We are all aware of our pet’s remarkable capacity to provide unconditional love!
Animals bring a tremendous amount of human compassion, energy, and positivity. As a result, enhancing the quality of our lives in many ways starting from health to optimism for the future.
In fact, a study has shown that having a pet at home is healthier for a child’s overall development. This is because when kids at a younger age take responsibility of pets like feeding them, taking them to daily walks or for their vet visits, looking after the them when they are unwell, buying personalized dog collars and other items, it teaches them a sense of accountability and helps nurture compassion for other animals and human beings.
Overall, it may help in developing their overall personality to become more kinder and responsible citizens of the society.
Here are top reasons for adopting a pet that’s suited for your family’s lifestyle!
4 best reasons that will convince you to have a pet
Dogs continue to top the charts when it comes to the animal of choice as a family pet, followed by cats.
Do you think there is a reason behind it? Yes, there are plenty! The most amazing ones are mentioned below:
Lift your mood
Believe it or not, pets do lift up your mood significantly. The research even shows that as pet parents are mostly happy, there is a lesser chance of them suffering from mental illnesses such as depression and anxiety. Moreover, pets also help family members to keep their moods and temperament under control.
Controls blood pressure
Another health benefit you can notice in those who have pets at home is lowering anxiety and pressure by increasing the level of dopamine in cells.
Dopamine is a happy hormone that usually develops when you play with your pet or sometimes just by looking at them. Research even says that it has helped many survive heart attacks too.
Understanding emotions
Pets help you grow as a person. In other words, when you have pets around, you put effort into understanding what they want to communicate without words.
Thus, you become extra vigilant and observant. With time, non-verbal communication becomes a part of your life, and it may help you understand human emotions even better, too.
A true friend
Whether cat, dog, rabbit or other animals, pets teach you true friendship and unconditional love. Pet parents, who play and engage with their pets regularly, form a strong bond with their pet, which is unlike any other relationship in your life.
Not to forget, you can even make your dog look and feel like a fashionista by buying cute and quirky dog accessories online.
Additionally, when you have your adorable pet waiting for you at home, you are more excited to return home from your vacations unlike most other non pet parents who hate the idea of returning to the daily grind.
It is believed that children who grow with pets at home are less likely to be self-centered and more likely to be compassionate towards everyone in general.
Benefits especially enjoyed by kids in their development stage
Are your kids begging for a pet? Are you not sure will they be able to meet the big commitment? Well, you are now only focusing on the pressure and responsibility it will bring.
So, before you decide, make sure you are ready for this at least 10-14 years of commitment, have the financial resources (food, grooming, vet visits and other pet supplies and services cost money!) and a lifestyle that fits a pet. Adopting a pet should never be a decision taken in haste and a live animal should NEVER be given as a gift!
Once you have considered these points thoroughly and are 100% ready to become a pet parent, learning more about how having a pet could contribute tremendously to your child’s overall development could be a huge bonus to bringing a furry family member home. Let’s look at these benefits one by one,
Kids grow confident and responsible
The idea behind why many child therapists recommend giving pets to children is they empower little minds. As a result, the kids feel more confident as individuals. Any child with a pet acknowledges the big responsibility of taking care of them even when they are playing just a small part in it. You can expect to go a long way in developing them as a responsible adult.
Teaches values
Pets can teach your child many positive values like being caring, kind, innocent, and loyal. By seeing them, kids adopt those qualities and reciprocate the same to others. Moreover, they also teach your kid to be empathetic. Like your kid will pay attention to questions like is he hungry? Is he cold? Does he want to go on a walk and so on? It is a skill that may prevent your kid from being a bully in the future.
If you want tips on suitable dog diets or like to clear some of your misconceptions regarding them then you can visit our blog.
Removes loneliness
Having a pet at home will keep your child engaged. The pets can easily involve kids as they will be busy choosing the best pet dog accessories for them, feeding them, playing with them, and even reading books to them.
This serves another purpose that if your kid feels shy reading in front of the class, they can practice by reading it first in front of their pets. They can especially be great companions for families with a single child.
Socializing and verbal skills
You must have seen that toddlers who are still learning to talk, try to chatter with their pets. In this way, pets may give them the required emotional and social support to socialize with society easily.
Not only this, but pets also impart cognitive language skill support unknowingly to kids. So, you can notice that a pet’s simple presence can develop your kid’s verbal stimulus and help them talk to others.
Make them compassionate and comfortable
Pets provide a vibe of security and comfort to your kid, making them less likely to get drawn to anxiousness. Moreover, pets are always available for your kid, no matter the mood, for moral support.
Not to mention, their love makes your child more compassionate as they put effort to show love in return by finding the perfect dog birthday gifts and dress for them.
Pet teaches a child how to control anger
It is common for children to turn into bullies if they don’t find a safe space to take out their literal emotions. Pets may teach your child to be more patient and empathetic, helping them control their temperament.
A stronger immune system
Scientists have found that children growing up around home pets, especially dogs, are 50% less likely to have asthma and other allergies due to a stronger immune system.
Dogs carry a ton of germs and bacteria from their walks and meet & greet with other animals and humans to our homes through their paws, fur and snout. These germs benefit the human microbiome and help keep us healthier.
Therapeutic advantage
Studies have even denoted that pets can help reduce pressure, speed up recovery time and maintain calmness in kids. They are even seen as a cure for troubled kids and autistic children.
