Confused Labrador Watching Brother Head Off to College Is Breaking People's Hearts
Saying goodbye to your child as they head off to college can be so bittersweet. But it's not just you who feels the change. As one viral video shows, our pets really feel it when one of the humans leaves. And it can be hard to see them so confused by what's going on.
Poor Scooby. He seemed so perplexed on the day his human finally moved out of the house.
Sure, the dog might have been there on those long nights that his human spent studying. But it's hard to explain to a dog that the end result is that their best friend will go away to school.
Related: Therapy Dogs Provide College Students with Much-Needed Comfort During Exams
The clip shows the Labrador Retriever in those final moments before the teen left for good. And while college is exciting for every child leaving the nest, it wasn't so great for Scooby.
"Remember your best friend may not understand why you are leaving him," the text overlay reads. "He will sit and wait for your return."
"Have fun in college but don't forget about the pup that will always be waiting for you," it states.
Oh man, here come the tears! It's so sad but so true. Scooby will always be waiting for his boy to come home.
The comments section was a mess. "Omg, could you make that anymore heart wrenching?" wondered one person. "My heart is broken for Scooby! Oh Scooby! You’re loved so much!" someone else exclaimed. "Awe made me cry! Pets truly love unconditionally!!" chimed in someone else. While another commenter shared that they too were feeling the loss of sending a kid off to school. "My youngest son just left for Mississippi for college. We live in Pennsylvania. My Beagle and I both are so sad right now. He keeps lying by the door," the mom wrote.
Preparing Your Dog for College
The truth is that you want to get your dog ready to say goodbye well before the big day happens. Dogs grieve your child, almost as they would a death. They don't know if the child is ever coming back or when.
One way to help ease the transition is to have another family member take over any tasks, like walking or feeding, that the child normally does. You can also try teaching your dog a new trick, so that they'll have something new to focus on. Training can also help the dog bond with someone new.
The truth is that it probably won't be an easy transition. But just think about how great it will be when your child and your pupper are reunited in the spring.
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