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Pets and child development are often discussed in relation to communication, social interaction and emotional development. While having a pet does not automatically improve these skills, everyday interactions with pets can create enjoyable opportunities for shared attention and communication.
Activities such as feeding, brushing, playing with or talking about a pet can create natural opportunities for children and adults to communicate, take turns and talk about emotions and experiences.
Pets and Child Development: How Can Pets Support Communication?
Interactions with pets may create opportunities for children to:
- notice and respond to communication
- practise back-and-forth interaction
- imitate actions, gestures or sounds
- talk about feelings and emotions
- practise caring and considerate behaviour
- participate in shared routines such as feeding, brushing or walking
- build confidence interacting during familiar everyday activities.
Every child responds differently to animals, so these opportunities will vary according to the child, the pet and the situation.
Using Everyday Pet Activities to Support Communication
You do not need to turn time with a pet into a therapy activity. Instead, look for natural opportunities to talk, interact and share attention.
Talk About What Your Pet Is Doing
Use simple comments to describe actions and events.
For example:
- “The dog is running.”
- “The cat is sleeping.”
- “He looks hungry.”
- “She wants to play.”
You can also pause and give your child time to respond using a gesture, sound, word, sentence or another form of communication.
Encourage Back-and-Forth Interaction
Shared activities such as brushing, feeding or playing with a pet can create opportunities for taking turns.
For example, you might take turns throwing a ball, preparing food or brushing the pet.
These everyday routines can help create natural opportunities for shared attention and interaction.
Talk About Feelings
Pets can also provide opportunities to talk about emotions.
You might say:
- “The dog looks excited.”
- “The cat is hiding. Maybe she feels nervous.”
- “He looks relaxed.”
Talking about emotions during everyday experiences can help children notice and discuss feelings in a meaningful context.
Use Pet Routines to Build Language
Pet routines can provide opportunities to introduce vocabulary and simple sequences.
For example:
First we get the bowl, then we add the food, then we give it to the dog.
You can also talk about concepts such as:
- full and empty
- wet and dry
- fast and slow
- in and out
- before and after.
Enjoyable shared activities can create natural opportunities for interaction, communication and learning.
How Can Speech Pathologists and Occupational Therapists Help?
At Innerlink Therapy, formerly Speech in Focus, Speech Pathology Services, our Speech Pathologists and Occupational Therapists support children according to their individual strengths, needs and everyday goals.
Speech Pathologists can support language and social communication skills and provide families with practical strategies to encourage communication during everyday routines, play and shared activities.
Occupational Therapists can support areas such as sensory processing, emotional regulation, fine and gross motor skills, confidence and participation in everyday activities.
Therapy is individualised and does not require families to own or interact with a pet.
What Communication Opportunities Can Pet Interactions Create?
Every child communicates differently.
Shared activities involving a pet may provide opportunities for your child to:
- participate in back-and-forth interactions
- use gestures, sounds, words or other forms of communication
- talk about actions and emotions
- practise caring and cooperative behaviours
- share attention with another person
- participate in familiar everyday routines.
Having a pet is not necessary for healthy communication or social-emotional development. Similar opportunities can be created through play, books, family routines and community experiences.
How Can Innerlink Therapy Help?
If you have concerns about your child’s communication, social interaction, emotional regulation or participation in everyday activities, our Speech Pathologists and Occupational Therapists can help identify their strengths and areas where additional support may be beneficial.
Learn more about our Speech Pathology and Occupational Therapy services, or contact Innerlink Therapy on 02 8065 1197.
Frequently Asked Questions About Pets and Child Development
Can Having a Pet Improve My Child’s Language? Having a pet does not automatically improve language development. However, everyday interactions involving pets can create natural opportunities for children and adults to talk, comment, take turns and share attention.
Does My Child Need a Pet to Develop Social Skills? No. Children can develop communication and social skills through many everyday experiences, including play, family routines, books, school activities and interactions with other people.
When Should I Speak With a Speech Pathologist? Consider speaking with a Speech Pathologist if you are concerned about how your child understands or uses language, starts or maintains interactions, communicates their needs or participates socially.
A Speech Pathologist can assess your child’s communication strengths and determine whether additional support may be helpful.