If you own a dog, you are well aware of the benefits he brings to your life. Dogs make fantastic family members, and not just because they are entertaining. Children can also benefit from owning a dog.
Benefits of Owning a Dog
Having a dog can help kids learn responsibility, handle their emotions, and improve their health.
Check out this list of advantages kids can experience by owning a dog in their life:
- Teaching children how to take care of a dog might increase their cooperation and generosity.
- Children learn to empathize with and consider the feelings of their peers when they consider what a dog would feel.
- Children can recover from trauma by learning to confide in their pets as if they were pals.
- Dog ownership can boost a child’s self-esteem.
- Allergies are less likely to develop in children who have grown up among dogs.
- Dog owners may have fewer sick days for their children.
A dog in your child’s life can help prepare them for a contented and healthy childhood.
Why are dogs so kind to children?
According to Kerns, when people are around pets and pet them, they frequently just feel calmer on the inside. The kids might be happier around their dogs, which enables them to handle pressures better. The child may find it easier to unwind now because of previous relaxing experiences with their dog.
Why should households own dogs?
Our family does not own a dog. Put it down to a lack of desire for a family dog, room, money, and time. We love dogs, though. My wife grew up with a group of yellow labs, and I shared a home as a kid with a boxer, a cagey Australian shepherd, and a husky that like to gnaw on toys and furniture. I worry if I’m doing my kids a disservice by delaying getting a dog given those primarily pleasant experiences and the vast quantity of studies on the psychological and health effects—also mostly positive—of growing up around a dog.
She explains, “We discovered comparable associations among all pet-owning households.
The homes with dogs reported the better social and emotional growth, however, when we focused in and asked whether it was the dog, the cat, or some other creature.
From an evolutionary or historical standpoint, it is scarcely strange that canines and human offspring would have a special bond. There is proof that people and dogs have coexisted together for 30,000 years (scientists suspect that cats, by comparison, have been kept as pets for less than 10,000 years). Leslie Irvine, a sociologist at the University of Colorado Boulder and the author of several books examining how people and animals interact, claims that “it’s a really old bond. They react to our facial expressions, and their extensive interaction with us has made them extremely perceptive to human behavior. We’ve changed together.
Dogs were, however, relegated to the outside as service animals for the most of our common history and were used for herding, transporting, or hunting. Dogs did not move indoors and become pets until the 19th century. Around goods and services for dogs, an economy grew. That country’s economy continued to expand. According to recent studies, people now spend $70 billion annually on just pet food. It’s possible that this financial commitment and the inescapable emotional commitment are what sparked the idea that dogs belong in families. a manifestation of the progress made: Over the past few years, the horrifying phrase “fur baby” has grown in acceptance.
As a result, dogs frequently play a significant role in family life, receiving emotional support from family members who are willing to adjust their schedules and living arrangements to suit the needs of canines. “The dog creates the dynamics of the household, or contributes to them, as much as the human members do,” says Leslie.
But on a deeper level, research indicates that the family dog might have an impact on everyone’s general welfare. The American Board of Family Medicine published a thorough analysis of the health advantages of dog ownership in 2015. They provided proof that having a dog daily improves feelings of contentment, security, and self-worth while decreasing feelings of loneliness and isolation. Dogs promote neighborhood friendliness, social trust, civic participation, and a sense of belonging. According to studies, as people get older and own pets, they require fewer medical care.
The benefits to children’s health are even better proven. Those who are raised near dogs as infants develop better psychosocially as toddlers and have stronger immune systems. Adolescents who own dogs experience trauma more quickly, recover from it more easily, and report more frequent social interactions and a sense of belonging. However, the fact that kids who have dogs are more active is one of the most important health effects. According to Christian, kids who have dogs walk more, play outside more, and are more likely to meet physical activity guidelines. As a result, obesity rates decline and cardiovascular health is enhanced.
According to a 2016 study by Christian and colleagues, parents are often more ready to let youngsters stroll around neighborhoods alone if they have a dog in tow. This is an unrelated finding about physical activity that is important to notice. Simple opportunities, like being able to walk to school or the corner store, present themselves from an early age, usually around eight, according to Christian. “If a child is accompanied by the family dog, parents are considerably more likely to permit them to be autonomous in the neighborhood. This is significant for the benefit of development as well as physical activity. As a result of their ability to assess and evaluate their circumstances, they eventually mature into more well-rounded citizens.
