5 Developmental Benefits of a Dog for Kids

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of IAMS™. All opinions are 100% mine.

What’s so Great About Having a Dog for Kids?

Over the last couple months of taking the IAMS™ Visible Differences Challenge I’ve come to appreciate our Olive dog and all that she does for our family even more.  Aside from just being a loyal companion, Olive has taught my children so much over the past two years; helping them grow and learn in ways I never anticipated.  If you’re on the fence about family dog ownership, here are just a few benefits I’ve seen to having a dog for kids…

5 AWESOME Developmental Benefits of a Dog for Kids

• Sensory Input – Two of my three kids have Sensory Processing Disorder, but all kids have varying sensory preferences and challenges.  And a variety of sensory input – through touch, sound, smell, and movement – helps kids develop and regulate their sensory systems.  My kids get valuable tactile input when petting our dog, auditory sensory stimulation when they “talk” with her, and awesome proprioceptive and vestibular input when they run and play with her, too.
• Exercise! – Aside from the proprioceptive and vestibular input, movement and exercise is obviously important for our kids’ bodies to build muscle and burn calories, too.  And what better way to get your kiddo up and moving than to run and chase their doggy best friend?!

• Social & Emotional Skills – Since we got our Olive as a puppy when J.C. was only one year old, they are pretty much growing up together.  I love seeing J.C. practice his social skills – learning about kindness and compassion – with his loving dog.
• Language Skills – Our dog Olive is an awesome listener for J.C. as he’s learned to talk and communicate, too!  She’s a non-threatening friend to practice all those new words and sounds on.
• Responsibility – Of course, we all know that getting the kids involved in caring for the family dog is great for them to learn responsibility.  If you need help teaching and motivating your kids to help with the dog, make sure to print out my free dog care chore chart.

More About the IAMS™ Visible Difference Challenge

We’ve been feeding our Olive IAMS™ quality dog food for well over a month now.  We followed our vet’s suggestions for gradually switching her over from her old dog food.  She took to it with no problem at all! 

You can probably see in the photos above the IAMS™ Visible Differences: her shinier coat, healthier skin, her boundless energy.  (We won’t get into the back-end improvements…)  We’re happy she’s healthier since she gives us and our kids so much in return! 

Want to take the IAMS™ Visible Difference Challenge, too?   Click here –IAMS™ Visible Differences – to get a $5 coupon!

Does your family have a dog?  If so, what benefits would you add to the list above?  Join the conversation in the comments below!

More Fun Dog Inspiration from B-Inspired Mama:

    

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This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of IAMS™. All opinions are 100% mine. Please see my disclosure policy.