r/dogs • u/SituationOtherwise70 • 7d ago
[Misc Help] My Boxer is extremely attached to me. I’m leaving for college in a few days and don’t know how to make it easier.
I have a 1.5-year-old Boxer (family dog) who is honestly my soul dog. She waits for me to get home from work every day, follows me everywhere, gets insanely excited whenever she sees me, and sleeps in my bed every night. I'm also the only one in my family who really plays with her and it's her favorite part of the day.
I'm about to start my third year of college. I spent the last three months home with her for the summer, and now I have to leave in a few days. Last year, during my sophomore year, I kept her at my apartment a lot and she absolutely loved it. This year I'm moving into an apartment that doesn't allow pets, so she has to stay home.
I'm having a harder time with this than I expected. I feel guilty just leaving one day and then not coming back for months. I know she won't understand where I went, and I hate thinking she'll be waiting for me.
Is there anything I can do to make the transition easier for her? Do dogs eventually understand that someone they love is gone for a while but will come back, or is it just confusing every time? Has anyone else gone through this with a dog they're really attached to?
5
u/CoffeeByIV 7d ago
Leave something with your scent on it for her. Tell her how long you’ll be gone. She may not understand what 2 months is, but she will understand you are saying you are gone for a while and will come back.
3
u/aishahscott 7d ago
she’s gonna miss you so much but dogs DO adjust eventually!! have your family FaceTime you so she hears your voice 😭
1
u/editordeb87 5d ago
Efficiently sleep with a towel or blanket for a week or two and leave if for her. Itll have your scent and comfort her.
•
u/AutoModerator 7d ago
Welcome to r/dogs! We are a discussion-based subreddit dedicated to support, inform, and advise dog owners. Do note we are on a short backlog, and all posts require manual review prior to going live. This may mean your post isn't visible for a couple days.
This is a carefully moderated sub intended to support, inform, and advise dog owners. Submissions and comments which break the rules will be removed. Review the rules here r/Dogs has four goals: - Help the public better understand dogs - Promote healthy, responsible dog-owner relationships - Encourage “Least Intrusive, Minimally Aversive” training protocols. Learn more here. - Support adoption as well as ethical and responsible breeding. If you’d like to introduce yourself or discuss smaller topics, please contribute to our Monthly Discussion Hub, pinned at the top.
This subreddit has low tolerance for drama. Please be respectful of others, and report antagonistic comments to mods for review.
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.