There are obviously warnings. One frequently touted justification for owning a dog is to teach kids responsibility, although this justification may not always be supported by the available data. According to Irvine, “a lot of parents purchase dogs in the hopes that their children would learn how to be responsible. “Most of the time, the mother ends up giving the dog most of the care, while the kids mostly get away with doing nothing. Additionally, the evidence is far from conclusive even though several research indicate that dogs generally encourage prosocial behaviors in children. I’d want to argue that having a pet makes people more sympathetic, but the evidence isn’t clear, according to Irvine. “For every study that reveals owning a pet increases people’s capacity for empathy, another reveals it has no such effect.
However, not necessarily for the worse, this is more disturbing
Children typically experience sadness and loss for the first time through their family dogs. Whether this is a difficult lesson or a catastrophic loss depends entirely on how parents handle the minutes before euthanasia or the news that a pet has passed away (though the death of a dog is often both).
Children are particularly sensitive to pet loss, according to Nora Schuurman of the University of Turku, who has examined how the loss of a dog affects the entire family. ” Children’s faith in their parents may be impacted if it is kept a secret, or if euthanasia is imminent. Childhood trauma caused by witnessing an animal die can have long-term effects on how people interact with their pets. People sometimes decide they never want to own pets again, while other times they desire complete control over what happens to their animals.
Risks to development and health may also be present with pet dogs. They can harm family members and spread disease; they can deplete emotional and financial resources; and they can cause injury. Therefore, even while having a dog seems to have its advantages, choosing to add one to your family should not be a hasty decision. According to Irvine, “It’s really simple to look at a circumstance and declare that this is not a good setting for a dog. “Financial difficulty, domestic violence, and nobody staying at home all day. However, if your family has room for a dog, it could be time to stop by the neighborhood pound.
Now, my family may be an outlier in having no dogs.
We’re not the only ones—60% of U.S. families have a family dog. with justification. We spent the first few years of our marriage in a small city apartment, like millions of other Americans. We currently reside in a suburban townhouse with insufficient room for anything that hasn’t been bred into a teacup, much like millions of other Americans. We also have concerns about time and money. Our energy (and finances) are depleted by two young children, therefore we don’t have the resources to provide a dog with the home it needs. In addition, despite all their benefits, dogs can be troublesome. home education. walks through rain. Worms.
There are many excellent reasons to having pets in our lives, but we must also carefully consider the responsibility involved and make sure we are capable of it, says Christian.
Maybe my family isn’t ready for it yet. But when we are, having a dog inside the house would probably be a good idea. I believe my kids deserve it given the developmental advantages.
Why are puppies necessary for kids?
Many young people desire a pet puppy. But did you know that getting your child a puppy has a lot of advantages? Here are the main explanations for why bringing a puppy home will benefit your child’s growth and development.
Most dog lovers would say they have desired a puppy since they were young. Puppy ownership offers more advantages than just gratifying a childhood fantasy. Puppies actually give kids essential life lessons, support their emotional and cognitive growth, and provide unwavering love and friendship! Learn about all the advantages puppies can give your kids if you’re still debating getting one!
Are dogs suitable for a single child?
A dog can help an only kid feel less lonely and help them see their pet as a sibling, according to studies. As they would with a sibling, kids learn how to “share their parents’ attention and their own space, they learn to respect other living things, to be kind, and to be loving.”
Can a dog be cared for by an 11-year-old?
Most children who have been educated correctly can walk their dogs under adult supervision for short distances by the time they are nine years old. They can probably walk their dog alone by the time they are 10 or 11, depending on the child. Most children can play with and groom their pets at this age, and the older ones can even assist in picking up excrement! Even if it’s disgusting, kids’ pet care includes it! It is essential to teach kids proper hygiene before, during, and after. This depends on the maturity of your particular child. Children of this age can assist bathe the family dog and learn how to feed the pet.
At what age may a kid get a dog?
When purchasing a pet, one aspect to take into account is the age of your children. In general, it may be safer to hold off until your child is older than age 4 because many dog bite injuries occur to young children. But keep in mind that each child develops at a different rate; consider your kids and their level of maturity.
When is the ideal time to get a dog?
Because toy breed puppies are so little and delicate, some breeders may decide to keep them past the 8-week mark.
The breeder may decide to hold off on placing a puppy if it will be traveling a great distance to its new home, especially if it will be by airline, until the puppy has had the majority of its shots and is better prepared to manage the stress of traveling both physically and emotionally.
According to a seasoned dog trainer and development expert, 8 to 9 weeks is the ideal time for a puppy to be adopted by a new owner, when the puppy is prepared to form a close attachment. The same trainer said that if the breeder is spending a lot of time and effort socializing and teaching the puppy, the puppy might also benefit from being with its littermates a little bit longer.
The bottom line is to consult your dog trainer, veterinarian, and breeder. You will be better prepared on the big day if they advise you to wait an extra week or two to ensure the healthy development of your new companion.
