Dogs would rather a tasty treat than a toy

SQUEAKY balls, novelty stuffed toys and tug-of-war ropes will all be among the gifts bought for a family’s pet dog this Christmas. But a study has found that even the most beloved toy will be set aside by a dog when it receives an offer of food, be it turkey tidbits or a chunk of carrot.

Dogs prefer a snack to a toy nine times out of 10, data show.

Dr Nicola Dorey, a psychologist and animal behaviourist at the University of Florida, recruited 10 dogs to perform an experiment where they picked between their favourite food and a preferred toy.

Study animals ranged in age from less than one year old to eight years old and included mongrels, German shepherds and a labrador. Only one of the animals, a mixed-breed dog called Milo, opted for his stuffed animal over a treat. All of the other animals went straight to their edible option, which ranged from carrots to hot dogs.

“We found, for the dogs in our study, that they had a preference for food over toys,” Dr Dorey said.

“Additionally, food was found to be a more effective reinforcer for training the dog compared to toys.

“These findings have important implications for dog owners and trainers, suggesting that using food as a reinforcer may yield better results in training dogs.”

The dog toy industry is growing rapidly as people spend money on presents, clothes and pamper sessions for their pets. Dogs are often now seen as the gateway to parenthood, with so-called Dinks (double income and no kids) a phenomenon on the rise in young and childless adults.

Britain is on course to spend almost £11billion on pets and related products this year, according to official Office for National Statistics (ONS) data.

Newly published figures show the third quarter of 2023 saw record spending on pet accessories, with £2.77 billion worth of pet goods purchased in the months of July, August and September alone.

With almost £1 billion a month spent on pet goods in 2023, the country now spends more in a month on pet accessories than it did in a whole year in the 1980s.