Almost Half OF Dog Owners Struggle To Take Care Of Their Puppy!

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.

A study of 2,000 people with dogs revealed 30 percent think the first two years of owning a pooch are the hardest, with 23 percent admitting they had 'no idea how much work went into training a puppy.

As a result, 21 percent 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' was 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.

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

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

It also emerged that owners estimate their dog has done damage worth $800 to their homes and personal belongings.

THE TOP 20 HARDEST THINGS TO TRAIN A DOG TO DO, ACCORDING TO PET PARENTS:

1.            How to walk with a lead, without pulling

2.            Toilet training

3.            Greeting people without jumping

4.            How to behave when the doorbell rings

5.            Learning to chew toys, not furniture/shoes/slippers etc

6.            Learning recall

7.            To be comfortable meeting other dogs

8.            To be left alone at home for short periods of time

9.            To heel

10.          To listen to commands

11.          To stay

12.          To avoid biting

13.          To greet other dogs calmly or to not approach them

14.          To be comfortable eating around others and not to steal food

15.          To be comfortable meeting strangers

16.          To sleep in their bed or crate

17.          To stay calm at the sight of the postman

18.          Travelling in the car or transport

19.          To stop begging

20.          To avoid being aggressive