Guest Post by Priit from All Pets Life
Dogs have been around for quite some time. Ever since dogs were first domesticated centuries ago, humans and dogs have had quite a remarkable relationship. Dogs have assumed a variety of roles, from helping out with certain types of labor, to being therapy animals, to simply providing companionship.
There are many reasons why people want to have a dog around, especially as another member of your family. Dogs offer this source of joy and happiness, a feeling that helps calm your soul even. Just ask any dog owner, and there’s a chance that they’ll share a story about heir special pet that conveys just that.
Dogs can even make perfect companions for children! So if you’ve been thinking about getting a dog for your child or wondering what it would be like for your child to grow up with a dog, you’ll be happy to know that there is an immense amount of good a dog can do for your child.
Having a dog can teach your child many good things such as responsibility and demonstrate unconditional friendship. But, aside from that, there are also the health benefits that living with a dog can offer your child. Certainly the health benefits your child can experience from a canine companion are a compelling reason to let your child grow up with a loyal furry friend!
So, if you’ve been considering getting your child that goldendoodle, pittie, or any other dog breed, think about all the benefits they’ll have for your kids!
Kids and Dogs
Kids and dogs have a lot of similarities. They’re both very playful and love having someone to keep them company. It only makes sense that they’d be a perfect match for each other!
There are some steps you can take to help ensure a successful friendship forms between your child and your new puppy. First, do some intentional training and socializing for both your dog and your child. If you’ve had a family dog for quite some time, you’re child is probably already familiar with how to interact with them. If so, you can help work that into how your child gets accustomed to the new family member.
On the other hand, if you get a new dog for your child, you’ll have to learn how your dog is around people. You’ll have to know how they feel about their personal space and how comfortable they can eventually get. Your child will have to learn that with you too. That way, they can both learn how to be comfortable with one another.
But once that’s all sorted out, your dog and your child will eventually become the best of friends! They’ll both have playmates that can keep them entertained and just keep them company. Eventually, you can teach your child how to take better care of your dog. It’ll help them learn how to understand their dog’s needs and learn how to meet those needs. That will not only teach them how to be responsible, but it’ll also help build a stronger relationship with their canine companion!
(Source: https://pixabay.com/images/id-2119335/)
What About The Health Benefits?
Aside from teaching your child how to be responsible and how interact with dogs, there are some health benefits that having a pet dog can have for your child.
Keeping Them Active
Dogs are known to be playful and also love being taken out on walks. It’s for this reason that having one around can help give your child a more active lifestyle.
Your dog will definitely want to have some playtime. With your child, this playtime can involve things like running after them, playing fetch, and maybe even some hide and seek. Your dog may also want to be taken out for a walk.
These are all activities that can help your child stay active. As a result, your child will get the exercise they need to help with their cardiovascular health. It’ll also help them avoid staying sedentary, especially when your dog just happens to always ask nicely to the point that you can’t say no.
Immune Health
Studies done on the pediatric age group have found that those who had pets, such as dogs, had a more robust and healthier immune system compared to those without any pets. In addition, it was seen that babies who were exposed to dogs during their first year of life got sick a lot less and didn’t have to seek out medical care as often.
This could probably be attributed to the early exposure to the pet dander and the microbes that pets like dogs brought along with them. The earlier the exposure, the sooner their immune system worked to build itself up to resist these things.
Allergies
In relation to immune health, studies also discovered that children who had at least one parent with allergies or asthma had a lower chance of growing up with the same issues if they had a dog around. Just like with the immune system, exposure to their pets help their bodies adjust accordingly. Unfortunately, this benefit was only observed if the child had exposure to a dog during their first year of life.
Mental Health Benefits
You might’ve heard someone say that dogs are sources of joy and happiness. Not surprisingly, there is some scientific evidence to substantiate this claim!
The US CDC found out that children who had pet dogs with them at home had lower anxiety and stress levels. This could be attributed to the increased oxytocin levels in the brain whenever a child would interact with their dogs. So, dogs really are a source of joy!
(source: https://pixabay.com/images/id-5801275/)
Dogs have been faithful companions to humans for as long as time can tell. They’ve provided humans with many things, from being assistants in work to simply being trusty companions. Ask any dog owner, and they’ll let you know that having them around is definitely a good thing. So, it makes sense that they’d also be great companions for children.
But, when it comes to children, there’s so much more they can offer than just being a canine playmate. Having a dog around also has many health benefits. Dogs can help keep your child active and even boost their immune system. They can also be an excellent way to help with your child’s mental health.
There’s so much good that a dog can bring your child! So, if you’ve been on the fence about thinking about whether it would be good to have a dog around your child, perhaps these benefits can help you decide!
Guest Post by Priit from All Pets Life