Dog Facts You Did Not Know – Effects negative and positive
Pet dogs or parent support. Which is more influential on the child’s mental health?
A surprising study reveals a new dimension regarding the importance of the psychological role that pet dogs play with humans. It confirms that the child’s control over feelings of anxiety and tension becomes more accessible with the presence of dogs, compared to the support of the parents themselves!
Dogs and children
The benefits revealed by science previously, which accrue to humans when raising dogs and pets, however, the presence of a psychological advantage that accrues to the child behind being near dogs, and surpasses in terms of the effect on the care and support of parents, is a surprising thing proven by a recent American study.
The study conducted by researchers from the University of Florida showed that the psychological role of dogs near children in moments of anger and tension is more influential than the role of parents when they are near children in the same situations, what the assistant professor in the Department of Psychology, Darlene Curtis, commented on, saying: «Scientists were baffled a lot about the role that pet dogs provide to young children, before we reach that conclusion now, which indicated a decrease in the cortisol hormone in the child when going through difficult experiences while being near his pet dog.
Dog Facts You Did Not Know – Effects negative and positive. The study was conducted with the help of about 100 families who own a pet dog, where the children were asked to do tests that experience some tension, such as speaking in front of an audience and performing mathematical tests, so that the researchers observed high levels of the stress hormone known as cortisol in the young participants, whether in the presence of dogs or the company of parents Near them.
The researchers found that levels of the hormone cortisol appear to be lower in a young child, when the dog is next to him during those tests, and compared to the presence of the two parents at the same time, what Darlene explains: “Some children took care of the dog during the completion of the tests, It helped reduce cortisol levels in children a lot, and at rates higher than those that appeared during parents’ support for children.
At the end of her research, the American researcher stated that controlling anxiety and fear at a young age means preventing several psychological crises in old age. Of standing on some of the causes and methods that help build a strong child on the psychological side, one of which may be raising a dog domestic.
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Play with dogs improves the social and emotional interaction of children.
Pets are stress relievers, and that’s not new news. But there are more benefits to owning pets and how they can help humans. A recent study focuses more on the importance of pets for young children. Research has found that children who have pets are 23% less likely to experience social and emotional interaction difficulties than children who do not own a dog.
A team of researchers at the University of Western Australia and the Telethon Kids Institute surveyed nearly 1,700 families with their children aged two to five years. The study indicates that children who grew up with dogs were 30% .less likely to engage in antisocial behaviours, 40% less likely to have problems interacting with other young children, and 34% more likely to engage in intelligent behaviour.
Their study stated that raising domestic animals such as dogs may benefit children in their tremendous growth. The strong relationship between children and their animals may be reflected in response to children’s behaviour. The researchers stated. Children who spend time playing with dogs may affect emotional development positively. Children who spend more extended periods playing with dogs may affect emotional development positively. And they expected that owning a dog at home may bring some benefits to children. The researchers were surprised when they discovered that the mere presence in the house is associated with many positive behaviours and feelings in children. The study indicated that children play with their dogs even once a week. These children were less likely to have impaired emotional development and social behaviour. And children who spend with their dogs more than three times a week are more likely to engage in positive behaviours
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