We have all heard that pets can help teach kids patience, responsibility, and empathy, but according to a recent study, having a dog in the home during childhood, especially during the first year of infancy, seriously decreased a child's likelihood of developing sensitivities to allergens like pollen. Our own Maggie first broke this story a few days ago but it's worth repeating for those thinking about investing in a canine commitment -- and for those who like photos of cute kids and cute dogs. See gallery that follows.

So the science behind this theory is that dogs bring germs inside on their coats and in their mouths, thus exposing kids to them and boosting the child's immune system. Older generations were often exposed to more dirt and germs as children (you know, because kids used to actually play outside instead of sitting indoors playing video games), and therefore developed a greater resistance to many allergens than kids today.

This study in particular has taken blood samples from 3,000 six-year-olds and will test the samples for hints that the child might become allergic to things like pet hair, dust mites, and pollen. The children will be retested at age 10, but the lead researcher has already stated with confidence that, "Our results show clearly that the presence of a dog in the home during infancy is associated with a significantly low level of sensitization to pollens and allergens."

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Based on a six-year study of 9,000 children, German researchers have stated that having dogs may reduce a child's risk of developing allergies. In theory, exposure to pet-related allergens builds ups a child's immunity and helps reduce risk of allergies, asthma, eczema, and hay fever.

The study used parents' answers on detailed surveys from birth to age six. Blood samples were also taken from a number of participants to test for antibodies in the blood stream.

The same protective effect was not noted in children with repeated exposure to dogs, but without dogs in their home.

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Are you prone to allergies? I am with certain things outdoors and indoors, but aside from trying to live in a bubble, I take steps to keep allergies at bay in a healthy and natural way (as possible, anyway).

Most of us love our pets, but with that companionship we sneeze and wheeze at cat and dog dander like it was some strong pepper on an Indian dish of spicy peppers or something. Solutions?

In favorable weather, keeping many pets outdoors is a good thing. Not only is clean, fresh air good for you, your pet will love it outside in most cases. Want more suggestions? See this.

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Allergy season is coming into full bloom with spring. Medicines help treat allergy symptoms once they strike, but here are a few hints that can help you prevent symptoms altogether. It is time for that good spring cleaning for your home and your nasal passages that should be put into your everyday routine.

The fresh air is great in the spring tempting us to open our windows and let that cross breeze flow through the house. But if you or your spouse or child are an allergy sufferer you should keep those windows closed and use air conditioning if you're allergic to pollen. Don't use fans since they can stir up dust. Filter the air. There are many brands of air filtration systems that you can put in individual rooms to help filter allergens out of the air. One helpful hint is to cover your air conditioning vents with cheesecloth to filter pollen and use high efficiency particulate air filters. Clean air filters or replace them frequently, once or twice a month. This not only cuts down on allergies but also the electric bill. Clean your home air ducts at least once a year. Keep the humidity in your house below 50 percent to prevent mold growth by using dehumidifiers and especially in the basement where mold is more likely to collect. Be sure to clean your dehumidifiers and filtration systems once a week also. Wash your bedding every week in hot water and vacuum twice a week. If you have indoor pets you should vacuum 4 times a week to cut down on animal dander and also bathe your pets often. Most important is don't allow smoking in your home.

Now that we have cleaned up your home, here is one helpful hint to clean up your nasal passages. Nettie Pots are great for cleaning out the sinus areas. A Nettie Pot is a small ceramic, long spouted, teapot where you put a simple salt and warm water solution and poor into your nose with your head tilted to one side. This flushes out all kinds of stuff. Be sure to do both nostrils.