Do you have a dog? Did you have one when you were a child? Have your kids been begging you to adopt a little puppy? Should you finally give in and do that even if you’re not sure that it’s the right choice for your family, as well as the right timing? As someone who loves animals and can’t imagine living in a house without at least one pet, I wouldn’t even take a second to think about my answer.
However, from the practical point of view, when parents decide to add a pet to their family, a dog in particular, they understand that they create another source of responsibility and daily chores for themselves. And that’s the side of the decision no one should underestimate.
At the same time, modern services like pet sitting or walking make combining your busy life with owning a dog a lot easier. For instance, when your family needs to go on a long-distance trip, there’s no need in asking a neighbor or a family member who lives nearby to take care of your pet.
You may find pet boarding or sitting services on HireRush.com and provide excellent care to your dog even when you’re away. Furthermore, if you’re struggling to potty train or house train your pup, a dog trainer will always help you solve the problem.
But, if the unconditional love, the incredible loyalty rare humans are able to express and the life-long friendship you and your kids will experience when having a dog doesn’t convince you into getting a furry friend for your family, there’re a few practical benefits that might get you into thinking about finding a perfect dog for your home and kids.
Reasons to get a dog if you have kids
- Dogs provide comfort and extra confidence to kids. When having a dog, children will always have a companion to rely on and the source of comfort they sometimes can’t find anywhere else.
- It’s the friend your kids will grow up taking care for, which will develop their sense of commitment and responsibility for someone’s wellbeing. They’ll also acquire basic caring and patience skills. And, your children will be able to understand the value of the love they express to a living creature a lot better.
- Dogs are quite intelligent pets that improve children’s communication skills and make it easier for them to contact with other living creatures, promote their social activity and develop friendships outside their family circle. It’s especially important for kids that find taking first steps to becoming closer with someone really hard, as they most likely won’t be able to resist the temptation of getting to know a cute little puppy and playing with him.
- Children who have dogs get out of the house more often and are more active as they chase their pups, walk them or play with the toys to satisfy the dog’s daily need of exercise. And, modern parents know better than anyone how hard it is to rip your child from the numerous TV, computer or gadget screens and make them go to play outside and breathe the fresh air.
- You and your kids may meet other people with similar interests (at least when it comes to pets) while taking your dog for a walk to a local park or around the neighborhood. That means more socializing opportunities for the whole family.
- They’ll never leave your kids bored or sad, as they’re quite sensitive to human’s behavior and feelings and never fail to cheer their owners up or just come to cuddle up when the mood is quite low.
- A lot of parents with multiple children note that the shared love for the dog and the time kids spend together while playing with it helps siblings become closer to each other, strengthen their bond and learn how to share the responsibilities.
- Dogs help to cope with stress and anxiety, along with some of the behavior issues. According to some studies, spending 15-30 minutes of the quality time with a dog relieves the major stress children may go through due to the mountains of school work or their social life. Playing with a puppy boosts the brain’s levels of dopamine and serotonin, which makes people feel a lot happier. That’s especially true and vital for kids with autism. For them, the dog is often the first friend they are brave enough to make.
- The Scientists of Clinical & Experimental Allergy found that kids, who grew up with dogs from the young age are 50% less likely to develop allergies, eczema, and asthma if compared to those who don’t have a furry friend who’s always running around asking for a cuddle or trying to lick the kid’s nose. In addition to that, the members of the families who have a dog in their house often have a stronger immune system, which helps them withstand various infections a lot better.
- If you live in a house and your kids play outside a lot, it’s always great to know that there’s a watchdog with them, who’ll alert you if something/someone suspicious and dangerous is approaching your little ones.
- Teenagers who have their own dogs may choose a pet sitter and walker as their first part-time job, which is rather important in terms of personal financial literacy of a young person entering the adulthood stage.
- You’ll fall in love with your pup the moment you take to hold him for the first time and just after a few days together you won’t understand how you could be against getting one.
