Having a Dog Helps Tweens
Learn Empathy
Studies
show that kids between10 and 12 talk to their parents only 11 to 33 minutes per WEEK! At a time when its critical for them to learn to be sensitive to the
feelings and needs of others (developing empathy), this lack of communication with their family is shocking. Dr. Robert E. Bierer’s studied kids with and without
dogs. He asked each group 72 questions about their relationships with others. No matter
what their ethnicity or background, the 93 children who had dogs showed
much more empathy toward others and had more self-esteem than the 33 kids who
didn’t have a dog. That's a really good reason for having a family pet! January 2012