You Should Never Get a Dog in College

"You should never get a dog in college."

She's a floppy eared, 75 pounds, 2 years old, smelly dog. She was given up for behavioral issues, wasn’t well socialized and is moody as hell. Some days she wants to lay around and other days she wants to run for miles. She's strong willed, pouty, and don’t even get me started on the shedding… "Stay" is an impossible behavior to learn and she is so clingy, she follows me into the bathroom!

She can't use a toilet or litter box, so rain or shine she must go outside. She LOVES swimming but HATES baths and why, oh why, does she always have to shake off RIGHT NEXT TO ME? Thank goodness she doesn’t care to sleep in the same bed with me because she takes up the whole bed and when I push her aside she looks at me like I ruined her life. To her, being on a leash is like being in prison, but she doesn’t always come when I call her. She's impossible.

This doesn’t even start to touch on the impact she has on my social and school life. I always have to plan my days around her. I wake up extra early just to let her out before I can get ready and sometimes she won't come back inside!!! Going out and partying without a plan on how to get home is a thing of the past and I always have a +1 at sleepovers. The worst part? I can't just lay in bed all day and do school work or watch tv because she needs exercise and attention… and get this, I have to feed her too!

She's huge, she's bratty, and the more exercise she gets the more she wants but only if I'm up doing stuff with her.

So maybe they're right, maybe you should NEVER, maybe I should have never, gotten a dog in college…

… or should you?

As I sit here on a fallen tree, in the middle of the woods, with no service typing this I am in complete serenity. All around me are trees shading me from the hot sun, the leaves are always brighter in little hole in the woods trails like these. I don’t need music because the sound of the rushing water is so peaceful and relaxing. Right down the way there are old gold mines and machines and sometimes other people are here panning for gold or kayaking. Oh, and where is that crazy, brat of mine? Running up and down the side of the mountain that is right behind me, as happy as could be. I have been taking her to this perfect little trail for almost a year now.

The places I have hiked, the people I have met, and the love that I have for her and life with her is unreal. I feel like I could go anywhere or do anything. I am happy, I am strong, and I am healthier than I have ever been. Maybe I do have to wake up early, but now I have so much time in my day to do things. My social life? Well, staying out all night never really was my thing and coming home to her sweet, goofy face is so much better. Besides the friends that I love, love her.

So maybe I won't be a flight attendant after college, Hawaii might be too hot for this furry friend of mine and living in a city wouldn’t be her favorite adventure of ours; but I'm okay with that. I might not know where I'm going to be in 10 years or even in a year, but what I do know? That 75 pounds, floppy eared, shelter pup will be right by my side smiling and ready to take on whatever mountain comes next.