In adults for example, walking with a dog provides
greater feelings of safety, particularly when walking at night . Thus,walking with
a dog may provide children with more opportunity to be independently
mobile because a family dog plays a role similar to that of an
older sibling or friend (i.e., a protector and guardian). Compared with a
child walking alone, walking with a dog (unaccompanied by an adult)
may improve parent and child feelings of safety.