By now everyone has settled into the fall semester rut: classes, study, eat, study, eat, study, eat, maybe turn up a little, potentially sneak in a little sleep, repeat. The good news is that there are only two weeks left until Thanksgiving Break! I am sure some people are missing their families and friends from home, but for the majority of students, the biggest struggle of being away from home is missing our dogs. To anyone with a dog back home, let’s be honest with ourselves for a quick second: we miss that dog more than any human in our lives. Maybe it has something to do with the way they gaze up at you with their big, brown, watery eyes as you reluctantly wheel your suitcase out the door when you leave. Maybe it has something to do with the countless hours spent luring them into your bedroom with treats and making them cuddle with you. It could also be because of the way they freak out when you get home like you have been gone so long they forgot you even existed and they are sorry they forgot but they are so excited to see you anyway and they want to jump all over you (I think of dogs’ thoughts as very ditzy and emotionally-charged run-on sentences). Whatever the reason, there is no denying the fact that many people feel a very strong bond to their dogs and miss them very much when they have to leave them for college. Here are a few ways to alleviate your heartache until bark… I mean break.

First, force your mom to send you pictures of your beloved pup. If it is just a blurry snap of the dog avoiding eye contact with the camera, call her back immediately and request a better picture. Once you have an acceptable photo, put a subtle filter on it and post it on Instagram/Facebook with a nice caption about how much you miss them and a bunch of cute emojis. This is a fun way to honor your dog and get a lot of internet attention.  

Another good idea is to FaceTime your dog. Make someone at home hold their phone or iPad in front of the dog’s face and talk to the dog like you would if you were really there. Some people might think this is stupid, but studies have shown that dogs can totally understand the tone of your voice. So go ahead, talk to your dog like a human. It is not weird.  

Lastly, eat your dog’s favorite foods to remind you of them. This could be anything ranging from the remnants of a jar of peanut butter to another dog’s vomit to dryer sheets. I do not know what your dog likes, only you do.

I hope these tips can help everyone who has a dog back home to feel connected to them even hundreds or thousands of miles apart. I kind of apologize for not thinking of any tips to help cat owners, but I am not really remorseful because cats are evil. Everyone knows that.