Dogs Help De-Stress Families With Autistic Children

The study, carried out by researchers at the University of Lincoln, UK, and funded by the US-based Human Animal Bond Research Initiative (HABRI) Foundation, also found a reduction in the number of dysfunctional interactions between parent and child among families which owned a dog. "We found a significant, positive? ?relationship? ?between? ?parenting? ?stress? ?of? ?the child?'?s? ?main? ?caregiver? ?and? ?their? ?attachment? ?to? ?the? family dog. This highlights the importance of the bond between the carer and their dog in the benefits they???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? gain."????????????????????????????????????????????? The research involved families who took part in a previous study, which examined the short-term effect of a pet dog on families of a child with autism. The researchers followed up with the families two and a half years later in order to determine the longevity of the benefits of pet ownership. The study demonstrated that initial results of reduced family difficulties lasted years beyond the early stages of acquiring a dog, and that stress levels continued to experience a steady decline.