Dog owners in the UK are giving new meaning to the phrase ‘a dog’s dinner’ as they admit to treating their four-legged friends to swanky dishes such as caviar, lobster, fillet steak and Christmas dinner, new research from tailored pet nutrition service tails.com has found¹.
The tails.com Data Labs research team analysed the habits formed by dog owners when feeding their pets having observed that over 42% of the dogs joining their service are overweight or obese², with the top 3 overweight breeds being Beagles, Border Terriers and Miniature Schnauzers³.
Crucially, tails.com’s research found that some overweight dogs’ lives could be being cut short by up to a year⁴, as owners admit that their dogs may be wise to their weaknesses around treats and human snacks.
‘Puppy-dog eyes’ appear to be a highly effective way to get more treats, with 38% of owners admitting to giving in to their dog simply for ‘looking cute’, while a further 22% offered up a treat if they thought it would keep their dog quiet or occupied.
Almost a quarter of dogs are plate-licker-in-chief in their family, with 24% confessing that their dog is given the dinner dishes to lick on a daily basis, while over a third of owners (37%) also say their dog is head of quality control, as they let them eat ingredients when preparing their own meals.
Resisting our dogs’ charms is well worth it, however, as keeping our dogs at the ideal weight with the right portions and exercise could help them live on average six to nine months longer³ than their overweight counterparts.
Sean McCormack, Head Vet at tails.com, says, “We may all be dealing with the ‘battle of the bulge’ following the festive season, and our dogs are no exception. All of those extra little treats and indulgences add up. But many dog owners may be surprised to know that excess weight could be cutting their time with their pet short down the line. To know that our dogs’ lifespans, and quality of life, are affected by too many snacks or treats outside meals is heart-wrenching.”
“Encouragingly, our data also shows that it’s never too late to make a positive change: when an overweight dog gets back to an ideal body condition through healthy nutrition and exercise they can gain months of their life back. It’s good for them, and it’s good for our wellbeing too, not to mention the months longer we can enjoy sharing with our much loved four-legged family members.”
Carolyn Menteith, Behaviourist at tails.com comments: “Dogs are incredibly intelligent and highly social creatures, which makes them wonderful companions and great fun to train but that also means they are smart enough to be able to train us into giving them what they want too. Those puppy-dog eyes can be hard to resist – and most owners enjoy giving their dog a tasty morsel almost as much as their dog enjoys receiving them – but it’s easy to take this too far.
“The tails.com research also revealed that 37% of owners say that they walk their dog less in winter months because their dog refuses to walk when it’s cold – although it’s more likely that owners don’t fancy braving the cold themselves. Thankfully when the weather is really bad, we can couple our dogs’ love of food with their need for exercise and mental stimulation by giving them plenty of interactive toys, and reward-based training sessions – all using tasty, healthy treats and without us having to venture out through the front door.”
In 2021, tails.com’s personalised nutrition has helped overweight and obese dogs on their subscription service lose over a tonne in weight, with 39% of overweight signups and 15% of obese signups now returning to a normal body condition⁵.
Dr Sean McCormack’s 3 Top Tips for keeping your dog healthy in 2022:
Instead of rewarding your dog with treats for good behaviour, reward them with your attention instead. Take 5 minutes to play their favourite game or give them a belly rub.
Make sure that you get into a habit of taking your dog for a walk at a certain time of the day; your dog will start to give you reminders when their walk is due after a while.
Ignore the puppy dog eyes and stay strong, remember that you are in charge not them.
