Dog welfare organizations face unique challenges when addressing the complex relationship between children and dogs. Research shows dogs can significantly benefit child development, yet families with children are more likely to surrender pets, and children remain at elevated risk for dog bites.
This list of 25 key statistics on dog-child relationships and youth education programs offers insights for shelters, humane societies, therapy dog organizations, and dog welfare advocates. It can inform the development of youth programs that promote responsible pet ownership, leverage the benefits of having a dog, while minimizing potential risks.
Statistics on Dog-Child Relationships and Youth Education Programs
Developmental Benefits of Dog Companionship
1. Japanese infants living with dogs show a developmental advantage in key areas. These infants achieved higher pass rates on the ASQ-3 assessment for communication skills (94.7% vs. 92.6%) and personal-social skills (84.9% vs. 82.2%) compared to their peers without dogs [1].
2. Preschoolers with family dogs have fewer behavioral problems. Australian research demonstrates that children aged 2-5 with family dogs show fewer conduct problems (20% vs. 24%) and fewer peer problems (16% vs. 22%) [2].
3. Regular play with dogs enhances prosocial behavior. Preschoolers who played with their dogs three or more times weekly were 1.7 times more likely to demonstrate strong prosocial tendencies compared to those who did not [2].
4. Even animal-related content can improve educational engagement. Research in the U.S. found that when given passages about animals, high school students showed better focus and scored higher on the Common Core State Standards reading assessment (3.41 average score vs. 2.82 for control group)[3].
Family Challenges with Dogs and Children
5. Despite benefits, households with children surrender dogs at alarming rates. These families are 4.6 times more likely to consider or actually relinquish their dogs compared to those without children, according to a global post-pandemic survey [4].
6. Pet-related guilt is a prominent challenge for new parents. After a child’s arrival, most pet owners reported feeling guilty about not playing with their dog enough (56.2%), not spending sufficient time with their dog (53.7%), and lacking energy to engage with their dog (50.8%) [5].
7. Children represent the largest percentage of dog bite victims. A 2020 study in the United States found that the median patient age for dog bite injuries was 6.8 years, with incidents most commonly occurring during summer months among school-aged boys [6].
8. Most dog bites come from familiar dogs. Studies in Graz, Austria found that 70% of dog bites originated from a familiar dog rather than a stranger’s pet [7]. Another New Zealand study revealed that the majority of incidents (74%) involved owned dogs, with a large proportion (83%) of those dogs belonging to friends, neighbors, or extended family [21].
9. This is likely because recognition of dog body language is poor across ages. Research testing knowledge of conflict-defusing signals showed that children recognize less than 20% of the signals. Parents, recognizing only 28% of a dog’s conflict-defusing signals, also struggle to intervene in a timely manner [8].
Global Youth Education Program Impact
Dog Bite Prevention and Management
10. Multiple educational formats effectively improve safety knowledge. After viewing just 6 videos on dog behavior, Scottish students correctly identified 2.3 more answers (16% improvement) on a dog emotional states quiz [9]. Similarly, a “Being A Tree” drama program in Turkey increased preschoolers’ safety knowledge scores from 5.02 to 6.11 out of 8, demonstrating that both multimedia and interactive approaches yield measurable improvements [10].
11. Education amplifies the impact of other community programs. A study in Sri Lanka found that beyond community-wide vaccination efforts, providing rabies lectures led to a considerably larger increase in schoolchildren’s knowledge about the disease (30.9%) compared to a control group (8.6%) [11]. By educating children before the campaign, they were also more likely to bring their dogs for vaccination [12].
12. Long-term programs can reduce injury severity. In Graz, Austria, a decade-long program reaching 80% of students reduced severe dog bite cases from 26% of all bite victims (1994-2003) to 8% (2014-2018), though total bite incidents remained steady [7].
13. Parents support comprehensive education beyond just children. A New Zealand study found that while 84% of parents support dog bite prevention education for children, an even higher percentage (93%) believe dog owner education is equally essential. This stems from widespread parental frustration with dog owners who fail to acknowledge risks or take responsibility when incidents occur, highlighting the need for multi-audience approaches to prevention [21].
Responsible Dog Ownership & Animal Welfare
14. Structured education improves ownership attitudes. UK research on Dogs Trust’s program demonstrates that participants had a 64% probability of scoring higher on responsible ownership attitudes compared to individuals who did not participate [13].
15. But knowledge gain is easier to achieve than attitude changes. Research on Scottish SPCA’s humane education program found children improved their knowledge about animal welfare significantly, while attitudes and attachment towards animals showed less substantial increases (though baseline levels were already high) [14].
The Use of School and Therapy Dogs
16. Dog-assisted interventions take multiple forms in schools. Australian research shows how therapy dogs are used in school: 45% of teachers use dogs for animal-assisted therapy (45%, focusing on physical and emotional comfort), animal-assisted activities (40%, fostering interactions), and animal-assisted education (15%, including reading programs). But all teachers focused on the improvements in student motivation, social skills, and emotional regulation as their main goals [15].
17. Reading to Dogs programs reduce anxiety. Over 80% of teachers agree these programs help reduce children’s stress and anxiety when reading, while 90% agree they support children’s general emotional well-being [16].
18. Reading dog handlers observe emotional growth. Australian dog handlers reported children built strong emotional connections with reading dogs in a judgment-free environment, noting increased reading enjoyment, concentration, confidence, and program excitement [17].
19. Therapy dogs benefit students with specific social-emotional needs. Teachers in the Netherlands observed that students showed significant improvements in emotional stability (23%) and social behavior (22%) after participating in ten weeks of therapy dog-assisted support sessions [18].
