What can dogs teach a child? Why are they often loved even more than brothers and sisters? Perhaps the fact is that pets give children unconditional love and support, they show an example of empathy, sincere joy and care.
For children, dogs can be more than just great playmates and true friends. According to new research, they also have a positive effect on the development of the child. Children who have four-legged friends are less prone to behavioral problems, and their emotional development is higher than children without pets.
The researchers studied 1 families. Participants were asked if they had a dog. The parents were then asked to complete a questionnaire assessing the child’s behavioral and emotional health. The questionnaire included statements such as “attentive to other people’s feelings”, “nervous or clingy in new situations, easily loses confidence”, “may be unkind to other people”.
Parents gave their children points on a three-point scale: “not true”, “partly true”, “absolutely true”. Children who grew up in families with dogs significantly outperformed their peers without dogs in communication skills.
The results of the survey showed that children with dogs were less likely to develop behavioral problems, had fewer social difficulties overall, were more likely to engage in prosocial behavior, and played more with family members. Parents who took their children for walks with their dogs noted positive changes in the behavior of younger family members.
Before adopting a dog, read about how to prepare for the arrival of such a family member, as well as how to introduce a dog and a child.
The researchers concluded that having a dog in the family and interacting with it in the process of playing and walking can positively influence the socio-emotional development of young children. A pet can be a friend for you and your children, a sports partner, sometimes she turns out to be the best expert in the field of child development.
But this does not mean that you should go and get a dog right now. Often people refuse them because they do not have time to deal with the animal, play with it and take care of it properly. As a result, the family experiences stress, and the child is sad and does not understand what happened if a friend is taken away from him. This can completely undermine all the good that the dog has brought to your home. Before adopting a dog, read about how to prepare for a new “family member” and how to introduce a dog to a child.