Over four in 10 dog owners struggled to look after their pet as a puppy

A study of 2,000 people with dogs revealed that 17 per cent believe looking after a puppy is tougher than raising a baby.

And 30 per cent think the first two years of owning a pooch are the hardest, with 23 per cent admitting they had 'no idea' how much work went into training a puppy.

As a result, 21 per cent were left with ruined carpets because of their disobedient pet – while one in four had to bid goodbye to their chewed slippers.

Toilet training, not chewing the furniture and listening to demands such as 'SIT' were among the hardest things to train a new puppy on.

And owners spend an average of 21 hours a month on training after bringing a puppy home – 43 minutes a day.

But it takes an average of six months of training to get the basics sorted.

A rise in behavioural issues

The stats emerged in a study by pet health and insurance company Bought By Many, which has seen a 87 per cent rise in behavioural issues between 2019 and 2021.

Its figures also show that those with puppies aged under one are 62 per cent more likely to claim for a behavioural issue compared to just 16 per cent  of owners who have dogs aged between one and two.

Volumes of claims continue to drop significantly after the dog reaches three years old.

Sarah James, Vet Nurse at Bought By Many, said: “It’s well-known puppy training is time consuming and requires a lot of personal effort, but that doesn’t prepare owners for how overwhelming it can be.

"The first few nights with a puppy can be sleepless and messy and the first year can feel like a struggle. But the good news is that owners are not alone.

“Toilet accidents or chewing are all part of the puppy process and more challenging issues such as separation anxiety can be managed with time and patience – and occasionally professional support from vets and qualified behaviourists.

“Lockdown presented thousands of owners the chance to welcome a dog home but working from home can present its own issues too and dog behaviourists and trainers around the country will be adapting their training courses to help owners with the ‘new normal’.”

The study also found that of the one in five owners who picked up their pups during lockdown, 78 per cent were convinced they would have more time on their hands for training.

But seven in 10 found combining working from home, with training a dog, much trickier than they had anticipated.

More than a fifth (22 per cent) of all owners have even taken their dog to a vet, trainer or specialised behaviourist to help control their pet.

It also emerged that owners estimate their dog has done damage worth £435 to their homes and personal belongings.

Typically, puppies are a lot more accident-prone than adult dogs, with accidents claims at Bought By Many accounting for 22 per cent of puppy claims, but just 10 per cent of those for adult dogs.