TOKYO, Japan — A Japanese study showed findings that having a pet dog at home can help alter adolescent children’s microbiome to make them happier and have better social skills. This study, based on surveys of teens and experiments involving mice, was published in the US journal iScience. Children’s gut microbiota is partially altered either by dogs’ resident bacteria entering the children’s system or by changes in children’s gastrointestinal environment due to changes in children’s psychological condition from living with dogs, according to Takefumi Kikusui, a professor at Azabu University and a member of the team. READ: Cebu quake: ‘Hero dog’ […]... Keep on reading: Having dogs impacts teens’ social skills, according to Japanese study