1. Consistent fun, socialization, and support
Whatever we may think as adults, childhood is not all sunshine and rainbows. Just like us, children can experience feelings of fear, sadness, loneliness, isolation, and sadness – and when they do, these feelings are usually much more intense than the ones we know as adults. A pet is one of the best ways to provide consistent and reliable emotional support and socialization outside the parent and sibling circle.
A dog will be there through the good and the bad of a child’s life. This way, they provide a sense of security, safety, and trust. Even when they get into a fight with their sibling, their dog will be there for them. When they get a bad grade at school, they can turn to their dog for consolation. If they have difficulty adapting to social circles in a new school, a dog can help with emotional support tremendously.
Taking care of a dog and cuddling was shown to decrease stress levels and help people relax, which is why pet therapy in many settings is now a valuable and efficient stress management method.
2. Health and Immune System Benefits
Recent studies have shown that babies who grew up in close contact with a house pet rarely caught any illnesses during their first year, which also implies fewer visits to the family doctor. This is because exposure to dogs (and other pets) and the microbes they bring into the home from the great outdoors helps boost the baby’s immune system. Research has also shown that children who grow up with dogs are less likely to suffer from allergies.
3. Active Habits and Lifestyle
Taking care of a dog and regular walks mean that the owners will be in circumstances where they have to lead a more active lifestyle. This applies to both adults and children. There has been scientific research focused on proving this thesis, but any dog owner and their family can testify that this is definitely true. Through playtime and walks, children with dogs get significantly more exercise each day compared to children who don’t have dogs or other outdoor-active pets.
All dogs need regular walks, runs, and a lot of playtime. When you add an adorable puppy to your family, you’ll surely be motivated to walk and run more! The best contribution to building good habits is that you’ll have the motivation to get dressed and walk around the block even when you don’t feel like it – which is probably when you need it the most.
4. Less Worrying, More Happiness
One of the most obvious benefits of owning a dog in early childhood is very simple: dogs make children happier (and adults, too). It has been proven that interaction with animals increases dopamine and serotonin levels, which are crucial chemical components of positive emotions. Even without the scientific proof, just seeing your children with big smiles on their faces when they play with their dog will testify to this.
Dogs will brighten up everybody’s day, which can also break the chain of bad moods in a family. For example, if you’re under stress at work and come home to see your dog wiggling your tail happy to see you, you can instantly get a mood boost and be more positive around your children.
5. Responsibility Lessons
If you have had to chance to teach responsibility to children without the help of a living being (such as cleaning, money, sticking to their word, etc.), you probably know that it’s much harder than it sounds. Children soak up information and lessons all of the time, but sometimes it’s hard to explain why responsibility is valuable because they don’t get the instant results from it.
This is why owning a pet is a great way to teach your children responsibility, routine, and consistency. For many children, making sure that the family dog has water and food is a first glimpse into the world of commitment and responsibility.
6. Higher Empathy Levels
Next to responsibility, owning a dog teaches children empathy and compassion. Kids love their dogs and they want them to be happy, healthy, and active, which is why their well-being will perfectly illustrate to them that they have to take certain actions to make that happen for them. While taking care of their dog, children will also develop higher levels of self-confidence, because they are able to take care of someone else.
Conclusion: Children growing up with a dog can enrich a family’s life in many ways: it’s a great way to teach children responsibility, empathy, and friendship, but also an incentive to lead a more active lifestyle. Adding a family dog to your family unit can be one of the best gifts you can give your children: not only as kids but as love that will follow them for the rest of their lives.
