In this episode of "Toddlers Made Easy," pediatrician and mother of four, Dr. Cathryn Tobin, explores the relationship between children and pets. She begins by noting that roughly 68% of U.S. households own a pet and frames the discussion around whether a family should add a pet, especially a dog, to their home. Dr. Tobin outlines the emotional, behavioral, and health benefits of growing up with animals, citing research that suggests pets can boost self‑esteem, provide unconditional companionship, calm anxiety, reduce allergies, strengthen immune function, and lower the incidence of colds and ear infections. She also highlights developmental advantages such as teaching responsibility, empathy, and even supporting early reading skills. The episode then shifts to practical considerations: selecting a pet that fits a family’s lifestyle, the adult’s primary responsibility for care, and the need for proper training to ensure trustworthiness around children. Dr. Tobin dedicates a substantial segment to toddler‑dog safety, sharing tips from Instagram expert Dominika (@dogmeets_baby). Key safety strategies include using gates and playpens to create safe boundaries, allowing dogs time to acclimate to a mobile child, fostering positive associations through joint walks and special toys, and using stuffed‑animal dogs for children to practice gentle petting. She stresses the importance of modeling appropriate behavior and reading a dog’s body language. The episode concludes with a brief promotion of the "Toddlers Made Easy" online course and a limited‑time Mother’s Day sale on a potty‑training program.
Chapters
Smokey the Bear. Then you know why Smokey tells you when he sees you passing through, remember, please be careful, it's the least that you can do. Don't play with matches, don't play with fire. After 80 years of learning his wildfire prevention tips, Smokey Bear lives within us all. Learn more at SmokeyBear.com and remember, only you can prevent wildfires. Brought to you by the USDA Forest Service, your state forester, and the Ad Council. Liberty Mutual.
And Doug. There's nowhere I wouldn't go to help someone customize and save on car insurance with Liberty Mutual. Even if it means sitting front row at a comedy show.
Hey everyone, check out this guy and his bird. What is this, your first date?
Oh no, we help people customize and save on car insurance with Liberty Mutual together. We're married. Me to a human, him to a bird.
Yeah, the bird looks out of your league anyways.
Only pay for what you need at LibertyMutual.com.
Liberty, liberty, liberty, liberty. Welcome to Toddlers Made Easy. I'm Dr. Cathryn Tobin, pediatrician for the last 35 years, mom of 4 amazing kids, plus there's Smudge, my great big 82-pound golden doodle. And today we're going to be talking about kids and pets. I get so many questions about whether a family should get a pet that I decided to devote an episode to this conversation. Anyone who knows me knows how much I adore my dog Smudge. That's to put it mildly. But this isn't a sales pitch to get a dog. This episode is about considering the benefits of a dog from the child and family's perspective. Did you know that about 68% of US households have a pet? But before we get to this, choosing a dog that is a good fit for a family with young kids and training the dogs so you can unequivocally trust them around your child is crucial. Let me share a little story with you. 4-year-old Mia feels overwhelmed after a noisy birthday party, and when she gets home, She finds comfort by curling up in a cozy corner with her gentle Labrador Fritz. Quietly she says, "That wasn't fun. That was a bad birthday party." You see, having a pet can make you feel happier and healthier, and it apparently can even help you live longer. Pets like dogs and cats give us lots of love and can make us and kids feel really good. So let's break things down. From the self-esteem point of view, our pets love us no matter what, and that makes kids feel very special. So coming home to a pet that's just so happy to see you, well, that could make anybody smile. They're a source of friendship and a kind of friendship unlike any other because they're always your friend. So it's nice, it's wonderful to have a furry friend when you need one. And this is especially true for kids. But the big issue typically is, well, what about the responsibility? Kids can start helping with pets early on. They can be involved in walking, feeding, and brushing a pet. And that helps them learn to be responsible and feel proud of what they do. But having said that, I'd also tell you I wouldn't bank on it. I would assume you are going to be doing the majority of the dog care or cat care and make sure you're okay with this before you get a dog. Because, you know, we could look at myself, for instance, the family dog. Well, kids grow up and move away, but the dog doesn't. So I love my dog and I don't mind the responsibility. I like it. But you have to be okay with it because odds are good there will be times where they fall to you. And especially young toddlers, they're not gonna be