How Dogs Contribute to Childhood Development

Many imagine the perfect family consisting of a couple with a few children accompanied by a dog, but some would not consider getting a dog for the family. This is born out of the fear of a dog attack or even the added expenses to their monthly bills, but one should consider the future benefits of having a dog around the house, especially around your children.

Truly Man’s Best Friend

If one were to think that dogs being man’s best friend is ridiculous, one should reconsider this idea when looking at social media. There are videos with dogs showing their relationship with the youngest members of their families, the babies. Many of the videos that one will see involve the babies lying down while their puppies or dogs are nearby. Puppies are usually playing with them and giving them “puppy kisses”. They do these things as if they were their siblings who do everything with each other. As for the more mature pups, they become the subject of their playtime sessions or monitor them eerily close to the child, making sure that they are completely safe and happy. This is because dogs are social animals. The best way for dogs to socialize is through physical activities that they do with their masters. Their protective nature is because of their mentality of protecting their pack, and in this case, their pack is the family they live with. If they feel that they truly are part of the family, they would surely reciprocate the love and care that their owners give them.

Getting a dog is mainly for the physical aspect of playing with the family, but there is a bonus for the younger ones. These pups unknowingly teach their human brothers or sisters a great lesson in responsibility. It is common knowledge that taking care of any dog takes a lot out of its owners. These include feeding, bathing, grooming, giving medicine for medical conditions, and even walking them to get their daily exercise. These have taught all dog owners how much more difficult it is to take care of a living being than doing household chores, most of which become too repetitive. Pet chores are the activities that force children to jump off of their couches, whether they like it or not, and save them from a mundane schedule. Doing these simple activities also give children a sense of accomplishment and productivity, so this is important to consider as well.

Another gift that dogs give children is more on the social aspect. Taking them out for walks and playing fetch with them teach children to be selfless and empathetic, and this teaches them how one should treat people, being that dogs are much like humans. Learning this as early as one’s childhood could help much more than one would think when starting a family. Reading the behavior of a dog helps in reading the behavior of humans.

A One-sided Conversation?

People who have seen other people in public have most probably witnessed these people talk to their dogs. Some people think that this is naive since dogs cannot speak human words with appropriate responses, but what they do not know is that there is more to this.

A fun fact about dogs is that they are one the best therapists in the world because of their ability to understand how a human being is feeling. Many kids come home from an incredibly stressful day of school, and their dogs selflessly offer their joy and comfort to their owners every single time. It may seem odd, but all that is missing is sharing some words with them. Even though they do not understand them, they appreciate these as this is a sign that they are loved. They make sure to listen to their master’s words to destress and pull them out of the negative space their owners are currently in.

The Health of the Children

Some researches show that exposing babies to dogs early on in their lives helps build and develop their immune systems. Early exposure reduces their risk of getting allergies and asthma, but it would still be wise to monitor their actions as some cases show the opposite results.

Retreating to dogs being one of the best therapists to exist, there are some cases in which the stress may lead to much worse. Depression and anxiety are real phenomena, but even dogs can help us overcome loneliness by showing their companionship and loyalty. For other disorders such as ASC or autism, dogs may become service dogs, preparing them for taking care of children with these conditions. Knowing they are quite different from people without these disorders, the pups make them feel that they are the same as other people who have their furry friends who are loving and loyal.

Dogs are man’s best friend, but one should argue that they are mostly a child’s best friend as this is the perfect combination. While dogs act as a best friend or a sibling, children learn so much from being with them for their lives, making them better persons in the future. For those who have children but no pups to play with, maybe it would be time to research the perfect breed for the family.