With the nation preparing for lockdown measures to ease, and dog paw-rents returning to the office more frequently, new research1 by comparethemarket.com has revealed that over a third of dogs (36%) will be left home alone 3.5 days per week, for over 5.7 hours per day.
When asked about their plans for their pooches, 27% of owners said that their dogs would spend their time at dog day care at an average cost of £15.80 per day. 35% will be left with a friend or family member.
Using heart rate monitors2, comparethemarket.com carried out a study on five different dog breeds, to find which locations make them feel the most at ease when home alone and which should be avoided.
Using the dogs’ average resting heart rate of 68.2 BPM as a reference point, the research reveals that dogs’ average heart rates were lowest in the kitchen/dining room (71.2 BPM), followed by the living room (71.8 BPM), suggesting these are the rooms that dogs feel most comfortable in. In contrast, dogs were the most distressed when left in the bedroom (100.4 BPM) and the porch (99.8 BPM).
comparethemarket.com reveals the full results for each dog that took part in the experiment:
| Pooch name | Breed | Avg. heart rate | Kitchen/dining room | Living room | Bedroom | Porch | Utilityroom |
| Milo | Jack Russell | 59 | 60 | 63 | 103 | 99 | 82 |
| Bertie | Poochon | 69 | 71 | 72 | 89 | 98 | 96 |
| Yogi | Cockapoo | 66 | 70 | 69 | 91 | 101 | 98 |
| Teddy | Cavapoo | 75 | 79 | 72 | 108 | 103 | 97 |
| Monty | Labrador | 72 | 76 | 83 | 111 | 98 | 115 |
| Total avg. | All five dogs | 68.2 | 71.2 | 71.8 | 100.4 | 99.8 | 97.6 |
Expert opinion3 suggests that our pooches associate both the kitchen and living room as areas with positive outcomes; they eat their meals in the kitchen, and the living room is a space for dogs to snuggle up with their owners either on the couch or at their feet, or where they enjoy playing.
Dr Heather Venkat explains: “Dogs may become confused if left in the bedroom as they know their owners only use this space for sleep. Additionally, some dogs don’t like confined spaces and therefore areas such as your porch may make them feel more uncomfortable than the kitchen or living room.”
Chris King, head of home insurance at comparethemarket.com, concludes: “For many, leaving your dog home alone when you’re at work is unavoidable, but it is important to both make sure they’re comfortable. Sometimes damage from leaving your pet at home comes with the territory so you should check your home insurance plan to ensure you’re covered.
“A fifth (20%) of pet owners1 risk having their insurance claim rejected because their insurance providers aren’t aware they have a dog at home. As we know, pets can cause damage in our homes which may cost a lot of money to fix. Therefore it’s important to check which provider extends their cover to include animals. The best place to check is in the accidental damage section of the policy. Read what is and isn’t covered and look at whether ‘damage caused by pets’ is excluded.”
To learn more about our research, or for our expert tips on helping your dog cope with separation anxiety once you head back to work, head across to: https://www.comparethemarket.com/home-insurance/content/dog-proof-your-home/.
Sources:
1. Survey of 1,000 UK pet owners undertaken by TLF in March 2021
2. Heart rate experiment was undertaken in February 2021 with five different dog breeds. Each dog was placed in each room of the home for 30 minutes, each time, over two weeks, and the increase in their BPM from their resting heart rate was measured using Petpace: Smart Dog Collars.
3. comparethemarket.com spoke with Dr. Heather Venkat to gather insight on the study
Wow, this was so interesting information! I have never thought about dog heart rate in different rooms. It’s amazing how they react in different areas and why!
Isn’t it? I’ve become so much more aware of how my dog is feeling.