Expert offers tips for how to curb your pet’s bad habits as 45% of Leeds pet owners let their pets sleep in their bed

A pet expert has suggested how to curb your pet’s bad habits after research reveals that nearly half of Leeds pet owners let their pets sleep in their bed.
Dog being fed food. (Pic credit: Luke Dray / Getty Images)Dog being fed food. (Pic credit: Luke Dray / Getty Images)
Dog being fed food. (Pic credit: Luke Dray / Getty Images)

Clinical animal behaviourist, Rachel Rodgers, has collaborated with Hammonds to survey 2,000 UK animal owners, asking them what habits they let their pets get away with in their homes and how much they spoil them.

Results came through and revealed that 88 per cent of Leeds pet owners admit to spoiling their pets. Nearly half (45 per cent) of Leeds pet owners let their pets sleep in their bed, nearly a quarter (23 per cent) admit that they share food with their pet whilst eating a meal and more than a quarter (26 per cent) confess to letting their pets walk on their kitchen worktops.

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Only 12 per cent of Leeds pet owners believe they don’t spoil their pets at all, Leeds pet owners also reveal that they are more likely to tell off their children (48 per cent) for breaking ‘house rules’ than their pets.(42 per cent).

In Leeds, 10 per cent of pet owners let their pets lick pots clean after being used for cooking and even more of them will allow their household animals to lick their plate clean when they have finished eating.

Meanwhile, 23 per cent admit that they will share their food with their pets when eating or snacking and one in 20 confess that they let their pet eat at the table with them.

To restore your home to the way it was before, it’s important to get rid of bad habits with your animals.

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“Home rules are unique to each family, so if everyone is comfortable with the dog sleeping on the bed or sofa, then there is no reason they can’t do this,” Ms Rodgers said.

“The difficulty arises when it comes to consistency. If a family decides their dog is allowed on the furniture, then the dog has to be allowed on the furniture all the time. A dog doesn’t understand that if it’s been on a muddy walk, it should steer clear of the soft furnishings.

“Instead they are more than likely going to run straight in from the garden and hop back up into their comfy spot and get mud on the sofa.

“Telling an animal off for something they’re usually allowed to do can then cause the relationship with the owner to become fraught. In fact, inconsistency can cause anxiety for our pets.

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“However, it is certainly possible to change house rules for pets. This often occurs when people welcome a baby into the family, or buy new furniture. The key thing to remember is that habits take a long time to form, and equally as long to break. If your pet has been allowed to do something for years, you can’t expect to train them out of this overnight.

“The best option will be to train them to opt for a more suitable behaviour. Give them something else they can do instead, that is more rewarding. For example, if your dog is used to going on the sofa, provide them with a comfortable bed of their own nearby so that they don’t miss out on the social side of being with you.”

Head of product and marketing at Hammonds Furniture, Kirsty Oakes, said: “When it comes to our pets, it’s clear that there’s not a lot they can’t get away with. It’s great that so many of us treat our pets like family members and give them the love and attention that they deserve but it’s important to remember that what you may deem acceptable, another pet owner may not.

“We each have different thresholds that we feel comfortable with when it comes to our animals, however it is important to remember that some habits we allow may be less hygienic than others.

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“Dirt and germs are not always visible to the naked eye and so it’s important to either set some consistent rules or consider cleaning more regularly if you’re starting to find fur on your bedsheets.”

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