6 good reasons your child should own a dog

I was 5 years old when I first had my own puppy. A neighbours dog called Sandy had had a litter of 10 mixed breed pups, a variety of colours, shapes and sizes. The puppy I got for my birthday was black with a white flash on his chest,his ears I remember were raggy and down turned. I called him Rex, not because I was enamoured with the name but simply because all dogs at that time were called Rex, or Prince or King. He lived to be 12 years old and had been a constant and loving companion throughout our time together. Reflecting on that time I came up with 6 reasons that I think are good reasons for children to be involved with dogs, these are my 6, I'm sure there are many, many more.

Playmate: Dogs are wonderful playmates, they don't have a hidden agenda, don't huff and are 100% attentive
Loyalty: As long as you are good to your dog she will be a consistent friend, learning to give and accept affection is an important part of development
Sociability: Dogs are social animals and bring children together with shared interests and experience through training and play
Responsibility: dogs need to be cared for, nurturing others is an important part of development
Mortality: Children learn about the passing of life and how to cope with bereavement
Relationship: Children learn how to relate with their dog and in turn learn how to relate and empathise with their peers and adults

The bond between a child and dog is a powerful thing that remains for lifetime.

2 Comments to 6 good reasons your child should own a dog:

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Steve on Saturday, August 06, 2011 6:49 AM

I believe it's up to the parents to make sure the dog is properly trained and to also teach their child the proper way to handle a dog. Too many people get a dog without first getting the information they need to have a well balanced, trained and healthy dog. Doing this before hand will lessen any problems that come up, and they will.

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	David on Sunday, August 07, 2011 9:19 AM Couldn't agree more Steve, in my experience often peoples expectations are set way too high as if the dogs 'good' behavior is already up and running. There is no other animal that is set so highly on a pedestal regarding behavior than the dog. So inevitably when reality sinks in...How much more useful it would be to do the research before.

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