Effects of dog ownership on children’s social-emotional development: findings from the PLAYCE cohort study

Dog ownership is common in families with children and could play a role in children's social-emotional development. This study used longitudinal data on dog ownership and changing dog ownership to investigate their effects on young children's social-emotional development.

Citation:
Adams EK, Murray K, Christian HE. Effects of dog ownership on children’s social-emotional development: findings from the PLAYCE cohort study. Pediatr Res. 2024.

Keywords:
Social-emotional development; early childhood development; dog ownership; longitudinal data

Abstract:
Dog ownership is common in families with children and could play a role in children's social-emotional development. This study used longitudinal data on dog ownership and changing dog ownership to investigate their effects on young children's social-emotional development.