Animal House! A great Plan B (really, Plan A, if you can swing it!) is simply to take your bestie with you! There are a growing number of universities allowing pets in their dorms! 😱

• Eckerd College – All you gotta do is make it through your first semester and then you can live it up with your bestie! In fact, there are eight fully animal-friendly dorms hosting dogs, cats – even ducks! 🦆
• Stephens College – This amazing school has been pet-friendly for over a decade, but the good news doesn’t stop there! They are so invested in animal lovers that even students who can’t bring a bestie have the opportunity to foster a local shelter pet during their time there!
• Washington & Jefferson College – With a dorm called ‘Pet House’ you know they’re serious. Up to 32 students and their besties are welcome – though fish friends are always welcome at all dorms, too.
• MIT – Leave it to the real smarties to also be smart enough to love animals. Cats have been allowed on campus for 18 years and there are no age or health restrictions – nor location restrictions! You’ll find kitten friends of all types freely roaming the halls and campuses: talk about pawridise!
• Stetson University – Similar to Stephens College, this university goes a step above and beyond. Not only are two dorms set aside for students bringing besties, but they also host a service dog program at the college to allow dog-loving learners to train and foster.

Does anyone else have these Dog Mom Goals for their BFF?

For your dog to go to college, be in the yearbook and to get a picture in your graduation hat!

Does your school let you bring your bestie? We’d love to hear your stories about your BFF’s on campus and to see your pics!

Love & friendship x