Early dog exposure may protect babies from infections through home microbes

by University of Eastern Finland

edited by Sadie Harley, reviewed by Alexander Pol

Sadie Harley

Scientific Editor

Meet our editorial team
Behind our editorial process

Alexander Pol

Deputy Editor

Meet our editorial team
Behind our editorial process Editors' notes

This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies. Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility:

fact-checked

trusted source

proofread

The GIST Add as preferred source

Children who have been in contact with dogs in early childhood are, on average, healthier and require fewer courses of antibiotics than children without such contact. The protective association is explained, at least in part, by the spread of dog-associated microbes in the home.

A study by the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, Kuopio University Hospital and the University of Eastern Finland found that the presence of specific dog-associated microbes in the home was linked to fewer respiratory tract infections, fewer courses of antibiotics and more healthy weeks during the child's first year of life.

The study is published in the journal Pediatric Allergy and Immunology.

Specific microbes drive the benefit

The richness and diversity are higher in homes with a dog than in homes without a dog, but these general characteristics of the microbiota were not associated with the incidence of respiratory tract infections or morbidity in the child.

The study shows that certain dog-associated microbes, or combinations of them, can explain up to one-quarter of the protective effect of dog ownership on children's respiratory tract infections, antibiotic use and the number of healthy weeks during the first year of life.

The protective effect of dog ownership remained after accounting for other factors known to influence childhood infection risk, including family size, living environment and exposure to tobacco smoke.

Other household factors may contribute

In addition to the dog's microbiota, a more outdoor-oriented lifestyle in dog-owning families, shared responsibilities related to caring for the dog, and partly similar dietary habits shared among dog owners may influence the microbiota in the home and among its inhabitants, and thereby the development of the child's resistance to pathogens. These factors were not examined in this study.

"The results strengthen our understanding that the microbial environment during early childhood plays an important role in the development of a child's immune system. It has been suggested that in the future it may be possible to modify the home microbiota in ways that promote health. Our study shows that dog ownership already does this today," says pediatrician Jenni Mäki, who is also a doctoral researcher at the University of Eastern Finland.

"Respiratory tract infections in early childhood are a significant risk factor for asthma. When some of children's respiratory tract infections can be prevented with dog-associated microbes, this may also reduce the child's risk of developing asthma later in life," says chief researcher Anne Karvonen.

The LUKAS study included nearly 400 families from Finland. About one-third of the families lived on farms, half in rural areas and the rest in towns.

More information

Jenni M. Mäki et al, The role of dog keeping in the home microbiota and its impact on children's health, Pediatric Allergy and Immunology (2026). DOI: 10.1111/pai.70408

Key medical concepts

Respiratory Tract InfectionsAntibioticsImmune SystemAsthma

Clinical categories

PediatricsChildren's healthAllergy and immunologyCommon illnesses & Prevention Provided by University of Eastern Finland Who's behind this story?

Sadie Harley

BSc Life Sciences & Ecology. Microbiology lab background with pharmaceutical news experience in oil, gas, and renewable industries. Full profile →

Alexander Pol

PhD nano-engineering from Delft University. Published researcher and journal reviewer. Brings scientific insight to content standards. Full profile →

Citation: Early dog exposure may protect babies from infections through home microbes (2026, July 3) retrieved 4 July 2026 from https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-early-dog-exposure-babies-infections.html This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.