There are many benefits to having a dog and here’s a new one…kids get sick less. A Finnish study shows that babies who grow up around dogs are on average healthier and require fewer antibiotic courses than their peers and are also less likely to develop respiratory tract infections. The research notes that certain dog-associated microbes or their combinations contribute to up to a quarter of the protective effect of dog ownership on children's respiratory tract infections, antibiotic use and the number of healthy weeks during the first year of life. Finnish pediatrician Jenni Mäki stresses "The results strengthen our understanding that the microbial environment during early childhood plays an important role in the development of a child's immune system.