Like with allergies, adequate exposure to dogs can protect infants from developing the skin condition eczema and even asthma. "Many people don't know there is a progression from eczema . . . to asthma," allergist Gagandeep Cheema noted in his study, which showed that even pregnant women can begin reaping these benefits for their unborn children. "We found a mother's exposure to dogs before the birth of a child is significantly associated with lower risk of eczema by age 2."