From the early stages of the friendship, the child and their dog knew they were meant to be lifelong friends. Of course, one of them has to leave this life before the other, for different reasons, but when the child becomes a young adult and has to go off to school, it throws a wrench in the natural plan.

Why do owners have to do this to their poor little doggy’s back home? They had places they wanted to drive to, frisbees to fetch, and many more pizza slices to steal from them. This is a message for those recently graduated seniors out there who may be forgetting about the importance of their life on the lives of their dogs. If you want to make the most of the time that is left, take the advice of a few trusted canines I rounded up and translated with my dog whispering skills.

“Beggin Strips are my best friends,” Barkley the mastiff said. “But I love my owner more than those Busy Bones from PetSmart. Yuck!”

The truth is, dogs aren’t completely thinking about food all the time. They have feelings too. They value those long walks in the front yard while you pick up their poop.

“It is nice having someone there you can trust,” Dixie the mutt said. “They are always there to clean up your messes in the lawn even when you are sloppy. I’m going to miss it.”

It is devastating to think of the number of puppies left behind with no one to play with. No more rope pulling. No more catch. No more chasing.

“I like chasing squirrels,” Gracie the retriever said. “But nothing beats a good race with the human. They are so slow and weak in the legs. You would think they’d learn by now that four legs are better than two.”

Some dogs find comfort in the arms or lap of their owner. It is a special moment when the two of them bond over an episode of Modern Family, cuddling on the armchair together in the late evening.

“I have no clue why they watch that stuff,” Hamilton the golden doodle said. “They play tricks on us all the time. Ringing doorbells and barking. It is all very deceiving, but I like when they rub my belly real good.”

As you can see, the world in the eyes of the canine is an innocent one. They fall in love from the moment they lay eyes on their owner, sparking a friendship that is meant to last. Be sure to seek every opportunity to spend time with your dog this summer before they have to watch you drive away because that is going to be ruff.