Pets: How they enrich and reward your family

Adding a new pet to your household can be rewarding in a number of different ways.

*Love. Now that's the most obvious reward there is, but whenever you add a new pet to your home, you've added more love, and this love is a two-way street. The wonderful things about pets is that they love us unconditionally. The moment we bring our new baby home, we've also given ourselves an extra dab of much-needed love that will never end. In addition, the new pet gives us an additional outlet on which we can let out our softer, loving side. You just can't beat the love. It's a cliche, but it's the best reward anyone can get.

*Responsible. This, of course, speaks to those with young kids mainly. Caring for a pet is one of the greatest ways to help develop the idea of responsibility. Pets require attention. It's not just feeding and cleaning after them, but spending time with them. A child learns that the world isn't just about themselves now; it includes caring for their pet.

*Companionship. This speaks to many of us in different ways. It's been proven that pets help the elderly to have a reason to get up in the morning and make it through another day. It's a lonely world out there, but the presence of a pet gives senior citizens a reason for being and someone they can talk to. It does the same for people who perhaps don't have a lot of people around them for whatever reason. For some, a pet is their source of companionship. Having a pet to talk to or to pat and rub in times of sorrow is a great reward that can't be valued high enough.

*Help Befriend Other Pets. People need people, and pets need pets. Sometimes people are too self-involved and don't realize how lonely their pets are during the day (or night) when they are at work or away from home. Total up all the hours you're away from the home. It adds up quickly. Introducing a new pet properly can give your first pet a new friend, someone to bond with, and someone to play with. The biggest reward a pet owner can get, aside from love, is seeing how much happier and contented their first pet becomes after they get a new playmate. It often has the appealing benefit of calming or stopping undesired behavior of the first pet, too.

Love, responsibility, companionship, and a new friend for your pet are just a few of the rewards that can come from introducing a new pet to your household. For me, it's the love that stands out. Nothing beats those bright eyes and wagging tails of a new dog looking at me for its care. Be it a dog or any other type of pet, the rewards are priceless.