The one room your dog should not be left alone in, according to a new study

• A new study by comparethemarket.com reveals the rooms of the home where dogs feel the most settled when left alone
• Dogs are most unsettled when left in the bedroom, with average heart rates rising by47.2%
• Over a third 36% of dogs will be left home alone 3.5  days per week, for over 19 hours per working week

With the nation preparing for lockdown measures to ease, and dog paw-rents returning to the office more frequently, new research1 by comparethemarket.com has revealed that over a third of dogs 36% will be left home alone 3.5days per week, for over 5.7 hours per day.

When asked about their plans for their pooches, 27% of owners said that their dogs would spend their time at dog day care at an average cost of £15.80 per day. 35% will be left with a friend or family member.

Using heart rate monitors2, comparethemarket.com carried out a study on five different dog breeds, to find which locations make them feel the most at ease when home alone and which should be avoided.

Using the dogs' average resting heart rate of 68.2 BPM as a reference point, the research reveals that dogs' average heart rates were lowest in the kitchen/dining room 71.2 BPM, followed by the living room 71.8BPM , suggesting these are the rooms that dogs feel most comfortable in. In contrast, dogs were the most distressed when left in the bedroom 100.4 BPMand the porch 99.8BPM.

comparethemarket.com reveals the full results for each dog that took part in the experiment:

Expert opinion suggests that our pooches associate both the kitchen and living room as areas with positive outcomes; they eat their meals in the kitchen, and the living room is a space for dogs to snuggle up with their owners either on the couch or at their feet, or where they enjoy playing.

Dr Heather Venkat explains: "Dogs may become confused if left in the bedroom as they know their owners only use this space for sleep. Additionally, some dogs don't like confined spaces and therefore areas such as your porch may make them feel more uncomfortable than the kitchen or living room."

Chris King, head of home insurance at comparethemarket.com, concludes: "For many, leaving your dog home alone when you're at work is unavoidable, but it is important to both make sure they're comfortable. Sometimes damage from leaving your pet at home comes with the territory so you should check your home insurance plan to ensure you're covered.

"A fifth 20% of pet owners1 risk having their insurance claim rejected because their insurance providers aren't aware they have a dog at home. As we know, pets can cause damage in our homes which may cost a lot of money to fix. Therefore it's important to check which provider extends their cover to include animals. The best place to check is in the accidental damage section of the policy. Read what is and isn't covered and look at whether 'damage caused by pets' is excluded."

To learn more about our research, or for our expert tips on helping your dog cope with separation anxiety once you head back to work, head across to: https://www.comparethemarket.com/home-insurance/content/dog-proof-your-home/.