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LOS ANGELES - For families considering a dog, science just added another reason to take the leap.

A large new study, published this week in the journal Allergy, found that early-life exposure to dogs may reduce the risk of developing eczema — but only for children with a specific genetic makeup. Researchers say the findings offer preliminary but promising evidence that a dog in the home may help offset certain inherited eczema risks.

The study is part of a growing body of research looking at how environmental exposures in early childhood interact with our genes, influencing who develops chronic conditions like eczema, also known as atopic dermatitis.

How does dog exposure influence eczema risk?

The backstory:

Eczema is a complex inflammatory skin condition that affects around 20% of children and 10% of adults in high-income countries. It’s partly genetic, but environmental triggers — like pollution, allergens, and early infections — also play a role in who gets it.

In this study, researchers analyzed data from over 279,000 people across 26 European population cohorts. They focused on interactions between 24 known genetic risk variants for eczema and 18 early-life environmental exposures, including pet ownership.

One gene variant, called rs10214237, stood out. Children with this variant were more likely to develop eczema — unless they had early exposure to a dog.

What did the study actually find?

Dig deeper:

Among individuals with the eczema-associated variant rs10214237, the risk of developing eczema was lower in those who lived with a dog early in life. This protective effect was not seen in children without dogs. Researchers also replicated the finding in lab-grown human skin cells, showing that exposure to dog allergen altered the immune response of cells carrying the risk gene.

Specifically, cells with the rs10214237 genotype showed higher activity in the IL-10 signaling pathway, which plays a role in suppressing inflammation — a key factor in eczema.

The protective effect of dog exposure, researchers say, might be related to early microbial exposure, immune system training, or changes in the skin barrier.

What they're saying:

Researchers said the study offers a possible explanation for earlier epidemiological findings that children who grow up with dogs may have lower rates of eczema and allergies. 

A dog wearing sunglasses is pictured in the street prior the Gucci show during the Women's Fall/Winter 2017/2018 fashion week, on February 22, 2017 in Milan.  (Photo by MARCO BERTORELLO/AFP via Getty Images)

In their conclusion, the study authors noted that while the dog-gene interaction was the only one to replicate across all phases of the research, it still needs further testing before informing public health advice.

Why you should care:

While the study doesn’t suggest that every family should get a dog to prevent eczema, it adds to growing evidence that early-life exposure to pets may shape how the immune system develops — especially in genetically susceptible individuals.

This research also highlights how personalized medicine might work in the future: knowing a child’s genetic profile could help families understand what environmental factors may increase or reduce their health risks.

What's next:

The authors emphasized the need for more research, particularly in more diverse populations. This study focused on people of European ancestry, and results may not generalize across all groups. Future studies may also explore how microbial exposure from dogs influences the skin and gut microbiome, and whether similar effects are seen with other pets.

For now, the results offer some good news for dog lovers — and another data point in favor of letting kids share their early years with a furry friend.