Hannah Froedtert is just days away from her sophomore year at SUNY Canton.

“You definitely have to have effort and the mindset to be able to go through college and put the time in that it takes to be able to do this amount of work,” she said.

It can lead, she says, to stresses and anxiety that she’s never really faced before. She often finds solace in hanging out with her best friend, Maggie.

“We go kayaking,” Froedtert said of her time with Maggie. “She likes to go kayaking. She loves going for walks. That’s one of her favorite things.”

It’s partly because of Maggie that Hannah chose SUNY Canton. Instead of having to say goodbye to her pal each semester, the school has found a way to help her – and a number of other students – feel more at home by opening a dog floor in one of its dorms.

“It’s one of the first of its kind in the country, and we think that it will help with student engagement and also student retention. If you are able to have a piece of home on campus, then you will probably feel more connected to campus and you are less likely to feel homesick,” SUNY Canton Associate Director of Resident Life Sarah Chamberlain said.

Froedtert and Maggie recently got a first look at what their new home will be.

“It just makes me happy, and I’m not going to be as stressed as I normally am. I will get to come into my dorm and snuggle her and it just puts a smile on my face,” she said, touring her new dorm.

“The first two weeks when students first come on campus, I think it’s easy for adults who have been through it a few times, or people who work on college campuses, to forget the feelings of anxiety, being on campus for the first time,” Chamberlain added.

It’s almost as if I don’t know what I’d do without her. We’re practically tied at the hip. We’re sisters, and I just love her a lot,” Froedtert said, holding Maggie.

Even for the students who don’t own a dog, the school believes it would be fun and comforting just to have a dog around to pet and snuggle when times get tough.

There are rules and restrictions when it comes to living on the floor; they’re on the resident life section of SUNY Canton’s website. The school is currently accepting applications for upcoming semesters.