In talking with my mom this past weekend about my early childhood, she mentioned that I never played with dolls. Instead of dolls, I played with my dogs. I would put them in my wagon and pull them around. I would “doctor” them and play with them like other kids played with dolls. That didn’t surprise me at all. I’ve always loved animals and felt a strong connection to them. Dogs especially.
As I’ve stated in previous columns, I’ve taught ten- and eleven-year-old children for years and have been instrumental in building the Therapy Dog program in Rockingham County Public Schools. Now there is research to back up what I’ve always known. Research proves that dogs can calm children. One study from Yale University found that children who played with dogs had reduced anxiety. Kent State researchers found that students who had to give speeches were less nervous when their pet was in the room.
As most of you who read this column know, dogs offer unconditional love and acceptance that children may not get from siblings or friends. Research also found that kids who have a close relationship with their dogs are more likely to have a strong bond with their parents and friends.
Just hanging out with a dog increases levels of oxytocin, the feel-good hormone produced in the brain. All these benefits work for children and for adults. We don’t have to justify why we’re doing something to our dog. They love us anyway. I’ve often said that each child should have a dog. There are more down to earth benefits to having a dog when you have children.
I’ll never forget our family trip out to eat at a new restaurant in Harrisonburg when Becca was a toddler. Becca was sitting in a highchair, and we were at the table next to her. We had given her a variety of foods to eat. When she finished, she began to throw the left over food on the floor and began yelling, “Abbie! Abbie! Abbie!” and looking around. When the waitress gave her a look, I explained.
“Abbie is our Labrador Retriever and always gets Becca’s left overs!” The waitress wasn’t happy about it but seemed to understand.
Abbie was an amazing dog. She was so gentle with my children, but I remember the day I was standing in the yard with Becca and Sarah talking to the neighbor. Abbie was near us, but not right next to us. The neighbor’s child accidently let their dog out, and he headed straight toward us. In a flash Abbie was between us and the dog and began to growl, which was very out of character for her. She didn’t need to do more than that since the neighbor grabbed her dog’s collar and took him back to her house.
All our dogs have been amazing, but we had Abbie when the girls were little. One last picture that is burned into my memory was the afternoon that I had decided to have breakfast for dinner. I had made pancake batter, and it was sitting on the counter in one of the two quart mixing pitchers. I had gone into the living room, and Becca, who was four had gone into the kitchen with Abbie. Becca had been talking to Abbie, but suddenly, she stopped. I came back to the kitchen.
There stood Becca hands at her side with the bowl of pancake mixture upside down on her head. The pancake batter was running down through Becca’s dark hair and into her face. Becca’s tongue was darting out catching pancake batter as fast as she could. Right beside her stood Abbie, her tongue in high gear after the pancake batter, too. I was speechless, but in the end just had to laugh and laugh! Sometimes we just have to enjoy the moment!
Until Next Time…
Stay Paws-ative and enjoy your best friend!
Happy Tails to You!
Cammie
