25/04/2025
Itās becoming a problem
I began my grooming career 7 years ago now, and Iāve definitely noticed a real change in the dogs I now have coming through my door. At first I thought maybe it was just my imagination, or perhaps the fact I choose to work with dogs who have difficulties means I see some of the worst cases. But after speaking with various pet professionals, itās become apparent that itās not just me. There is something happening in the world of canines.
In the UK, incidents of dog bites have risen over 60% since 2018. There has also been an increase in the number of insurance claims being submitted and whilst we canāt link these all to behaviour cases, the fact that more dogs are requiring veterinary care is still significant. There has also been announcements by Dogs Trust regarding restructuring some of their offerings in order to invest more in supporting guardians whose dogs have challenging behaviours.
So what is it exactly thatās led to whatās being nicknamed as a ācanine behaviour pandemic?ā If Iām honest, I donāt know. Itās easy to point the finger at back yard breeders or bad owners but actually we need to look at the bigger picture.
According to PDSA, the proportion of dog owners who acquired their pet from a breeder in 2024 was 33% which is yet another decrease from past years. However, there has been an increase in people getting dogs from friends, family or neighbours. When you connect this with the rise in people giving up their dogs to rehoming centres, itās likely that people are passing their dogs onto people they know when theyāre no longer able to cope.
Of those who did purchase their dog from a breeder, only 35% checked if the breeder was licensed and it was also reported that 24% sourced their dog from a private seller. A good, reputable breeder will make every effort to make sure theyāre producing healthy dogs with good temperaments where as those who are only in it for the money are likely to breed purely for aesthetics and demand. Those who are not breeding for the correct reasons are less likely to invest in proper health checks, increasing the risk of puppies born predisposed to a number of diseases and muscular skeletal issues - interesting when you consider research that states over 75% of behaviour problems can be linked to pain.
Each year Dogs Trust publish a National Dog Survey, and in 2024 they received a huge 406,218 responses (their highest number to date). There were some really interesting points within the results that may help understand whatās happening:
* 80% of dog owners said that they were confident in reading dog body language but only 24% could consistently identify worried dog behaviours - that means that 66% were unable to identify when their dog was showing signs of stress.
* Of the 406,218 surveyed, only 18.5% felt education about dog behaviour, including safety around dogs, and understanding dog body language, was a dog welfare issue that mattered most to them.
* Despite 52% saying the thought continued training was valuable for dogs, only around 7% currently took their dogs to classes
* 87% of owners said they could tell if their dog was in pain, and yet studies into osteoarthritis by company Galliprant, have shown that up to 38% of dogs over the age of 1 have the condition. 60% of those showing radiographic signs, also had evidence of joint pain and yet pet guardians only recognised this in less than half of the dogs.
Iāve barely scratched the surface with these but itās a good starting point for discussion.
The other thing we need to consider, is the change in lifestyle for our dogs. The world is significantly busier than ever, there is less and less downtime and we tend to have schedules that are full to the brim. This leaves little time for dog centred activities, and instead many opt to bring their dog along to things humans enjoy such as the pub, restaurants, places of interest (particularly those deemed as instagramable!). According to Google trends, the number of people searching for ādog friendly restaurantsā in the UK has increased by 1,166% over the last 10 years. Whilst itās great to involve your dog in your life, itās important to remember that dogs are a different species to us and although some may be comfortable in busy shops, public parks and restaurants others may find it extremely distressing. Dogs need appropriate enrichment, opportunities to sleep, appropriate exercise and so we have to ask if these activities are truly meeting the dogs needs rather than just our own?
But it doesnāt stop there. The cost of living is hitting everyone hard, including dog owners. 81% of dog owners felt it was more expensive to take care of your pets in comparison to 68% in 2022. The younger generation, (particularly those born between the 1990s and 2010) seem to be hit the hardest with 53% saying they needed to change their behaviours due to financial pressures. Only 73% of those aged between 18-24 have registered their dog with a vet due to the costs involved, 6% of guardians are no longer taking out insurance and 4% have stopped taking their dog to the vet all together. This means there could be a high percentage of dogs living with medical conditions that are either undiagnosed and therefore not managed correctly.
I could talk about this topic for hours, but I guess the point I am trying to make is we are no longer working with your regular family dog. Instead, we are working with the 21st century dog who may be feeling out of place in our modern world, who needs that bit of extra consideration, compassion and support. We need to be willing to learn, adapt and develop both as an industry and as pet guardians.
References:
https://www.pdsa.org.uk/what-we-do/pdsa-animal-wellbeing-report/uk-pet-populations-of-dogs-cats-and-rabbits
https://www.dogstrust.org.uk/downloads/estimation-UK-pet-dog-population-2024.pdf
https://www.aquaint.co.uk/blog/the-rise-of-dog-friendly-pubs-and-restaurants
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