A study published early in December found that exposure to dogs during childhood could reduce a person’s risk of developing schizophrenia as an adult.
Schizophrenia is a long-term mental disorder, which is brought on mostly by genetics.
The study, which was published in PLOS One, found that people with a history of schizophrenia in their family reduced their chances of developing the illness by 25% if they grew up with a dog.
Researchers are unsure if there’s a link between dogs and the illness, but they believe man’s best friend should have a positive effect on a child’s developing immune system.
The study found that there were no major benefits for kids who had cats.