really able to contribute to dog care beyond things like fill the bowl up with water or help feed the dog because we have to be careful about their interactions at that age. And this is something we're gonna get to a little later on in today's talk. But another nice thing about a pet is they can be very calming. Playing with pets can make us feel calm and happy, and it's a great way to just relax, is to sit and interact with a pet. There's actually health benefits to having a pet as well. Some research suggests that being around animals when you're little might actually help prevent allergies, and kids with pets apparently don't get as many colds or ear infections early on. That's something parents and kids can both be happy about. And studies also show that having a pet around from when kids are little can help their immune system grow stronger, which means they may not get sick as much later on. From the behavioral point of view, I've actually read a few studies that suggest kids with dogs have fewer behavioral problems. Not sure how reliable those studies are, but it's something to wonder about. Pets teach us a lot about being kind and caring. Research suggests kids who grow up with pets might feel more sure of themselves and be really good at making friends. Pets are great for listening to kids' secrets and worries, which is hugely beneficial. Another benefit is it can help kids academically. In fact, kids who are just starting to read or who are struggling to read might feel nervous about it. So reading to a pet really helps because, well, your pet is just going to listen without judging, making kids feel more comfortable early on. Now let's talk about toddlers and dog safety for a moment. I asked Dominika from @dogmeets_baby from Instagram for some of her best tips, and I'm going to also include a link in the show notes where you can find her. I know she has some great freebies about toddlers and dogs and safety. So here's what she said. The newly mobile baby and toddler phases are often the toughest in the baby-dog relationship. Many dogs, even if previously relaxed around a young infant, will have a hard time with a mobile, unsteady, falling, stumbling, all the while making lots of noise toddler. So it's normal for your dog to be unsure about your not so long ago immobile baby. And management at this age is the name of the game. Gates and playpens are helpful. They keep your dog safe from a curious grabby crawler toddler, and later an uncoordinated toddler. They keep your baby safe from your dog. Your dog may have loved your immobile baby, but that doesn't guarantee your dog will love or be comfortable with your mobile baby. Gates also keep you sane because watching your baby and dog like a hawk for hours is exhausting and honestly a strategy that almost always fails as those kiddos are fast. Gates and playpens give your dog a chance to watch your growing child from a safe distance. Your dog has probably seen many toddlers in passing but hasn't necessarily lived with one and may have no idea about what's to come. Dogs need time and distance to acclimate to new milestones such as sitting up or crawling or pulling up to standing, walking, running. It's not about separating your dog all the time. It's about choosing when to include your dog and when to give them space and time they need to adjust. Now, before your baby and dog start interacting more directly in safe and consensual ways, they need to learn how to coexist peacefully. When you're giving your dog plenty of space, distance, and time to adjust, focus on building positive experiences with your toddler— well, between the toddler and your dog, really. For example, going on walks together, giving a special toy or chew when the baby is present, again with safety rules, playing fetch, Improperly managed interactions can prevent your dog from building a positive association with your child. One way to help your kids is to use a stuffy or a stuffed animal that looks like a dog. It makes an excellent outlet for kids who want to hug and pet nonstop. Children can use a stuffed animal, a dog stuffed animal, to practice gentle petting, to pet and hug the dog. Well, the stuffed animal dog, and even to walk them, feed them, or put them down for a nap. And finally, remember, children learn through observation, so model the behavior you want your child to imitate. Understanding your dog's body language is important because then you'll know when they need a break from your little one. So let me ask you something. Do you want to raise a happy, resilient child without becoming a drill sergeant? Well, Toddlers Made Easy, our online course for kids age 1 to 6 years, will help you turn those tricky toddler moments around in minutes. The link to learn more is in the show notes. And by the way, right now we've got our Potty Training Made Easy course at the lowest price you're ever going to find it in honor of Mother's Day. This sale will be available from May 7th to May 12th. You can find more details about the sale again down in the show notes. Happy parenting, and I'll see you next week.
