In several households across the UK, a resident expert in mischief making can often be found. They go by many names including, the sock thief, the countertop snaffler, the destroyer of household furnishings, and the tissue shredder, but whatever they go by in your home our research can reveal that you are absolutely not alone.
If you’ve not already guessed who we’re talking about, we can reveal it is indeed our canine companions. While cat’s get a fairly bad rap for clawing at their owner’s furniture, dogs can be equally destructive, if not worse, in and around the home.
To find out more, here at The Insurance Emporium, we surveyed* over 2000 respondents across the UK to find out just how naughty their pet pooches are, here’s what we found out!
Our data revealed that Labradors lead the pack as the most mischievous dog breed, while Cocker Spaniels are the second naughtiest, and Cockapoos are third.
The Naughtiest Things Dogs Get Up To
Sometimes, our pet pooches will do something so naughty that it’s eternally ingrained on our minds; perhaps it was a one off, perhaps it was the worst of a string of incidents your canine got up. Whatever lead to ‘the incident’ our respondents have spilled all the details to us – perhaps you can relate to one or two.
‘He ate a small Xmas decoration when he was 6 months. £1000 bill to remove.’
‘Ate my passport the day before I went on holiday.’
‘Ate some donuts out of a children’s bag in the park. Has eaten 5 sofas.’
‘From a sitting position enjoying a picnic (at the Royal Cornwall Show) he dragged me full length into a lake during a lifesaving rescue demo by RNLI. As part of the demo they threw a float into the lake and my pooch decided to save it!!’
‘Hid in my son’s room and did not answer us, we looked around the streets crying, came home deflated. Once again, we searched the house and found him in my son’s wardrobe sleeping on the spare blankets with no worries in the world.’
‘I left him unattended in the garden when he was around 9 months old whilst I was working from home. When I checked on him, he was just lying in the sun. I came back 15 minutes later, and he had ripped out over £300 worth of flowers from the beds and was running around the garden with them.’
‘Pooped in my mothers-in-law’s bedroom whilst visiting.’
‘We have a camera indoors. He got out of his crate while we were out. Did multiple trips from the kitchen to the sofa and ate a bunch of bananas, a watermelon, 6 apples. Then emptied the contents of a stuffed toy. At 5 months old he could reach the kitchen worktops. Ended up having to build a crate he couldn’t break out of.’
Most Popular Items A Dog Steals or Chews in the Home
When it comes to items around the home, what things do our dogs really like to steal and chew?
It would appear that items of clothing are a dog’s favourite item to steal from around the home, with socks and pants heavily referenced in people’s responses. In joint second place it’s shoes and paper-based items that also appear to take our pets fancy – clearly paper items are chosen for maximum destruction effect. At the other end of the scale bin-related items and electronics were the least likely things to have been stolen.
We also asked respondents; ‘If your dog likes to chew furniture or other objects, what do they typically chew?’ Wooden items such as skirting boards and door frames, chair and table legs, firewood and kindling were all a popular choice among owners. As well as chewing their own beds and blankets, sofas, and cushions – they really do love a soft furnishing.
While destructive behaviour is often put down to dogs just being dogs, it could also be a sign your furry companion is suffering from separation anxiety, for further guidance take a look at our article, dealing with separation anxiety in dogs.
Unexpected Trip to The Vets
Similar to parenting toddlers, you often have to have eyes in the back of your head if your pooch tends to eat or chew on things they shouldn’t. However, with the best will in the world accidents happen and sometimes it could result in an unexpected trip to the vets.
Luckily, it would seem this is quite rare as only 3% of our respondents said that something their pet had ingested resulted in a trip to the vets. The number one offending item being socks, followed by food-based goods such as grapes, chocolate, bones and corn on the cob. The were also two occasions where ‘knickers’ were ingested, while sharp objects such as a fishhook, a pin board pin, and a large sewing needle were also found to have been eaten.
If you think your dog has eaten something they shouldn’t have it’s best to seek medical advice as soon as possible. Speaking to your vet means they can provide the guidance and reassurance needed on what the best course of action should be in these situations.
When it comes to choosing which dog breed to welcome into our homes, we often consider factors such as size, temperament, activity levels and whether they’re hypoallergenic or not, among other things. However, even after these considerations, each dog is unique and whether they like to chew on your dining room chairs or bark at delivery persons, there’s not always a rhyme or reason for why they are so destructive.
Despite our best efforts, accidents can happen and result in an unexpected and potentially costly visit to the vets. Pet insurance for your dog might be something to consider should the unexpected happen. Our dog insurance and senior dog insurance products can be tailored to your individual needs and budget because we know one size doesn’t fit all. Call us today for a free, no-strings quote and we’ll make sure you don’t bite off more than you can chew.
*These findings are from a survey released by The Insurance Emporium to its marketing contact list of UK adults aged 18+ between October 3rd-21st 2024, which resulted in 2,348 responses from dog owners.
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