When I was a child, our dog changed my life. He taught me lifetime love for living beings but also responsibility, patience and caring for others. Scientist has found out those are not the only benefits the life with an animal has for children. According to the findings of numerous studies, a pet also positively influences the whole development of a child itself. It can teach him/her to handle difficult and stress situations which would be otherwise more difficult to overcome. An example is a lack of concentration on a specific activity. The presence of a dog by my side made me feel safe and secure, i.e. it gave me certain peace of mind. A kid needs a companion and a pet is perfect for that.
When I was a child, our dog changed my life. He taught me lifetime love for living beings but also responsibility, patience and caring for others. Scientist has found out those are not the only benefits the life with an animal has for children. According to the findings of numerous studies, a pet also positively influences the whole development of a child itself. It can teach him/her to handle difficult and stress situations which would be otherwise more difficult to overcome. An example is a lack of concentration on a specific activity. The presence of a dog by my side made me feel safe and secure, i.e. it gave me certain peace of mind. A kid needs a companion and a pet is perfect for that.
Moreover, there is another important aspect. Kids have fantasy they continuously develop in creativity. A little living being can strengthen this. Kids are enthusiastic about colours, shapes, sounds and movements. They can fall for the beauty of nature. It inspires them and develops their perceptiveness. I remember being amazed by watching our first puppy to grow. I also observed two babies of Djungarian hamsters with the same fascination a few years later. And a little kitten of British shorthair another few years later. Since then, several generations of dogs, cats and rodents belonged to our family. Each of them influenced me. Since I learned to read, I wanted to learn more about each species and breeds from books. Mainly because of our dog, I also had enough exercise on fresh air. I dreamt about having a little zoo one day and becoming a vet.
Therefore, I am one of those who believe that mutual interaction between a child and an animal companion has positive influence on the development of socio-emotional and cognitive abilities. Children growing up with a dog are also much more self-sufficient and self-confident. They are also said to be less moody and suffer from learning disorders less often. It has been proven that the presence of a dog helps children to focus on reading more and develop their literacy (you can read more on this topic in a separate article). A recently published study by researchers form research facility RAND confirms that and summarizes other positive effects besides benefits to mental health and development such as stronger immunity or lower risk of allergies at children who grow up with a pet.
Psychologist Elizabeth Anderson who wrote “The Powerful Bond Between People and Pets” says that the result of the whole alchemy between pets and children is magic with healing power. That’s why pets are more and more used in various therapeutic methods aimed not only at children but also adults. It’s no surprise. Noone forgets the situation when he/she was sad as a kid and needed a hug. When my pet was around and I could hug him, all the pain left. And it works well even today :).
And what is your first experience with pets? Did you have them in your childhood or did you get a pet as an adult?
Although it might appear that the cat doesn’t give a tail about you and it is indifferent towards you, maybe you will still find some displays of affection in its behaviour. Do you know how cats show such affection towards a person?
Cats love grass. They nibble at it if it's to clean their belly from hairs or just for fun. In addition, if you get a cat its own flowerpot, you can hope that it will leave your other plants alone :).
Whether you remove a tick from a dog’s or cat’s fur the right way might affect whether the animal will become infected with Lyme disease or another malign disease transmitted by ticks. Have you got the right technique and tools?
Just like with people, also in dogs, Lyme disease is a very grave illness. There are an estimated 20% of ticks infected in the Czech Republic. And because despite the use of antiparasitic agents, your dog might get a tick from time to time, it’s good...
I’ve already written about cat mint, today, we’ll take a look at another, lesser known drugs. Since not all the cats respond to all of them and they don’t respond to everything the same way. Therefore, if you didn’t succeed with cat mint, maybe you’ll...
Every cat owner has certainly already heard of cat mint, catnip or catswort. Under all these names hides a herb that makes most of the cats “high”.
When your family grows by a new (human) member, it isn’t necessarily a happy event for everyone. For many dogs, it’s very difficult to come to terms with such situation, therefore, it’s better to start preparing them already before the baby is born....
I’ve already written about the fact that you’re not supposed to leave your dog closed in a car on summer days or on how to prevent hyperthermia in cats and dogs. So you have mastered the prevention already. But it is also necessary to know how to...
Without a question, chinchillas are beautiful and cute furry animals with large ears, a long tail and distinctive eyes. Do you know where they actually come from, what their name means and that we almost succeeded in nearly exterminating them before...
You have probably noticed that cat tongues are quite unique. They are rough and somehow scratchy. It seemed weird to American biologists and therefore they decided to look deeper into it.
What should I say, the cats are simply different. Since the time immemorial, they have been surrounded by mysteries and secrets. Most of them behave as if they were the master of the world and as if they don’t need the human at all. A couple of...
It can be quite a task to choose the right pet food precisely for your cat. To even understand the contents... That’s why we’re going to take a look today what to focus on, what to look for in the contents and what you should rather avoid.
