Dog owners know that furry-friends are a source of loyalty, companionship, exercise, and love. Wondering if having a dog is good for kids? Read on to find out just how beneficial dogs can be.
Dogs Teach Responsibility
Kids who grow up with dogs learn responsibility early on. Children learn about responsibility and caretaking by feeding, bathing, walking, and playing with dogs. They learn how to take initiative and understand what it means to have another living creature depend on them.
Dogs Make Loyal Friends
The companionship of dogs helps prevent depression and loneliness because kids know that they will never yell, fight, or leave. Dogs are loyal friends for kids when they are sad, nervous, stressed, and in need of feeling wanted. Dogs are great companions for only children, who can feel lonely and see a dog as a sibling. Dogs teach kids how to share time, personal space, how to respect life, how to be kind, and how to be loving, much the same way a sibling would. The loyal companionship that kids learn from dogs teaches them unconditional love, a concept they can apply to other people they encounter throughout life.
Dogs Keep Kids Active
Dogs are active creatures who like to run, chase, and play which means that kids will stay active and healthy. Kids with dogs spend more time being active walking them and less time indoors behind electronic screens. Frequent exercise and fresh air will help kids build stronger immune systems and prevent sickness. It has also been shown that kids who grow up with dogs are less susceptible to allergies and asthma than those kids who grew up pet-free. Dogs have germs and bacteria that are different from a child’s immune system. Their immune systems learn to build defenses to fight off illnesses as they grow. Kids who struggle with behavioral problems benefit from having a dog as playtime can help calm aggression and hyperactivity.
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Dogs Can Help Improve Social Skills
Dogs help kids develop important social and developmental skills in addition to teaching them how to be responsible caretakers. Kids learn leadership skills when taking care of a dog and how it feels to be in charge. Many kids don’t have the ability to think quickly, but kids with dogs develop this skill by practicing decision-making daily when caring for their furry friends.
Child pet-owners develop more meaningful and engaging learning skills. Since dogs don’t speak, kids can improve their reading skills by reading out-loud without interruption or criticism and improve speech fluency. When kids take dogs out for walks, it gives them the chance to meet and socialize with other pet owners. Dogs help kids develop the social skills needed to make and keep friends.
Dogs Can Improve Mental Health
It’s thought that children who grow up with a dog are less likely to be diagnosed with depression. Dogs help reduce tension and anxiety and can be a source of comfort for kids, thus improving their mood. The playful, loving nature of dogs and their excitement to be around their owners puts a smile on kids’ faces and can instantly put them in a better mood.
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