A new study from Oregon State University found that dogs tend to match their behavior with the children in their family. The findings are important because there is a growing body of evidence that dogs can help children in many ways. These include helping with social development, increasing physical activity, managing anxiety or serving as a source of attachment in the face of changing family structures.

Yet, very little research has focused on how dogs perceive and socially engage with children. “The great news is that this study suggests dogs are paying a lot of attention to the kids that they live with,” said Monique Udell, the lead author of the study. “One interesting thing we have observed is that dogs are matching children’s behavior, but less frequently than what we have seen between dogs and adults. This suggests that while dogs may view children as social companions, there are also some differences that we need to understand better.”

While research has found dogs can have a lot of positive impacts on a child’s life, there are also risks associated with the dog-child relationship. For example, other studies have found dogs are more likely to bite children versus adults. “We still have a lot to learn about the dog-child relationship,” Udell said. “But research does show that kids are very capable of training dogs.”