Sometimes one of the dogs ends up wearing a backpack. Margaret, younger and shyer, watches, reaching out occasionally to pat a dog. Christian doesn't choose to play with the other boys. Once in a while he asks me a question about the dogs, but he has never spoken to me about anything else. Children who have pets share a kindred feeling for others who have pets or like animals.
Pets are an invitation to talk and something to talk about.
They help kids interact with each other and with grown-ups. If a child is walking a dog, both children and adults find it easier to approach and begin a conversation. For children with confined pets such as birds, fish, and small mammals, hobby clubs and pet shows offer away to meet other children who share a common interest. Excerpted from Are You the Pet for Me , by permission of St. Martin's Press. All rights reserved.