![Having a dog teaches you about sharing, caring and being responsible.](/web/20170225121313im_/http://www.essentialkids.com.au/content/dam/images/g/u/6/l/n/c/image.related.landscape.380x253.gu6j97.png/1486513127248.jpg)
Top Resources
![Picking the right dog for your family takes some thought.](/web/20170225121313im_/http://www.essentialkids.com.au/content/dam/images/2/y/r/x/7/image.related.wideLandscape.460x259.2yrs6.gjzqwg.png/1444099060142.jpg)
How to choose the right dog for your family
If you are about to give in to all the begging and pleading and buy a family dog, make sure you research which dog will best suit your family.
![Partners in crime ...](/web/20170225121313im_/http://www.essentialkids.com.au/content/dam/images/2/q/y/p/4/image.related.wideLandscape.460x259.2qymt.gjzqwg.png/1444099060142.jpg)
Keeping a pet-friendly home clean
Like our human kids the furry ones are awesome at making a mess but Victoria Birch has mastered the mess with these sanity saving tips.
![pet](/web/20170225121313im_/http://www.essentialkids.com.au/content/dam/images/2/1/c/t/t/image.related.landscape.120x80.21ctb.gjzqwg.png/1444099060142.jpg)
![EB blogger Ghania Dib](/web/20170225121313im_/http://www.essentialkids.com.au/content/dam/images/a/6/r/g/image.related.landscape.120x80.bg5q.gjzqwg.png/1444099060142.jpg)
![Take your time when choosing a family pet and you'll have a friend for life.](/web/20170225121313im_/http://www.essentialkids.com.au/content/dam/images/3/h/o/h/o/image.related.landscape.120x80.1140fw.gjzqwg.png/1444343240970.jpg)
![What bugs can you catch from your pets?](/web/20170225121313im_/http://www.essentialkids.com.au/content/dam/images/3/y/2/o/7/image.related.landscape.120x80.ghpbwd.gjzqwg.png/1444099060142.jpg)
Latest
![Keep your pets safe and sound this NYE.](/web/20170225121313im_/http://www.essentialkids.com.au/content/dam/images/g/t/j/y/u/0/image.related.landscape.300x200.gtjytc.png/1483074901271.jpg)
Keep your pets safe on New Year’s Eve
New Year's Eve is one of the best nights on the calendar but our pets aren't big fans of anything that goes boom.
![Dogs can teach children a lot about being good people.](/web/20170225121313im_/http://www.essentialkids.com.au/content/dam/images/g/s/z/z/6/e/image.related.landscape.300x200.gszvn1.png/1480392701875.jpg)
Why a family dog is one of the best teachers a child can have
What can good dogs teach our children about being better people.
![Millie Webb, 9, with one-year-old Elmo.](/web/20170225121313im_/http://www.essentialkids.com.au/content/dam/images/g/s/a/1/g/w/image.related.landscape.300x200.gsa1g0.png/1477363383054.jpg)
Family dog can sense when nine-year-old is about to have an epileptic seizure
Too much happiness is dangerous for nine-year-old Millie Webb.
![Some children describe their pets as siblings or best friends, so how do they grieve the loss of a much loved pet?](/web/20170225121313im_/http://www.essentialkids.com.au/content/dam/images/g/s/7/t/j/o/image.related.landscape.300x200.gs7thv.png/1477025527201.jpg)
How children grieve and process the loss of their pets
If you’ve been through the pain of losing a family pet, you’ll know just how heart-wrenching it can be. For many little ones it’s their first experience of death.
![Mojito the therapy dog really loves her toys.](/web/20170225121313im_/http://www.essentialkids.com.au/content/dam/images/g/s/7/i/u/0/image.related.landscape.300x200.gs7ise.png/1477019461778.jpg)
Therapy dog's adorable bedtime routine is making her Instagram famous
We don’t think there is a dog that loves plush toys more than three-year-old therapy dog, Mojito.
![<i></i>](/web/20170225121313im_/http://www.essentialkids.com.au/content/dam/images/g/r/r/j/w/w/image.related.landscape.300x200.grrjdp.png/1475130574725.jpg)
Lessons for my daughter, and me, in loving and losing a pet
What happens when you combine an animal-loving child with an animal-indifferent mother?
![Lifesaving surgery was performed on a Brisbane woman's goldfish.](/web/20170225121313im_/http://www.essentialkids.com.au/content/dam/images/g/r/g/d/u/9/image.related.landscape.300x200.grgdqo.png/1473838410021.jpg)
Goldfish mum spends $500 on surgery to remove a lodged pebble
A 21-year-old Brisbane woman spent $500 on surgery to save her goldfish after her beloved pet choked on a pebble.
![VetCompass in Britain has found that crossbred dogs, like this cavoodle, live longer on average than purebred dogs.](/web/20170225121313im_/http://www.essentialkids.com.au/content/dam/images/g/r/7/g/0/c/image.related.landscape.300x200.gr73z5.png/1473121477025.jpg)
How much time do you have left with your pet?
Big data will reveal how long our cats and dogs live - and what's most likely to kill them
![Thor is the supermodel Bengal cat taking over your social media feeds.](/web/20170225121313im_/http://www.essentialkids.com.au/content/dam/images/g/r/0/p/t/7/image.related.landscape.300x200.gr0piy.png/1472088135412.jpg)
Meet the exquisitely beautiful Bengal cat thrilling the internet right now
For cat lovers, looking at cats on the internet is just the most relaxing thing ever. Their amazing beauty and charming antics just make us go all gooey inside and all the vagaries and stresses and unpredictabilities of life all recede into the background as we settle into the familiar and snug habit of internet cat watching.
![Reasons to adopt a rescue pet for your family.](/web/20170225121313im_/http://www.essentialkids.com.au/content/dam/images/g/q/s/t/3/k/image.related.landscape.300x200.gqsmn3.png/1471237087643.jpg)
Everything you need to know to adopt your own rescue pet
There are many things you and your family need to consider if you want to adopt your own rescue pet. We spoke to Dr Katrina Warren about exactly what's involved in the process.
![Sweet moment of Colette with her much longed for puppy captured on film.](/web/20170225121313im_/http://www.essentialkids.com.au/content/dam/images/g/q/l/r/9/o/image.related.landscape.300x200.gqlreq.png/1470361887025.jpg)
Girl gets puppy after six-year wait: "Please, tell me this is not a dream!"
A nine-year-old girl has received a new furry best friend after a long six-year wait – and her reaction to the adorable puppy is pure joy.
Search pagination