I'm not saying dog ownership is right for everybody, but hear me out on this. If you honestly believe you can provide a good home for a dog and you have concerns about your child being addicted to technology, keep reading...

I work with the special needs population. Many of the students (and adults) I work with have an unhealthy addiction to technology. It is difficult for them to relinquish their ipads, phones, video games, computers, etc. Given the opportunity to socialize with a peer or access technology, in many cases the latter is preferred. This has numerous detrimental consequences. When I interview people to join my staff I observe their body language. Are they able to make eye contact with me while speaking? No? Next... You can see how constantly staring down at a screen can negatively impact future success in life.

We have a therapy dog at my work. She is my best coworker and close friend for many reasons. Paramount is her ability to break students away from their addiction to technology. I'm not saying it works every time, but on most occasions I am able to replace technology time with healthier activities that would not be possible without our beloved pup.

I even use our pup to help student's interact with their peers and other staff members. It's awesome!

Here are some additional benefits I enjoy:
-Walking every day has numerous health benefits, you know who likes to walk...
-Meditation, even for 5 minutes a day, positively impacts hormones in the body. Guess who slows you down and forces you to relax when you pet them...
-People are social creatures, guess who can help introduce you to new people (dog parks, etc.)...
-With training dog's can save your life. With training dogs can smell your breathe and detect blood sugar levels... nudging a person with diabetes for a gentle life saving reminder
-I could list dozens of ways a dog can improve the quality of life. Just search google or talk to a dog owner!