Whenever his preschool class goes for a walk, Ronny is always out at the front. Ronny is a little mongrel – and an important part of the children’s daily routine. Nowadays, even schools have dogs or other pets. This is because, according to experts at specialty chain Fressnapf, it has long been proven that animals are good for children.

There is evidence, for example, that certain allergies occur less frequently in children who live in a household with a pet such as a dog or a cat from an early age. Other studies show that pets have a positive influence on child development. Almost 90 percent of all Germans also believe this to be true, as a survey of 1,000 pet owners and non-pet owners by the market research institute TheConsumerView revealed in 2009. But what exactly is it about regu-lar contact with a pet that is so beneficial to children?

Responsibility: depending on a child’s age, there are various jobs he or she can do to con-tribute to the animal’s wellbeing. Most children enjoy looking after and caring for things. In the case of a pet, they learn that they are dealing with a living creature that is entirely de-pendent on its human family behaving responsibly.

Observation: no matter what kind of animal a family has, children find it fascinating to watch their pets, whether big or small, grooming themselves, contented, playing, or occupying each other. Observing animals teaches children a lot of useful things about life.

Communication: an animal cannot express itself verbally, so it is all the more important for the owner to understand its non-verbal signals. This teaches children to be more observant and to empathize, which will benefit them in their interaction with other children and adults.

Consideration: a dog must be taken for regular walks, cannot be left at home alone for long periods of time, wants feeding at certain times and needs someone to play with. These are things the whole family must take into consideration. As a result, children also learn early on to recognise and respect the needs of others.

All this helps children to develop and build their social skills, which is often associated with a positive attitude towards life. An animal such as a dog or a cat can create a sense of wellbeing and security, even at difficult times within the family, with friends or at school. Children who live with animals that happily spend a lot of time outdoors also tend to have a greater affinity to nature.

Becoming a pet owner should never be a spontaneous, spur of the moment decision. Children especially tend to overestimate their staying power when it comes to the daily routine of caring for a pet. And not every animal likes to be cuddled and carried around all the time, with many small animals sleeping during the day. Our advice is that you find out about keeping your chosen pet and its needs before making a decision. Then discuss it with your family and decide beforehand who is going to be responsible for the pet and what you will do with it when you go on holiday. Allergies are another very important consideration. If you know of any allergy sufferers in your family, you should talk to an allergy specialist about keeping a pet before you go ahead, as this may increase some people’s risk of allergy.


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Pets are good for children Pets can teach children responsibility, communication, consideration and many other important skills. Photo: Maxi Zoo/Ulrike Schanz (Photos may only be reproduced with permission and in connection with editorial text. High-resolution photos can be requested from the Fressnapf press office.)