There are many good things about your kids growing up with a dog as a pet. I chose 4 which are a mixture of health and relationships. As you try to decide if getting a dog for your kids is a good thing keep these in mind and don’t take them for granted.

#1 Emotional benefit

Dogs teach kids about responsibility. Caring for them makes the child realise how difficult, yet essential, caring for another living creature is. At the same time the children realise that just like the dog, they really cannot take care of temselves.

Children who care for pets learn what it is like to have a living being depending on them, and this teaches responsibility like no other. A dog teaches the child altruism and the feeling of responsibility by becoming a significant member of the family. Studies show that when an only child gets a dog, he or she often feels less alone, viewing the pet as their brother or sister.

#2 Physical benefit

A recently published study found that younger children who are allergic to dogs and live in homes with dogs are at lower risk for developing eczema. In fact, children who were allergic to dogs who did not have dogs in their homes were four times as likely as those who did develop eczema. Another study found that children who were predisposed to have respiratory allergies or asthma (at least one parent had them) were far less likely to have those problems if there was a dog in the home.

Recent studies on child health concluded that children who lived with pets during the first year of life, especially dogs, actually had better immune systems than those who did not. Dennis Ownby found that children exposed to two or more dogs or cats in their childhood were less than half as likely to have a common allergy than children with no pets at home.

#3 Building relationships

A recent study found that, in terms of relationships within a family, children reported feeling more fulfillment and less conflict with dogs compared with siblings. Children from dog-owning families, spending time with their pet dogs can be beneficial from an increased sense of physical activity, and also from a heightened sense of social and emotional development.

Getting a dog for your kids surprisingly helps with stress levels all around. Researchers also tracked kids stress levels. They found that kids were more relaxed around dogs than peers. Families looking to incorporate a pet into an active game or a longer stroll may find that dogs are the perfect choice.
Some dog breeds are perfect if you believe that your children need companionship, mostly for social and health reasons.

Parents considering getting a dog for their kids might want to consult a vet or other experts to see what type of breed is right for children. When choosing a dog for your children, make sure you do research on the breeds and talk with the breeder about your family’s lifestyle, so that you can make sure that the pet you receive is a great match for the entire family. As long as your family has the means and resources to take care of the pet, and nobody in the home is allergic, you may want to think about saying yes, since pets can be so beneficial for your child’s wellbeing.

#4 Simply put……

Simply put, dogs are non-judgmental, comforting friends who listen patiently, giving children a boost in confidence. The kids can hug and pet, soothe etc. at will. Having one dog often means you will come in contact with other dogs. At that moment the child learns that all dogs are not the same, just like people.
Getting a dog for your kids can only be a win-win situation.