Do you want to raise a child that is well behaved? Well, you may want to consider getting a dog.
A new study by the University of Western Australia and the Telethon Kids Institute, finds that children ages two through five who grow up with dogs were better behaved. The study noted they “had a reduced likelihood of conduct and peer problems, as well as increased pro-social behaviors such as sharing and cooperating." And the more the children walked or played with their pooch, the better the effects the dog had on them.
The study shows that children who live in a household with dogs were 30% to 40% less likely to have conduct or peer problems. In addition, preschooler’s prosocial behavior increased by up to 74% if they walked the dog at least once a week, and actively played with the pooch three or more times a week. Doing both of those actions also decreased total difficulties by 36%.
This story makes me think of all the awesome dogs I've loved during my lifetime: Royal, Pooh, Lucky, Puppy & Mercedes.