20. Classroom dogs enhance teacher approachability. German research showed children found teachers more approachable when accompanied by dogs, while classrooms demonstrated improved collaboration focused on ensuring the dog’s wellbeing [19].
Implementation Challenges
21. Knowledge retention requires ongoing reinforcement. A rabies education program in Malawi found children’s average knowledge scores improved immediately after training (from 19.2 to 26.5 out of 71) but dropped to 23.7 after approximately 10 weeks — a significant 40% loss [12].
22. Age affects education program effectiveness. Multiple studies, including those in Lincolnville, UK [8] and in Turkey [10], found kindergarteners (age 5) absorbed dog safety materials better than younger children, although toddlers (age 3–4) still demonstrated slight improvements.
23. Reading to dog programs faces implementation barriers. 36% of teachers reported insufficient time in the school week to incorporate Reading to Dogs programs [16]. Another study found parental stress doubled during an 8-week at-home reading-to-dogs program, from an average stress score of 28.6 to 56.4 [20].
24. Multiple obstacles hinder program implementation in schools. Australian teachers identified key challenges including dog phobias (38%), lack of standardization and guidelines (33%), potential distraction (20%), student feelings of rejection if therapy dogs fail to bond (9%), as well as stakeholder disagreements (32%) [15].
25. Clear expectations are essential for program success. A significant majority of Australian survey participants (79.7%) highlighted the importance of setting behavioral expectations for students, with 20% emphasizing the value of establishing measurable aims and goals for animal-assisted interventions [15].
Key Steps for Humane Societies, Therapy Dog Organizations, and Other Dog Welfare Advocates
A landmark study involving 27 dog welfare organizations in Ireland identified education as both their most pressing challenge and their most vital mission. These statistics on dog-child relationships and youth education programs clearly demonstrate why: with proper education and support, the dog-child relationship can flourish while minimizing risks.
For humane societies and dog welfare organizations, these statistics reveal not just problems, but tremendous opportunities:
Education Programs
With minimal formal education on dog interaction in most school curricula, your organization can fill critical knowledge gaps through:
- Dog Bite Prevention Programs: Implement age-appropriate programs teaching body language recognition and safe interaction techniques.
- Responsible Dog Ownership Training: Develop programs that emphasize dog owners’ active role in preventing problematic behaviors such as jumping up on children, running toward children, or biting.
- Support for Expecting Parents: Provide resources helping expectant families balance childcare with dog care responsibilities.
- Humane Education: Deliver programs promoting empathy toward animals and responsible ownership practices.
- Animal-Assisted Education: Facilitate reading-to-dogs and school programs that benefit both children’s literacy and dogs’ socialization.
Read also: Key Welfare Challenges for Pet Dogs and How Advocates Can Help
Adoption Considerations
When considering adoption policies, shelters and humane societies should recognize that blanket policies refusing families with children can be counterproductive. Instead, these organizations should implement thorough individualized assessment protocols to match appropriate dogs with families. This approach enables more successful adoptions while preventing families from turning to less scrupulous sources.
Implementing mandatory dog bite prevention training for families with young children represents another promising strategy. By requiring adopters to complete a safety course immediately after finalizing adoption, organizations can ensure parents understand canine body language and proper supervision techniques.
Equally important is robust post-acquisition support during the critical transition period. Organizations that offer ongoing resources — including behavior helplines, training vouchers, and parent-child-dog interaction classes — help families navigate challenges that might otherwise lead to surrender. Given that households with children are 4.6 times more likely to relinquish dogs, these supports are particularly crucial for this demographic.
Build Partnerships
The growing popularity of therapy and school dog programs creates both opportunities and responsibilities for animal welfare organizations. Developing standardized welfare protocols for working dogs should be a collaborative priority. A coalition of humane societies, therapy dog organizations, education authorities, and animal behavior specialists can help establish consistent guidelines ensuring these dogs’ physical and emotional needs are met in educational settings.
These collaborations also create alternative pathways for suitable shelter dogs. Not all shelter dogs will thrive in traditional family homes, but some may excel in structured working roles. By identifying and promoting shelter dogs with appropriate temperaments for therapy or educational work, organizations can expand placement options while providing valuable community services. These partnerships create win-win situations — helping both dogs find purpose and children receive the developmental benefits these programs offer.
Overcoming Implementation Barriers
Address key challenges for effective youth education programming:
- Set clear expectations: Establish explicit guidance for all stakeholders on program goals, which may vary significantly by program type, as well as program protocols.
- Use age-appropriate formats: Develop varied approaches for different age groups which absorb content at a different rate.
- Sustain interventions: Implement multiple sessions spaced over time to improve knowledge retention.
- Engage parents: Include parent education components to reinforce concepts at home.
- Measure outcomes: Document program results systematically and develop academic partnerships for more standardized and sophisticated evaluation.
Conclusion: From Challenge to Opportunity
With careful management, dogs can be outstanding companions for children. By teaching children to recognize bite risks while promoting positive behaviors, we enable better interspecies communication and unlock benefits in literacy, social skills, and emotional development.
Without formal institutional support, dog welfare organizations hold a pivotal role in delivering impactful programs while safeguarding canine welfare. By embracing this responsibility and transforming from reactive sheltering to proactive education, your organization can address the root causes of surrender and injury while maximizing the developmental benefits of dog-child relationships—ultimately creating stronger, more compassionate communities for all species.
Ready to launch your education program? Use this step-by-step guide to implement an impactful youth education program.
References
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