{"id":11671,"date":"2016-02-15T06:00:59","date_gmt":"2016-02-15T06:00:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/alfiedog.me.uk\/?p=11375"},"modified":"2024-04-17T11:15:25","modified_gmt":"2024-04-17T11:15:25","slug":"monday-15th-february-2016-apparently-you-humans-talk-to-us","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alfiesdiary.uk\/index.php\/2016\/02\/15\/monday-15th-february-2016-apparently-you-humans-talk-to-us\/","title":{"rendered":"Monday 15th February 2016 – Apparently you humans talk to us"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"Me<\/a>
Me trying to sit like a human<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Our friends at Panasonic have been doing some research into how people in the UK treat their pets and apparently 75% of you talk to us. Now given we are a family of dogs who between us write a diary and Alfie has written several books as well, you can pretty much guess where our Mistress might fall on the spectrum. We do find it remarkable there are actually 25% of humans who don\u2019t talk to their dogs. They are missing out on such insightful conversation. In this house it is definitely not just a one way thing we have whole conversations with our Mistress and often give her very sound advice. Our walks are the best time. She says she likes walking with Alfie and Aristotle best at the moment as they are very happy to stay by her side and have a chat. Shadow is not so much of a talker and I\u2019m still too busy finding the world exciting, but our Mistress has said she\u2019s hoping that come the summer she and I can go for long walks together and really talk to each other. I\u2019ll put at the end what the Panasonic research said, because it\u2019s quite fun. Oh yes and there is a really good competition for you to enter too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alfie hasn\u2019t really felt like walking for the last three days. He says he\u2019s aching too much and not really keen. Our Mistress hates it when he doesn\u2019t feel so well. I\u2019m doing my best to look after him and keep him fit. He and I had a brilliant and very long game of tug yesterday. He doesn\u2019t really want to be around Aristotle as he finds that too stressful. It\u2019s hard for Ari having elbow dysplasia as he\u2019s got loads of energy and can\u2019t do the things that would usually use it up. He does go for a walk every day, but he would like to go further than he\u2019s allowed to. I play with him as much as I can, but it\u2019s not the same. He really wants to play chase with me and he\u2019s not really allowed to do that because he starts limping.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anyway, have a good week and I\u2019ll catch up with you soon<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Love<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wilma<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And here is what the research said:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We Brits might have a reputation for a stiff upper-lip, but when it comes to our pets that goes out of the window. We\u2019re potty for our pooches, and we know it.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Recent research from Panasonic Smart Home<\/span><\/a><\/span> has revealed that 75% of us talk to our pets<\/b>, despite 53% acknowledging it\u2019s futile as they can\u2019t help us. We converse with them about everything. From 28% of us discussing personal problems to 26% who talk about their partners. 18% of us have even asked them for advice! One respondent even questioned their dog when they returned to find it \u2018on the phone\u2019. Maybe that\u2019s because 80% of pet owners in the UK<\/span><\/span> believe their pet understands what they say to it.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

But our desire to pow-wow with our pooches on isn\u2019t limited to when we are at home; 53% of us wish we could talk to our pets even when we aren\u2019t with them. That\u2019s why the new Panasonic Smart Home system is so perfect for pet monitoring, the two-way audio on the camera lets you check-in and chat with you furry friend from your smartphone from wherever you are.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our power to anthropomorphise our pets knows no bounds. In fact around 60-70% of pet owners identify as humanisers<\/span>, with Panasonic\u2019s research finding that 79% of respondents see their pet as a member of the family. 56% of Brits celebrate our pets\u2019 birthdays the same way we would our own!<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

77% of us admit to completely spoiling our animals <\/b>with 49% of us spend at least \u00a350 and up to \u00a3250 a year on additional luxuries for our pets such as gifts of clothes, beds and luxury treats. In fact, 9% are even spending up to \u00a3500 a year! Market research predicts<\/span><\/span> that total spending on pet care is expected to rise by 2% a year until 2019.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we\u2019re ready to splash the cash on our moggies, pooches, bunnies and more we indulge in a range of treats.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

–<\/span> <\/span>69% use food as a special treat<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

–<\/span>  <\/span>42% buy gifts including toys, clothes and bedding<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

–<\/span>  <\/span>35% let our pets break the rules as a treat, by sleeping in the bed or eating from the table<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

–<\/span>  <\/span>29% of us even take them on trips to their favourite places<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

 <\/span>We might be spending a pretty penny on our furry friends, but 58% of Brits says their pets are worth it. That\u2019s because 32% of us consider our pets our best friends, and 79% treat them as a member of the family.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Panasonic is encouraging the UK\u2019s pet pamperers to show how Very Important their pets are, by sharing photos on social media using the #MyVIP hashtag for the chance to win the ultimate pet (and owner) pampering weekend.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you want an idea of what that might look like, check out Dave the dog\u2019s day out at the spa in this video<\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

By entering the competition, you could win:<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n