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PUPPY LOVE MAKES KIDS TOP DOGS

Man’s best friend also turns out to be a kid’s best friend.

Children who have dogs are better behaved, have more motivation and get higher grades in school, a new study reveals.

Researchers interviewed 400 mothers of youngsters aged 13 to 15 about their behavior and schooling, with half of those quizzed having owned dogs.

They found that kids with canines did better at school, gaining slightly better marks on average.

Reinhold Bergler, who conducted the study at the University of Bonn, said the regular walking or feeding of dogs encouraged motivation and gave kids a sense of responsibility.

It backs Bergler’s earlier study which revealed that children who have dogs adjust better to their parents’ divorce than those without.

Of the children from split families without dogs, more than 40 percent showed aggressive behavior, 38 percent were extremely irritable, and 36 percent misbehaved to get attention.

The respective percentages for the children with dogs were 25 percent, 24 percent, and 27 percent.

Children who had dogs often turned to them for comfort when lonely or when their parents were fighting.