Speed Reading — Level 1 — 100 wpm 

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Having a pet dog helps to reduce children's stress. A new study shows that petting a dog really helps stressed kids. Researchers looked at 643 young children. They found that children with a pet dog are less stressed than children without one. Just twelve per cent of children with a dog had signs of stress, but this was 21 per cent for children with no dog. This will not surprise parents. They know dogs are great for helping children to develop.

There are many things that are still unclear. We do not know if less stressed children have pet dogs, or if pet dogs make children less stressed. There is a link between pet dogs and children's stress. Pet dogs help children start conversations. This is often difficult for children. A pet dog can comfort children. They tell their pet all his or her secrets and stories. Sometimes a pet dog is so important that its name is the first word the child speaks.

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