More than one in ten (11%) dog owners are failing to meet the recommended exercise requirements of their four-legged friends, according to new research from M&S Bank.
Also 44 percent of dog owners don’t know how much exercise their dog needs to suit its breed and size.
The research comes as M&S Bank announces it will provide all new dog insurance customers with a PitPat activity monitor, to support owners with the health and wellbeing1 of their four-legged friend.
Out of the most popular breeds surveyed, Border Collie owners were the most diligent when it comes to walking their dogs, with over half (59 percent) declaring their dogs get enough exercise.
Paul Stokes, head of products at M&S Bank, said: “We’re renowned for being a nation of dog lovers who all want the best for our pets, but our research found that we’re often not giving our dogs enough exercise.
“It’s really important that we know how much exercise our dog needs and the difference it can make to both their physical and mental wellbeing.
“That’s why we want to encourage the nation’s dog owners to get out and about with their dogs as much as possible, helping to ensure they stay fit and healthy.
“We hope that, by giving new customers an easy to use activity monitoring device, we can help them do this. We’ve also created an easy-to-understand equation to illustrate the needs of our four-legged friends.”
