A Dog is Worth 2000 Arguments

Average dog causes 2,000 family arguments in its lifetime

A dog will cause almost 2,000 family arguments in its lifetime, according to a study. That’s 156 rows a year, or three a week, over an average lifespan of 12.8 years.

The most common cause of canine-related conflict is what to do with the dog during holidays, closely followed by whose turn it is to brave the elements for walkies.

A quarter of owners also regularly row about where the dog should be allowed in the house, with the most frequent battlefields being the bed, the sofa and upstairs.

Discipline is another common source of discontent, with 18 per cent of couples falling out because one thinks the other is too harsh on the dog and 15 per cent fighting over who should be training their pet.

So deep are the divisions that 17 per cent admitted a member of the family had slept in the spare room following a heated dog-related dispute, and more than a quarter have considered giving up their pet to restore household harmony.

The Top 20:

1. What to do with the dog when going away
2. Who should walk the dog
3. Whether the dog should be allowed on the bed
4. Whether the dog should be allowed upstairs
5. Who should clean up the mess in the back garden
6. Being too harsh on the dog
7. Letting the dog onto the sofa
8. Money spent on dog
9. Training the dog
10. Feeding the dog from the table
11. Who should babysit / look after the dog
12. Grooming the dog
13. Damage caused by dog
14. Who chose to buy the dog in the first place
15. Who clears up when dog wees / poos
16. Who clears up when the dog is sick
17. Humanizing the dog
18. Allowing the dog into forbidden rooms
19. Children's toys being eaten
20. Shoes being chewed