Is a dog a kid’s best friend, or a risk to their safety? This is a question often deliberated between parents before buying that cute new puppy.

While it is very important to research breeds to find a good fit for your family’s needs, we want to share 10 things dogs teach kids! If you grew up with a dog, chances are, you remember him or her as one of your very best friends. You could talk to your best friend about anything, and they taught you many life lessons!

1. Responsibility
Dogs give kids someone besides themselves to take care of. They learn to feed, walk, and care for their new friend. Taking care of others gives a kid a sense of satisfaction they can’t get from doing their chores.

2. Patience
New puppies and even grown dogs can be downright infuriating at times! A kid will have to learn to be patient with their furry friend, especially if the dog destroys the child’s favorite toy! Learning to cope with frustration without hitting or hurting the dog is an excellent learning opportunity for a kid.

3. Forgiveness
As said before, dogs will make mistakes. A child will have to forgive these mistakes and allow the dog to try again. If the puppy destroys a valuable item, the dog will not understand prolonged punishment. They will need to be given second chances and the opportunity to learn.

4. Compassion
Dogs feel pain and emotions just as rawly as humans do. Seeing a dog sad or hurt will help a child learn to have compassion and help others in need.

5. Social Skills
Dogs as social creatures, just like humans! They love to play and interact with others. They also have ways of communication using body language. This can help a child learn social cues and learn to interact better with others.

6. Less Screen Time
Having a dog will force the kid to put away the phone and the video games away to spend quality time with their furry friend. This will help get them outside into the open air, get exercise, and live in the moment. It’s not hard to see the countless benefits of simply putting the phone down to spend time in the here and now!

7. Fun!
It’s no secret that dogs are a ton of fun! It’s been proven that people who have dogs tend to be happier! Life is so much more satisfying when the little moments are enjoyable.  Just think of the simple, happy memories a kid can make just playing in the backyard with a furry friend!

8. Protection
Dogs are more than just friends, they will watch out for the safety of the child. There are service dogs out there who can help children with health concerns. For example, some dogs can be trained to know when a child with diabetes has low blood sugar.
Even without special training, a regular household dog will be able to sense danger and will be sure and be there to protect the child.

9. Emotional Management
A dog is great at listening and providing empathy. If the kid has had a bad day, a dog will be more than willing to cuddle until the kid is feeling better.  A dog’s coat is the perfect place for tears. This is great for the emotional wellbeing of a child. It’s vital to have an outlet for emotions.

10. Increased Immunity
Playing outside and around dogs is actually amazing for a child’s immune system. As contradictory as it may sound, it’s actually very healthy for a child to get dirty every once in a while. Getting exposed to germs in small doses helps the body learn to fight them off.
 
Parents with younger children do need to be careful when choosing a breed to bring home. Toddlers and babies will also need to be supervised in order to keep the children safe. However, with training and supervision, a dog can really enrich a child’s life!