Child-Pet Relationships

As you may remember we have two dogs, Abbot and Cameo. They are two bouncy, boisterous, sweet Labrador Retrievers that will love you till the cows come home. They’re in Kentucky with relatives while we’re here in Guam, and things just aren’t the same. When the doorbell rings I brace myself for the barking, and I’m startled to find things eerily quiet. When the baby drops food to the floor I look for our canine vacuum cleaners- they’re nowhere to be found.

Of the three kids, my middle girl seems the most shaken by their absence. You wouldn’t notice it all the time. But she wants to pet every dog we come in contact with and when yesterday we got a big black stuffed lab she called him Abbot and wouldn’t leave him all night. At random times in the middle of a crying meltdown she wails, “I miss my puppies!”

It shouldn’t surprise me. In 2000 Dr. June McNicholas and Dr. Glyn Collis published their paper in the journal Child Care Health and Development titled "Children's Representations of Pets in their Social Networks” They interviewed 338 children between the ages of 7 and 8 years of age. They found that child-pet relationships were characterized by affection, trust and an absence of conflict. They also found:

• 90% of children list their pets in their top 10 special relationships.
• 40% sought out their pet if they were upset
• 40% looked for their pet if they were bored
• 85% regard their pets as a playmate
• 53% watched TV or videos with their pet
• In some cases pets are first above all human relationships – e.g., confiding secrets, comfort when ill.
• Though pets were not as important a relationship for children as parents, they were a valuable source of support, especially for comfort, self-esteem and sharing.

A publication called Children and Pets: A guide for parents, teachers and therapists' is available at the Society for Companion Animal Studies. The guide discusses the influence of pets on children's development and health. It also talks about how to be a responsible pet owner and selecting the right pet.

Until we can have our dogs back we’ll have to settle for the stuffed animals! Currently the dog is asleep under blankets in my kids’ room. I know how they feel. I miss my puppies too.

Sheila Cason, MD

Children and Dogs

Our family dog is sick. We have two Labrador Retrievers and it is our oldest, a 10 year old yellow female, that is not feeling well. Her illness has been unexpected this holiday season and we still don’t know if she will be okay. We’ve had our dogs before our children were born and they are definitely part of the family. I can’t imagine our lives without them.

Children and dogs can be a wonderful combination! There are studies that indicate stress reduction in a person when they are around pets. If you want a family dog then you need to do some investigation and choose your pet wisely. Labradors in particular have excellent reliable temperaments. I chose them because of this reason. Dogbreedinfo.com has a list of dog breeds and ranks them according to their compatibility with children. Some dogs are naturally excellent with kids and others need to be raised from a puppy to be good around kids. But no matter how good a breed is kids need to be taught how to behave towards dogs.

• Kids need to be encouraged to give love, attention and respect.
• Children should never tease or poke a dog.
• Kids need to know to never approach or touch a dog without their owner’s permission.
• And especially don’t antagonize a dog when they are eating, sleeping or hurt.
• Always supervise children around dogs and seek medical attention if your child is bitten.

If you keep these tips in mind, then your dog can be an enjoyable addition to your family!
As our older dog is recuperating I have begun to talk to the kids about her illness. I know sometime in the future she won’t be around and that opens a whole new conversation. In the meantime we are saying a prayer for her health and enjoying our time with her.

Dr. Sheila Cason