Why You Should Get a Dog

Pets can be the light of their owner’s life, but they can also be a nightmare some days. Having a family can be a lot to juggle on its own while simultaneously maintaining a job, self-care, and a social life. So maybe you are thinking about getting a pet. However, maybe that potential fur baby is something small like a cat or a hamster. If you’re considering adding a furry companion to your family, you may as well get a dog. Sure they can be a little hard to maintain at first, but once they get used to the home and they get their schedule down, getting a dog will end up becoming one of the best decisions you ever made. If you’re still not convinced, here are some more reasons why getting a dog is one of the best things for your family.

1. Kids With Dogs Get Sick Less and Have Fewer Allergies

According to several studies, children who were around one-year-old that had dogs as pets were about one third more likely to avoid illnesses when they became older than other kids who didn’t have dogs as pets. Some people believe that this is due to children being exposed to germs and other pathogens early on while their immune system is still developing. This early exposure to the kinds of germs surrounding dogs could be a key element in strengthening a child’s immune system.

Whatever the cause of children having stronger immune systems, there’s definitely a correlation between having a dog as a pet and kids being less likely to become sick. Another study shows that kids who don’t have dogs as pets are two times as likely to grow up developing allergies and asthma than kids who do have dogs as pets. Besides taking care of your kids, it’s important to take care of your dogs as well. Besides feeding them healthy dog food, you should be giving your pet vitamins for small dogs, or for whatever size your pet is.

2. Guard Dogs Can Alert the Family of Danger or Intruders

When having a family, one thing that is on every parent’s mind is security. Even if you leave the kids alone with a babysitter, there is still the dreaded feeling of not being prepared if something were to happen to your house or kids. Some dog breeds are easily trained and prepared to be a guard or a watchdog. While some breeds are a little more intense than others when it comes to protection, other breeds are simply trained to alert the family if something goes wrong at the house, like a burglary or a fire.

Selecting the type of breed to use as a guard dog can be tricky. You don’t want to pick the fiercest breed that will attack anyone who walks on the lawn, but you may also want a dog that is somewhat aggressive in alerting the family at the very least. There are several alternative types of dog breeds that make good security dogs.

3. Taking Care of Pets Teaches Kids Responsibility

One of the best ways to teach kids about commitment and responsibility is to have them help in taking care of a dog. Dogs are great pets to take care of because they are friendly and usually respond well to most tasks. Teaching kids to take care of dogs will also help them become used to a schedule which will obviously prove useful in their adult lives.

4. Dogs Help Kids Reduce Stress and Learn Social Skills

According to this article, numerous studies have shown that dogs can help kids significantly reduce stress. Dogs have also been shown to help kids learn to control their impulses, and most kids that have dogs as pets have much better self-esteem. Kids with autism who use dogs as service animals have been reported as having behavior problems and stress levels drastically reduced.

Having a dog has been shown to have significant benefits with families whether it’s in regards to stress relief, family security, or just saving your kids from complete boredom. As mentioned before, dogs can be a lot to maintain, but so is anything that’s worth having. The maintenance and initial stress of a dog are always outweighed by the memories made and the fun had with the family. Nine times out of ten a dog is the best decision a family ever makes.