The cutest companion, exercise buddy, listening ears and, of course, man’s best friend. Dogs have a way of walking their pawprints right across our hearts, so it’s no wonder that there are more than 13 million pet dogs in the UK.

But with this staggering number of wagging tails come conflicting opinions on dog training and behaviour. We set out to decode pet training, with help from clinical animal behaviourist Jade Nicholas. Jade has a BA (Hons) in Animal Welfare & Society and completed a MSc Clinical Animal Behaviour at the University of Lincoln in 2022.

We surveyed 2,000 dog owners to get the lowdown on training, from socialising your Schnauzer to teaching your Poodle how to use the toilet. The results reveal which training methods dog owners prefer, how confident they feel about dog training and socialisation, and how well they understand their dog’s behaviour.

The Sainsbury’s Money Decoding Dog Training Survey was completed via OnePoll, between 12-19 June 2025.

• Training techniques
• Dog behaviour
• Socialisation
• Wellbeing benefits of dog ownership
• Pet insurance with Sainsbury's Money

Training is a rewarding part of dog ownership. Teaching your dog to follow commands is important to prevent unwanted behaviour and to keep them safe while you’re out and about. But it goes without saying that certain breeds are easier to train than others – and some are renowned for being stubborn.

So, if your Yorkshire Terrier has trouble with recall or your Retriever can’t sit still, you’re not alone. Training can be challenging – it’s not always a walk in the park.

Take a deeper look into our findings and learn how pup parents in the UK are choosing to train their dogs.
 

Popular dog training methods

Our survey revealed positive reinforcement is the most popular training method among dog owners (59%). This is where you reward your pooch for good behaviour, to encourage them to repeat it. The focus is on praising your pup for the right choices, rather than telling them off for doing something wrong. According to the charity Dogs Trust, this approach is the best way for dogs to learn. 

According to our survey, Labrador Retriever owners (66%) favour this approach in particular. It also revealed that female dog owners are more likely to use positive reinforcement training (64%) than male owners (53%).

Lead training (44%) and socialisation training (43%) were also high on the list, highlighting that dog owners rely on a range of different techniques to keep their furry friends in check. Lead training is teaching your dog how to walk by your side. It involves getting your dog comfortable with collars and leads and helps to make walkies safe for you both. Lead training can encourage your dog to give you their full attention – great practice when facing distractions out on a walk.

Socialisation training is all about safely exposing your puppy to their new world, so they have all the key life skills needed to behave properly different situations.

Pet ownership isn’t all puppy eyes and wagging tails (although it is a lot of the time). According to our survey, one in four (26%) dog owners sometimes struggle to control their pet. 
    
Our survey reflects the adage ‘with age comes experience’. Some 39% of over 65s reported that they never have trouble controlling their dog.

Socialising is important for dogs. Like children, puppies aren’t born with social skills to live with their family – canine or otherwise. Our dogs are required to learn a lot about our world, but they also need to be able to interact with other dogs.

A puppy who is well socialised is more likely to grow up happy and confident. Dogs that haven’t been socialised at a young age are often more anxious and may be unsure how to react in certain situations, which could result in unwanted behaviours.

Our survey revealed dog owners and their pets are more alike than you may expect. When asked how much they enjoy socialising with other dog owners, only 25% of paw-rents enjoy it ‘a lot’, but over half (52%) moderately enjoy it – which mirrors that of their furry companions. 

When it comes to the dogs themselves, around half of owners (49%) said their pets enjoy socialising with other animals a moderate amount and 30% enjoy it ‘a lot’. But this rises to 36% for dogs whose owners are over 65. Their dogs enjoy socialising the most among all age groups.

The results also highlighted that dogs and dog parents may have similar social batteries. Sometimes, both the owners and pets themselves need their alone time during walkies – 4% of paw-rents and 3% of dogs don’t enjoy socialising at all. 

There’s no denying that puppy eyes, twitching noses and wagging tails can do wonders for your mood.  But with the responsibility and time constraints that come with raising, training and socialising a pet, how much does having a dog enrich lives – or the opposite?

Here’s what we found:

• Around 75% of owners reported an improvement in their wellbeing after getting a dog. According to the Mental Health Foundation, caring for a pet can provide companionship, reduce anxiety, and boost self-confidence.
• 25 to 34-year-olds experienced the highest improvement in their wellbeing among all age groups (81%). 
• More dog owners in London (85%) reported that getting a dog had improved their mental health than anywhere else in the UK.
   

Juggling pet care with work commitments 

Working life seems to be a barrier to many pup parents. According to our survey, 27% stated that they want to work from home more often so they can be with their pet.

This appears to be a common theme among pet owners. The Sainsbury’s Money Paws and Playtime Report revealed that 16% of dog owners have had to adjust their working patterns to care for their animal – and 13% opt to work from home more regularly to avoid leaving pets on their own for long periods of time.

While there’s no denying that having a pet can enrich people’s lives, respondents admitted that access to certain resources or approaches could support them in better understanding their dogs’ behaviour.

A third (33%) of dog owners would value more dog behaviour TV shows and 32% would like more apps focused on this, suggesting that there’s still a lack of knowledge on dog behaviour. Interestingly, 30% said they’d like more community classes, implying they would benefit from group socialisation and training activities.

“Getting a dog initially is a shock to the system and it is hard,” Jade says. “If you get a puppy, you’ll go through the same thing again with adolescence and that is totally normal. It’s really important to work as a team with anyone else in your household and support each other, otherwise it can be very easy to become frustrated.” 

No matter how much of a good boy (or girl) your dog is, they can still get into all sorts of mischief. Here’s where pet insurance may come in handy. 

“When you’re looking to take out an insurance plan, look for one that includes benefits such as behavioural treatment, so you can access a high-level of care for your dog when you need it” Jade explains.

“In my experience, insurance can be the difference between treating a dog or not.”

Whether they’ve injured their paw, eaten something they shouldn’t have, or they seem out of character, there may be occasions they need to be taken to the vet. Get help towards unexpected vet bills with Sainsbury’s Pet insurance, provided by Pinnacle Insurance Ltd. 

With different cover levels to choose from, including time-limited, maximum benefit and lifetime, choose an option that suits your family best.

All insurance policies have restrictions. To find out more about our terms and conditions including exclusions, excesses and limits, please take a look at our policy documents.