As a young kid, there are fewer best friends you can have than a dog. Growing up with a dog is an amazing experience that all kids should have the chance to enjoy!
In fact, science even backs up the fact that having a dog as a kid is healthy!
We won’t go into all the reasons that it’s true, but this synopsis from the AKC says it well:
Having a family dog can benefit your child’s emotional intelligence, according to a collection of scientific studies outlined by Nienke Endenburg and Ben Baarda in their paper The Role of Pets in Enhancing Human Well-being: Effects on Child Development, which was reprinted from The Waltham Book of Human-Animal Interactions: Benefits and Responsibilities. Other research shows that pets can have a positive effect on your child’s health, too. Here are seven ways kids who have a pet in the home have a leg up on those who don’t – AKC
If you needed more evidence than that, you can check out their seven other reasons that are sure to convince you!
If THAT still doesn’t convince you, this video sure will!
In a video filmed a few years ago, we see just how emotional and strong the bond between a dog and a kid can be. The context of the video is everything. A year before this, the boy’s neighbor had to move out of state for a year, taking their dog with them.
Bogart, the German Shepherd Husky mix, and the boy were best friends.
When the time came to say goodbye for a time, it was very sad. For a little boy, a year is basically an eternity! Although it was going to be a while, they knew that they would see each other one day. The two would always hang out and play together, forging a special friendship that only a boy and a dog can.
A year later, and it was finally time to surprise the boy with seeing Bogart!
Walking through the house, we see the boy heading gout back to see Bogart. The reaction is immediate. With a shout of, “Bogart!!!” from the kid, they immediately run towards one another and hug.
Within moments, the boy is all tears and nearly hysterical.
The tears started flowing and it was clear that the boy was truly happened to see his furry friend. Bogart responded in kind with his own whines, even calming down drastically to let his friend cuddle him as he needed to. It’s pretty clear that Bogart knew his human friend was happy to see him and was giving him the space to cry.
Since the video was released, it went viral.
As you can imagine, the comments are full of people expressing how they nearly cried watching the video themselves! It’s just one of those things that we can all relate to and feel, deep within our hearts. We may not know Bogart, but we all have met a dog like Bogart and given them all the love we could.
Check out the video below!
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