TO GET A DOG OR NOT TO GET A DOG?
Sydney giving Taylor some lovins!
Sydney giving Taylor some lovins!
Are some of
you parents still debating on whether or not to get a dog or some other animal
to add to your family? Do you think that
it would be a good thing for your children, marriage, and overall family
life? Taking on pet parenthood is just
as much responsibility as that of a child.
House training, vet bills, and other types of behavioral training make
having a dog or cat as part of your family a lot of work. However, the joy that an animal can bring to
your family can be worth it.
Matt and I
added to our family with Sydney a few years before Taylor was born. We went through the house training headaches
by trying to keep up with taking her outside as well as cleaning up any messes
left in the house. She has had to be
taught appropriate behavior while food was being prepared (ie. no begging,
jumping, and whining when it wasn’t given to her). She has had to learn what the commands “Come”
and “Sit” mean.
As a Shih Tzu being prone to eye problems, she has
given us late-night trips to the 24-hour emergency veterinary hospital twice –
on a Sunday night when our vet’s office wasn’t open (due to canine pink eye one time and some type of extreme eye irritation another one)! We’ve been responsible for her post-surgical
care after she was spayed to make sure that the suture area was clean as well
as making sure that she did not lick, bite, or scratch it.
However,
aside from the unpleasant aspects of pet parenthood (vet visits, cleaning up dog poop, etc.), we wouldn’t trade it for the
world when that little dog excitedly jumps and barks with joy when we come
home! Or for the times that she cuddles
with us. Or the times that she plays
with our daughter. Our family is not
complete without her!
I prefer to
call the animal living in your home a furry child instead of a pet.
According to
Lawrence Robinson and Jeanne Segal, Phd., on helpguide.org [3] , having an animal
in your family has healthy benefits for both physical health and mood.
Studies have
indicated that people who live with a furry child experience less depression
and anxiety than those who do not.
Animals have a calming effect on people.
Also, people experience less heart attacks and high blood pressure when
an animal is present in their lives.
They encourage physical activity, such as walking and playing.
The web site
states, “One of the reasons for
these therapeutic effects is that most pets fulfill the basic human need to
touch. Even hardened criminals in prison have shown long-term changes in their
behavior after interacting with pets, many of them experiencing mutual affection
for the first time. Stroking, holding, cuddling, or otherwise touching a loving
animal can rapidly calm and soothe us when we’re stressed.”
There are also health benefits for children when a furry
family member is in their lives. Robinson
and Segal’s article also states that children not only experience less
allergies and asthma, but they also learn responsibility with the dog’s or cat’s
care. They also learn empathy and
compassion from having an animal in the family.
“Unlike parents, pets are never critical and don’t give orders,” the
article says, “They are always loving, and their mere presence at home can help
provide a sense of security in children.”
Even children with special needs, such as autism, benefit
from having an animal in their lives.
Autistic children rely on nonverbal cues, as do animals. These children
may be able to connect better to an animal than to a person. What they learn from connecting to an animal
may help them to better communicate with people, says helpguide.org. The article also states that these children
may also receive a confidence boost from interactions with animals as well as
learning how to calm and self-regulate their emotions associated with their
disorders.
USA Today
writer, Steve Dale, states in his article [2] How Dogs Spread Happiness why
animals elevate a person’s mood and are so calming.
While petting
a dog, the body release a hormone called Oxytocin, which helps to reduce blood
pressure and also reduces levels of cortisol, which is a hormone that is related
to stress and anxiety.
An article
posted on humana.com also states that playing with a dog or cat increases serotonin
and dopamine in the brain. These are the
body’s “feel-good chemicals.”
Humana.com
[1] states that having a dog or cat can also connect you and your family with
the community. Dogs or cats, like
children, can be used as conversation starters.
For example, people walking their dogs may also see other dog walkers
while they’re out and converse with them.
People can also meet other animal lovers at pet stores, vet’s offices,
and other pet-related places. Social
media also has groups and forums for people with pets.
An article on
whattoexpect.com [4] also states that having an animal in the family teaches
children as young as toddlers a lot about responsibility as well as kindness
and compassion.
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| Taylor's gives Sydney a treat as her job. |
This is
absolutely true in our household with Taylor.
After watching Matt and me pour food into Sydney’s food bowl, give
Sydney a treat after going outside, and opening the door to let Syd back inside
the house, Taylor has taken on some of these tasks without being asked to do
so. Sometimes her enthusiasm for Syd
care creates more work for us, such as spilling too much of Sydney’s holistic
dog food all over the floor, but we understand that it is very important to
allow these efforts to happen. We call
Taylor our Future Dog Sitter in Training!
Whattoexpect.com also states that having an animal in the family helps to boost a child’s
self-esteem. A child has a companion in
the family who loves them back without judging them. Also, they can help a child academically by
having a child read aloud to a dog or cat, who will not judge or laugh at the
child’s reading errors, which can turn a reluctant reader into a confident
reader.
In addition to
boosting self-esteem, the article states that having an animal in the house can
boost a child’s healthy and immunity. Although
some children truly do have allergies to certain animals – and this should be
considered when deciding on having a pet in the house – some children develop
an immunity and less allergies when exposed to certain bacteria.
“And some research shows that pet owners
tend to get sick less often — in fact, a 2012 study determined that children
who lived with dogs were generally healthier during their first year of life,
with fewer respiratory problems and less frequent ear infections than kids
without canines,” the article states.
As much as
Taylor enjoys getting Sydney kisses, her exposure to Sydney’s germs must boost
her immune system! This child’s health
has been pretty good during her couple of years of life. She has had one cold caused by a virus (as
opposed to the cold symptoms associated with teething) that went around most of
our family around Christmas.
Before
deciding to add a furry one to your family, DO YOUR RESEARCH on which kind of
animal (dog or cat or even fish) to get as well as which breeds. Don’t just get the cutest or friendliest type
of dog. Make sure that a certain breed’s
needs for a lot of physical activity do not clash with apartment or townhouse
living, where as a lap dog would be a better option, for example. If you don’t have time to brush and groom, a
long-haired breed would not be a good option.
Also, check
your local animal shelter for dogs or cats to adopt. Some of these dogs and cats are waiting for
their forever home and may be euthanized if not given a home in time. A young puppy or kitten may also not always
be the best option for you. Some older
dogs or cats need a home as well and may not necessarily have the endless energy
and lack of manners (if already trained) that a young one would.
The following
links below have been used for informational purposes in the blog post. Click on them for more information about the
benefits of having an animal in your family’s life.
