Safety & Prevention

How to Choose the Right Pet for Your Family

Tips for Choosing the Right Pet for Your Family

Are you thinking about bringing a pet into your family?

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) offers some helpful advice and things to keep in mind before choosing on an animal.

Before selecting a pet, keep your child's developmental stage in mind.

If you are getting a pet as a companion for your child, it is a good idea to wait until they are mature enough to handle and care for the animal—usually around age 5 or 6. (See "How Old Should Our Child Be Before Adopting a Pet?") Younger children have difficulty distinguishing an animal from a toy, so they may unintentionally provoke a bite through teasing or mistreatment.

If your child is developmentally ready, discuss the needs of the animal and everything that is involved in caring for it first. Books on pet care from the library can help your child understand the responsibility. Visit a friend or extended family member who has a pet and allow your child to see firsthand what the care of a pet involves.

Know how much time your family has to care for a pet.

Some pets, like dogs or cats, require daily attention. They must be fed, groomed, cleaned up after and exercised. Others pets like fish, birds, guinea pigs and hamsters, demand less care―and may be a better choice for a younger child who needs to learn about what is involved in having a pet or busy families with less time.

Is it better to get a puppy, kitten or older pet first?

Look for a pet with a gentle disposition. An older animal is often a good choice for a child, because a puppy or kitten may bite out of sheer friskiness. Avoid older pets raised in a home without children, however.

What about allergies?

The dander (shed skin cells, hairs, and feathers) of some animals can evoke allergic symptoms in certain children. While some dog breeds are categorized as "hypoallergenic," in truth all dogs are equally likely to cause allergies, regardless of how much or little they shed. (See "Pet Allergies in Children.")

If your child has allergies (eczema, hay fever, asthma) or your family has a strong history of allergic disorders, ask your pediatrician or a local veterinarian for advice.

Can pets spread illness to children?
Almost every type of pet is a potential source of disease that can infect your child. Reptiles, for example, can carry and transmit salmonella bacteria that can cause serious diarrhea. However, as long as your child practices reasonable hygiene, especially hand washing after playing with a pet and before eating, they should be safe.

Tips to prevent animal bites

As a parent, you have ultimate responsibility for your child's safety around any animal―including your own pets, neighborhood pets, and wild animals. Here are some suggestions to talk over with child.

Do not tease or abuse an animal. Treat your pet humanely so it will enjoy human company. Don't, for example, tie a dog on a short rope or chain, since extreme confinement may make it anxious and aggressive. Don't allow your child to tease your pet by pulling its tail or taking away a toy or a bone. Make sure they don't disturb the animal when it's sleeping or eating.

Never leave a young child alone with an animal. Many bites occur during bouts of playful roughhousing, because the child doesn't realize when the animal gets overexcited. Incidents are rare in which a dog, for example, aggressively attacks when unprovoked. Teach your child not to put their face close to an animal.

Follow local ordinances about licensing and leashing your pet. Be sure your pet is always under your control.
Find out which neighbors have pets. Have your child meet pets with which she's likely to have contact. Teach your child how to greet a dog: the child should stand still while the dog sniffs them; then they can slowly extend her hand to pet the animal.

Never pet an unfamiliar dog or cat. Warn your child to stay away from yards in which dogs seem high-strung or unfriendly. Teach older children the signs of an unsafe dog: rigid body, stiff tail at "half mast," hysterical barking, crouched position, staring expression. If approached by a dog they don't know, they should face the animal and back away slowly until out of reach, while avoiding eye contact.
Be sure any dogs or cats you own are fully immunized against rabies to protect both your pet and your family. Also teach your child to avoid wild animals, which can carry very serious diseases ranging from rabies to hantavirus, plague and toxoplasmosis.

More information

Last Updated: 5/6/2026

The information contained on this Web site should not be used as a substitute for the medical care and advice of your pediatrician. There may be variations in treatment that your pediatrician may recommend based on individual facts and circumstances.