Deployment is tough on families, no matter how short or long the time that lapses is.

Members of the military are thousands of miles away from their loved ones during these periods and, even with today's technology that's made staying connected easier — such as emails that can include digital photos and Skype — there are some members of the family that can be left out: pets.

Nick, who was recently returned from his second deployment to Afghanistan and was reunited with his family, explains that pets are as much a part of the family as their human counterparts, and the long absences that come with deployment can be difficult and confusing for dogs, especially.

He and his wife, Katy have a baby daughter and a Boxer named Chuck.

"I told my wife before the deployment that he was the hardest one to say goodbye to," says Nick.

"My daughter was so young; she didn't understand where I was going. Obviously, my wife knew... but animals don't quite understand that deployment or a business trip. They see you leaving. I guess they ultimately see it's them, and that's why you're leaving."

Upon arriving home from an eight-month deployment, Nick's wife decided to capture video of the reunion of the soldier and his four-legged buddy, and the video says it all: "I missed you!"

The couple was asked if it was a surprise that the pooch would react so enthusiastically.

"I knew that Chuck was going to go crazy, which is why I needed to get it on video," Katy replied.

Lorrie Shaw leads the pets section for AnnArbor.com. Catch her daily dog walking and pet sitting adventures or email her directly andsubscribe to AnnArbor.com's email newsletters.