It started a couple of years ago, I contracted a pretty severe case of puppy fever. Seeing all those cute puppy videos on Instagram and Facebook didn't help the situation. I began to visit home more and more, not just because I could see my family and my boyfriend, but because I could see our family dog. I would spend my weekends taking our little Havanese on walks, feeding her, and just giving her love. When it came time to go back to school at the end of the weekend, my heart would break. I had to leave my little buddy yet again.

After my first year of college had come and gone, I decided that I had had enough. I would make an amazing dog mom and why did I have to wait? I began looking at rescues and shelters around my hometown and doing some pretty intense research to find out which breed would best fit with my lifestyle. I didn't just want a dog, I wanted a happy, healthy dog. I looked at getting a Golden Retriever but quickly came to the conclusion that it would not be happy living the dorm life. I looked at Chihuahuas but soon realized that it would be hard to find one with the perfect personality.

After many months of researching, I finally decided I was going to get a Dachshund. They aren't too big, don't eat a whole ton, love cuddling, but also love walks. I looked at all the rescues nearest to me and finally decided to go through the Dachshund Rescue South Florida. I knew I wanted a puppy so I could raise it and grow with it, so they worked with me and finally placed me with the perfect pup!

Walking my dog around, many people come up to pet her. She LOVES all people and dogs. So many people have told me "I want this kind of dog when I grow up" and yes, you should have a level of maturity to own a dog because it is a living thing with needs and a personality, but I don't regret getting my dog while being in college at all. Having a dog to come home to after class and walk around and play with is one of the best things ever, I do regard it as the best decision of my life.