There are over 77 million dogs in the US (Source: American Veterinary Medical Association). Many of us have fond memories of family dogs from when they were young.
If you have the time, resources, and room in your home, then a family dog can bring a huge amount of joy to your family life. The benefits to both adults and kids are well researched and can benefit you for your entire life.
They teach your children care and responsibility
Even though a great deal of the care of the dog will fall to you, children can also be involved in it. You can teach them that a dog needs to be fed, exercised, and groomed. As they get older, they can become more responsible for certain aspects of the dog’s care.
Though we want our dogs to be with us for a long time, they will get older, experience illness, and eventually, pass away. This can be a very difficult time for children but it’s also an opportunity for them to learn about this aspect of owning a dog. How you deal with this depends on the age of your child, their temperament, and your beliefs. You may choose cremation urns for dogs from Memorials.com or remember them in some other way that will help your children cope with the loss.
They encourage exercise and outdoor play
Families with dogs spend more time outside, walking and playing. This is great for overall activity levels and fitness, as well as time, spent together as a family. With the lifestyle of both adults and children becoming more sedentary, even a few minutes of extra exercise per day can really add up over the course of a year.
Companionship
Dogs are a constant companion, always there to spend time with you and show unconditional love. A dog never fails to greet you like you’ve been away for a year. Even if it’s just been half an hour. It never fails to make you feel good. This is great for children and can be especially for children who experience anxiety or stress. Having the friendship of a dog can stop children from feeling lonely.
Improves the immune system
There are so many health benefits of owning a dog. Children who grow up with dogs, especially from a very young age experience less illness and allergies than other children. It is thought that being exposed to more bacteria in a dog, can kick start a child’s immune system and make it more effective in fighting off illness.
Better social skills and emotional intelligence
Caring for a dog helps children to become more socially aware and more compassionate. These skills are very difficult to teach and are invaluable to people throughout their lives. They can learn to recognize emotions in a dog as well as their own emotional response to them.
Build self-confidence
Interacting with a dog and learning to take care of them can be a great way to build up self-confidence and self-esteem. Research by the CDC revealed that children with dogs have lower levels of anxiety and stress than other children.
Improved language skills
Even quite shy children find it easy to talk to animals. This helps them develop their speech and vocabulary and in turn their social skills.
Benefits for adults
It’s not just children who benefit from owning a dog. There are many benefits for adults too. The health benefits for adults include decreased stress levels, lower blood pressure, and better cardiovascular health. Not only do adults get sick less often, but they recover more quickly too.
This is down not only to the increased physical exercise from regular walks but the release of oxytocin when petting a dog. This feel-good hormone decreases stress levels, lowers the heart rate, and relaxes you. Just a few minutes a day is all it takes. It’s also been discovered that your dog will experience the same release of oxytocin too. It’s a win-win
They also decrease loneliness in adults and improve social interaction. You’re more likely to talk and interact with others when walking with your dog.
Final thoughts
There are so many benefits to having a dog as part of your family. Not only can they provide a great excuse for more family time, but they also improve the lives of everyone around them, in both a physical and social capacity.
Children who grow up with dogs are more emotionally balanced, self-confident, and have a highly developed emotional intelligence. Adults too, benefit from the presence of a four-legged friend.