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[quote=Anonymous]This is something of a spin off of the "gentle labrador" post, which hit pretty close to home.

I'm a single mom with one daughter.  7 years ago, when my daughter was 10, we adopted the sweetest gentlest mixed breed mutt.  He's probably 8 or 9 now, but very puppyish, full of energy, but also very eager to please.  Seriously one of the sweetest easiest dogs in the world.  Everyone who meets him loves him. Except me.  I like him.  I appreciate that he's kind of the perfect dog, but I'm not really a dog person.

He's absolutely not my dog.  He's my daughter's.  He follows her everywhere, sleeps in her bed.  Now that she's older, she does 100% of his care when she's home.  Every meal, every walk (we live in an apartment, so there are lots of walks), takes him to the vet, buys his food, cuts his nails etc . . .  In return he gives her lots of love, follows her from room to room.  I work long days, and my daughter is something of a homebody, and he's been good company to her.

This week is spring break, and my daughter has gone to visit her grandparents.  This is the longest she's been gone, and the dog is breaking my heart. Every night he stands by her door, and when it's clear she's not there he goes and sits in his crate.  He comes out when I invite him to sleep in my room, but you can see it's not he

He'll survive a week, not a big deal, but my daughter's a junior.  In a year she'll be gone for college, and he's not going.

Any thoughts on how I can make that transition easier for him? Things I can do in the next year to strengthen our bond?  How do you help a dog grieve?
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