It may be useful to go through one of our previous articles on how to introduce children to stray and/or pet dogs and some general rules to follow when around an animal for the safety of your child as well as the animal.
Make sure to carry these activities for better pet health
Now when you have decided to get yourself a pet, you must know some things you need to take care of to ensure better health of your pet.
Remember you have taken responsibility for your furry friend, so treat them well and do perform the following activities regularly:
Physical and Mental Exercise
Some pets require more physical exercise than others; research your dog’s breed thoroughly and do what’s right for their age, breed and activity labels.
In any case, daily walks at least twice a day are a must!
Exercise does not always mean physical exercise, in fact, some researchers and canine experts argue that mental stimulation may even be better for your dog than tiring them out through physical exercises.
There are plenty of mental stimulation activities that you can enjoy with your pets through DIY and commercially available games and toys.
Food
As you decide to bring your dog home, make sure you know what foods are nourishing for your dog and which foods are a complete No No! There are many human foods that can be extremely detrimental for your dog’s health e.g. chocolate, grapes, large amounts of garlic, nuts among others should NEVER be fed to any dog. Make sure your children are well aware of this to avoid any accidents.
You may choose to go for commercially available dog foods for convenience; however, it is highly recommended to feed your pet fresh meals instead of commercial dog food as they tend to carry many ingredients and by-products that could be harmful for your dog in the long run.
If your lifestyle does not allow you to cook fresh meals for your dog everyday, you could either do batch cooking , or subscribe to pet food small businesses, who prepare well balanced fresh meals for your dog everyday and deliver at your doorstep.
You can also refer to our previous articles covering dog’s summer and winter diets as well as how much to feed your dog.
Health Check-Ups
Taking care of your little furry friend is vital as they cannot speak for themselves in words. Apart from their regular vaccinations, you must also schedule regular annual check ups to catch any impending health issues in advance.
Training & Behavior
It might be a great investment to train your dog as soon as they are the appropriate age, however, with training it’s never too late and older dogs can be trained too but it’s always best to start early.
Like human children, puppies also need guidance to behave and learn to live as a family member. Training your dog has tons of benefits not just for you but also for your dog.
It’s less about flaunting different tricks your dog could perform in front of your guests and more about learning to understand and respect each other with time, patience and consistency. It helps them lead a happier lives and also share a strong bond with you.
Research good canine trainers in your area or online by connecting with other pet parents you trust and always choose a dog trainer who practices positive reinforcement to communicate with your dog.
You can do some basic training by following dog trainers online however it is recommended to engage a canine trainer and/or behaviorist to help you understand and communicate with your dog better.
Grooming
It is essential that you take their grooming, feeding, and loving part seriously for their overall well-being. So, bathe and groom your little friend every once in a while, invest time in learning how often you should bathe and groom the dog breed you own. As a general rule, dogs should never be bathed daily and shaven off completely.
You could also accessorize your pooch with a cute dog bandana or dog bowtie post grooming if they are comfortable wearing fashion accessories.
Also, make sure to keep a check on other factors like weight, allergies, and behavior.
Socialize your pet
Just like you, your furry friend needs socializing too. Most animals, even when you adopt them as a pet, like to live in packs. So, introducing them to their kind may help boost their confidence, mood and make them relaxed. Not to mention it eliminates tendencies of anxiousness and nervousness from within.
However, not ALL dogs love meeting other dogs and humans and it’s absolutely normal.
Never force your dog to meet another dog or human against their will.
Dogs also communicate with each other through calming signals; they even use these non verbal signals with us, thus, it’s essential to learn about those in detail to help you understand and communicate better with your dog. ‘On Talking Terms with Dogs‘ by Norwegian dog trainer and behaviorist Turid Rugaas is a remarkable, short but full of great insights book on the subject.
Maintain safety
Being a pet parent, you have to ensure the best level of safety for your little friend. In other words, taking precautions at home and outside as well. Moreover, implement safeguards to ensure safe returns in case that notorious little creature runs away.
To be clearer, install pet-proof essentials in the room and around the house. Keep harmful household stuff and medicines out of their reach. Also, buy pet tags, personalized dog collars, and microchips vital to track your pet if they ever get lost.
Recall training for your pet is one of the most important skills you can train your pet in i.e. they must come to you whenever you call their name, indoor or outdoor.
Also, keep them safe during Diwali by reading some care tip in our simple guide. It will keep your pup out of any possible danger.
Plenty of love
At last, the best thing is giving them lots and lots of snuggle time. When you get a pet, they become a member of your family, so treat them as one also.
It is important to match their love each day and honor them with the care, respect, and attention they deserve. However, they are known for unconditional love, so they only ask little in return even when they provide you with abundant.
Conclusion
Having a pet may seem overwhelming at the start and let’s face it, it’s not for everyone but boy is it worth it! Being a pet parent could transform your and your family’s life for the better.
It can teach your children many valuable life sessions and help them become better human beings. However, don’t forget that it’s a commitment for at least 10-14 years of your life and you must embark on this journey only if you are fully prepared to make this commitment.
There’s nothing worse than abandoning your pet when they become inconvenient to your lifestyle. Always remember, abandoning your pet is NEVER an option and you must conduct a thorough research before bringing your furry member home.