Pet parents’ habits when feeding their dog

Nutrition is essential for a healthy pet. In a Pets International survey conducted in partnership with Yummypets, we asked nearly 1,500 pet parents in Belgium, the UK, Canada, France and the US how they feed their dogs, which kind of pet food they prefer to buy and where they buy it.

Feeding habits

As much as 65% of dog owners prefer feeding their pets with dry kibble, with French (83%), Canadian (75%) and Belgian (68%) respondents scoring above average. More than 3 out of 10 respondents served both wet and dry food together, with a notably high percentage of British owners doing so (56%).

More than half (56%) of pet parents feed their dog twice a day, followed by parents who feed them once a day (20%).

3 out of 10 pet parents decide how much to feed their dog based on the packaging instructions, followed by the physical condition of the dog (27%), and based on vet’s recommendations (22%). While 40% of UK pet parents follow the recommendations given on the package, 31% of Belgian owners prefer to follow their vet’s advice.

As for treats, 63% of pet owners admit to giving them every day to their dog. In the UK, 75% of pet parents do so. Only a negligible 2% of respondents say they do not give their dog treats.

Selecting the right product

Most pet parents purchase mid-priced dog food (40%), followed by premium (37%), super premium (9%) and low-cost (6%). Most French (46%) and Canadian (41%) owners prefer to purchase premium pet food for their dog, while nearly half of British pet parents (47%) opt for the mid-segment.

When choosing dog food, half of the respondents say they check the ingredient list for nutritional value, health benefits or ecological impact. French and UK consumers are the most inclined to do so, with 61% and 62% respectively.

For 27% of pet parents, a vet’s recommendation is essential for deciding which product to buy. 23% of respondents said they were open to trying new products, brands and flavors.

Balanced food intake (70%), easy digestion (56%) and healthy skin and coat (49%) are the most important benefits that pet food can bring dog owners. When it comes to paying more for a food product that is more suited to the dog’s needs, 76% of respondents are willing to take on the extra expense.

Retail trends

When asked where they buy dog food, 47% of pet parents list pet bricks-and-mortar stores. In fact, more than half of Canadians (59%) and Belgians (53%) prefer this channel.

Supermarkets follow as the second preferred channel (40%), with most Americans (55%) buying dog food there.

Online represents the third biggest sales channel, with 34% of pet parents opting for e-commerce. A majority of British (49%) and French (46%) dog owners prefer to buy online, whereas fewer Belgian (28%) and Canadian (9%) owners use this channel.

Most pet parents (60%) purchase dog food after assessing product quality, followed by nutritional intake (50%), health benefits (29%) and flavors preferred by their pet (23%).

Most French buyers look for product quality and nutritional intake. UK buyers are inclined toward the latter. US and Canadian buyers are brand driven, whereas Belgian dog owners find packaging and promotional offers important.

Choice of protein

The survey concludes that more than 8 out of 10 pet parents prefer chicken as the protein of choice, followed by beef (54%), salmon (44%), lamb (38%) and duck (30%). Wild game, veal, trout and other fish lag behind, with under 20% of respondents choosing these ingredients.

An incredible 80% of respondents agreed that nutritional differences exist across varied protein sources. Most pet parents (65%) are open to buying pet food formulated with alternative proteins, with British (78%), American (76%) and Canadian (73%) owners the most likely to do so.

When asked which alternative proteins they would feed to their dog, most dog owners would choose egg (77%), algae (61%) or vegetables (63%).

Nearly half of the respondents said they would be open to giving their pets insect proteins, although this specific category is the one that also generates the most negative responses. More than 20% of them would not offer such alternative protein to their dog.

Most respondents (63%) of the survey have 1 dog, most of them aged between 1 and 7 years old. More than 4 out of 10 also own a cat.