4 Benefits Kids Get From Having A Dog

Most kids love dogs. After all, dogs offer a special kind of companionship they won't find anywhere else. While kids get some benefits growing up with human siblings, there are other benefits they can get with a canine brother or sister. Here are four ways kids benefit from having a dog in their life:

Learn responsibility: Teaching kids how to be responsible is not an easy task. However, dogs are a good motivator for teaching responsibility because kids are often eager to help care for their canine siblings in any way possible.

Learn compassion and empathy: Our dogs depend on us to care for them. We make their food, refill their water bowls, and take them out for exercise. When kids are involved in caring for a dog, it often leads to them developing empathy and compassion.

Become less stressed: Kids deal with stress, whether it is academic challenges or pressure from peers. A dog is a great stress reducer. Studies have shown that petting a dog can lower cortisol, the body's stress hormone.

Improved reading skills: Some kids are reluctant readers, but when you ask them to read for dogs, they get excited because it doesn't seem like work. Some schools and animal rescues have programs where children practice reading to dogs and other pets.