Feeling heartsick for Rover?

The abundant squirrels on campus just don’t fill the void of the family dog?

Have no worries, because a few Northwestern professors are more than happy to share stories, pictures or even visits with their canine companions.

“I think just having a dog around occasionally is good fun,” said political science Prof. Jerry Goldman. “It’s comforting for many students who are fond of pets.”

Goldman’s students know all about his past and present flat-coated retrievers from anecdotes they hear in class and photos on the professor’s Web page.

“It reminds students of their own dogs, makes them think positively about their experiences with their dogs and home and family,” he said. “It’s also an icebreaker. I become more approachable because I have the dog.”

Although he avoids taking his pet to NU regularly in order not to bother students with allergies, Goldman said he usually brings one-and-a-half