(Picture Credit: Chris Amaral / Getty Images)
From Forbesa new U.S. Advisor survey asked dog parents about ‘dog-shaming.’ Commonly seen on social media, upset dog parents will post their pups, sometimes in costume, with posters broadcasting their bad behavior.
After surveying 2,000 American dog parents, Forbes found that most dog parents (56%) had naughty dogs. Of those, 12% said their dog usually misbehaves, and only 5% said their dog is always naughty. Unfortunately, only 8% described their dogs as “angelic”.
Somewhat surprisingly, 44% of respondents said their dog’s naughty behavior doesn’t disrupt the household. Amazingly, only 16% responded “somewhat disruptive”, and 4% said “very disruptive”. Apparently, the bar for dog shame-worthy behavior is pretty low.
A Hard Truth To Swallow
So, what in fact is dogs’ top naughty behavior? According to this survey, 60% of those surveyed said their dogs got in trouble for “eating things they shouldn’t.” Alarmingly, that was followed by “ jumping off something high” (21%). As far as what dog’s swallowed the most, the usual culprit was a toy (32%). Notably, medicine came in at 13%, poisonous plants at 13%, and marijuana edibles at a whopping 11%.
Thankfully, only 18% of respondents said their dogs ended up injured or ill. However, parents who had to see a vet reported average bills above $1,000. Astonishingly, 19% reported bills of $1,000 to $2,000.
Millennials Most Guilty of Dog-Shaming
Although only 14% of dog parents said they’ve actively ‘dog-shamed’ their pets, the idea is undeniably trending. Significantly, the survey found that millennials aged 20-42 were likeliest to post pictures of their naughty dogs.
Most importantly, the survey highlighted the parents’ shared responsibility for their dog’s naughty acts. Reportedly, 31% said they felt “ somewhat responsible”, and 25% felt “ a little responsible.” Overall, over 85% of respondents felt responsible for their pet’s naughtiness. In the end, perhaps that is why we like dog-shaming so much—because we’re really laughing at ourselves.
