Pet dogs decrease anxiety levels in children

Further illustrating the positive benefit dogs have on the health of children, new research has shown that the presence of a dog at home reduces childhood anxiety.

The study had 643 children aged between four and 10 years (average age of the group was 6.7 years) as participants, who were monitored in a pediatric primary care setting for 18 months.

The study titled “Pet Dogs and Children’s Health: Opportunities for Chronic Disease Prevention” was released by the CDC on Wednesday.

The researchers found that only 12 percent of children with a dog at home had a high score for anxiety compared to the 21 percent of children without dogs who showed a high score. The results were inconclusive, but the researchers made another interesting discovery: Kids with dogs in their homes experience generally experience less anxiety and stress.

DartScreen is a comprehensive web-based health assessment for children which, in the case of the children involved in the study, was administered via an electronic tablet.

Anne M. Gadomski, a researcher at the Bassett Medical Center said that the research does not explain a relationship between keeping a pet in home with reduced childhood anxiety disorders. After thorough examination and assessing the children’s anxiety levels, the researchers concluded that a dog is a child’s best friend reducing anxiety levels considerably.

The same process underpins animal-assisted therapy which has proven highly beneficial for the behavior and emotions of children and adults alike.

One of the interesting things noticed by Gadomski was the first word said by the babies was their dog’s name.

Some studies have even been conducted in children to see if the benefits of dog ownership extended to them as well. The team did not not rule out the possibility of other pets bringing similar effects. A pet dog can stimulate conversation, an ice-breaking effect that can alleviate social anxiety via a social catalyst effect. Emotional development of children was found to rely heavily on perceiving a dog as a comfort provider, a self-esteem booster and a trusty confidant. By promoting emotional and behavioral competence in children, you can prevent them from developing behavioral, mental and emotional disorders in adulthood.

Kids who have a pet suffer from less anxiety.