Dogs are a great family member. You give them a place in your family and they give you their unconditional love. Perhaps there is no one who shows unconditional love the way a dog shows love to us, almost akin to the unconditional love of a parent to a child.
Personally, I love dogs. I had a pomeranian in my childhood, and I used to play actively with a Boxer breed during my teenage years, and in my late twenties, I had a Indian Pariah puppy and then it was adopted by a friend now. I still actively spend time with dogs and I just love them. They’re the most innocent and unconditional love giving animals. The most beautiful thing about dogs is the love they give back to you.
Benefits of growing up with a dog
Companionship
In the current world of nuclear families, children tend to feel lonely with working parents. A constant companionship in a pet is underrated for a kid’s development. We generally think kids don’t have a hard day, but that is not true. Kids too have a hard day sometimes with classmates, teachers, curriculum, expectations, and more. When they come home and meet an unconditionally loving animal, they immediately calm down and become happier and composed. Pets can play a critical role in bridging emotional gaps in children. And more importantly, it teaches children that providing love and care is just as important as receiving it.
Responsibility
As you add a pet to your family, it is a great opportunity for a child to learn the importance of responsibility, care-giving, and cause and effect in life. Children can learn the responsibility of taking care of the pet in terms of its food, health, and hygiene. They can take the dog for regular walks and get comfortable in learning to manage the responsibilities for a pet.
Protection
It is well documented in research that children who have pets feel more secure and protected. They internally know their pet will alert them of dangers that they couldn’t see. Recently, a boy in British Columbia, Canada, came back home from school and was alone at home without adults. And, it happened so that a bear was hiding in their open porch and the dog alerted him as the dog was uneasy and constantly sitting at the door not allowing him to go out. Later, the boy saw it and called out to the neighbours and they managed the bear to be handed over to the environment protection agency. The point is when push comes to shove, dogs will love you to death. They will put themselves upfront to protect you.
Understanding loss and pain
Each child meets loss in a very different way, but usually it will come in the form of a grandparent or a pet. Because pets have a much smaller life cycle than humans, they see the full cycle of a pet and understand more about life’s cause and effect. They see the pet growing with them, getting older, and eventually unable to move or do much activity and going to rest. Children spend an enormous amount of time beside them and gain emotional understanding of this phase. They gain maturity in understanding that everybody goes through the cycle and build an understanding and an emotional base to deal with loss in life.
If you’re planning to add a pet, make sure you’re prepared for it. Your living room might need additions such as a bowl, leash, collar, toys, crate, and other inventory for your pet. You must make time for a new schedule along with your kid for the pet’s bathing, walking, training, and more. Based on the time you can allocate, you should bring the appropriate breed home. For example, if you cannot dedicate too much time to the pet, then you should avoid bringing athletic breeds such as a Boxer that needs to play a lot everyday.
Hope this is useful, thank you.
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