A growing number of studies have shown that when children grow up in a home with animals, they are less likely to develop allergies and it reduces their risk of developing asthma. The same is true for children who live on a farm with large animals. Being exposed to pet dander early on in life can help prevent future allergies. Specifically, children under the age of 1 who had two or more dogs or cats as family pets saw a reduction in allergy development by the time they were 6 or 7.
