A quarter of dog owners are worried they don't have the patience to deal with their dog’s behaviour and almost a fifth didn’t have time to train their new pup, according to new figures from Dogs Trust's National Dog Survey (NDS). Dogs Trust has already received over 18,000 handover requests so far this year, with 30% of people contacting the charity saying that their dog is showing unwanted behaviour.
Dogs Trust has expanded its behaviour support services, adding a free Behaviour Support Line and Reactive Dog Classes to help avoid relinquishment. Manned by specialist Behaviour Support Line Officers equipped with a range of behaviour qualifications and expertise – including animal behaviour degrees, dog behaviour accreditations, and hands-on experience supporting dogs and owners – the support line has helped thousands of owners with practical advice to tackle behaviour.
The second National Dog Survey opens this week, open until June 7, to help Dogs Trust continue to better-understand the UK’s 12.5 million dog population.
Owen Sharp, Chief Executive of Dogs Trust, said: “Too often we hear from families who feel they have no other option but to give up their dogs due to problems that could have been prevented early on with the right interventions.
“Last year, over 350,000 people responded to our first National Dog Survey, giving us a real insight into how people care for their dogs here in the UK. We’ve since used all that we learnt to launch new services providing tangible support to dogs and their owners, including our Behaviour Support Line, helping them to tackle behaviour-related issues before they turn into real problems.
“What owners tell us through the National Dog Survey this year will again shape the future services provided by Dogs Trust so we can continue to support the nation’s dogs and their owners.”
You can complete the National Dog Survey here: www.nationaldogsurvey.org.uk
