New Asda Pet Insurance research reveals dogs’ favourite Christmas films and seasonal viewing habits.

•New research reveals dogs’ favourite Christmas films are Home Alone (29%), The Grinch animated (28%) and Elf (23%)

•Owners say dogs react most positively to films featuring pets and animals (43%) as well as animated classics (36%), so The Holiday can move over because romantic, slow-paced festive films (5%) are least favourite

•Leading dog behaviourist Colin Tennant has developed top tips to help Brits create the best movie night for their dogs

•To check out the 10 best and worst Christmas films for dogs, as well as your breed’s favourite movies, head to the Asda Money website

Whether it's the whimsical Elf, old school classic It’s a Wonderful Life, or the more modern-day romance The Holiday, we all have our go-to Christmas films. But according to new research by Asda Pet Insurance, the nation’s dogs have their howl-i-day favourites too.

Inviting dog owners across the UK to vote for their dogs' most-loved Christmas movies, the insurer has today unveiled a list of festive flicks preferred by pooches*. Leading the pack with a tail-wagging 29% was Home Alone, closely followed by the animated Grinch (28%) and Elf (23%). The Polar Express took the fourth spot at 22%, with Love Actually close behind in fifth at 20%.

The full list of the top 10 dog favourites:

•Home Alone (29%)

•The Grinch (28%)

•Elf (23%)

•Polar Express (22%)

•Love Actually (20%)

•The Santa Clause (19%)

•Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (19%)

•Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (animated TV-special) (18%)

•Miracle on 34th Street (18%)

•Jingle All the Way (17%)

Wondering what didn’t make the cut? Visit https://money.asda.com/insurance/pet-insurance for the top 10 least-liked movies.

When it comes to our canine’s Christmas film cravings, 43% of dogs react more positively to movies with animals, one in three adore an animated film (36%), 15% love anything starring Santa and 13% love a live action. Whilst action-packed thrillers such as Die Hard (10%) are a TV turn-off for our furry couch critics.

According to the research, around 70% of dog owners say they watch Christmas movies with their dogs during the festive season. Among them, one in five (20%) watch an impressive 5-6 films, while over one in ten (12%) watch up to a whopping nine. In terms of screen time, throughout December, 22% spend up to 6 hours watching festive flicks together with their furry besties and 15% clock up to 10 hours.

If you’re looking to cosy up for a fur-stive movie night, why not choose a flick based on your dog's unique tastes? Research shows that Elf is a top choice among mixed-breed pups, even ranking as their favourite Christmas film. Interestingly, they were the only group to include The Nightmare Before Christmas in their top picks, while toy breeds stood out by voting White Christmas into their top 10. Toy breeds also seem to lean towards romantic comedies, when they settle down for movie night, while pastoral breeds favour comedies and animations. Their top five favourites include Home Alone, Love Actually, The Grinch, Muppet Christmas Carol, and Bad Santa. Check out our breed-specific** top movie watchlists and a full range of top tips can be found on the Asda Money website.

So, to help pet owners and their pooches enjoy their Christmas movie marathons to the fullest, Asda Pet Insurance has partnered with one of Britain’s leading dog behaviourists and trainers, Colin Tennant, to provide a list of handy tips and tricks on how to create the ultimate dog-friendly movie-viewing experience.

Canine expert Colin Tennant commented: "While dogs see and hear things differently from humans, much like us, they respond positively to stimuli that are familiar to them. For example, films with high-pitched sounds, capture attention as they can remind them of their toys or the tone of their owner’s voice.

They are also intrigued by movement and the sight of other animals from their walks outside. So put on a film that’s familiar to them and use my tips to consider factors like room temperature, TV volume and lighting, and you’ll have the recipe for a movie night the whole family will enjoy this Christmas.”

Some of the tips include:

•Watch out for movies with A LOT of classical music: We all look forward to that scene in our favourite Christmas films that has our No1 festive tune, but I always suggest choosing a film that has a bit of a mix of music for your pup from pop to Christmas classics. Classical music has a lower BPM which lowers your dog’s heart rate and can have a calming effect on them, so it’s a great one to pop on for your furry friend at the end of a manic day full of lots of visitors, doorbell ringing and present wrapping. It can, however, sometimes stimulate the wolf in your dog leading to howling. It's not a case of liking the music type but rather reacting to their ancient genetics of wolf communication over distance. Now that’s what you might call happy Howl-i-days.

•Best time to kick off movie night: Relaxing over the holidays can throw our body clocks out of their usual routines but it’s important to make sure that you keep your dog’s routine as normal as possible. When it comes to the perfect time to kick off your festive movie night, I always try and aim for early evening before my dog’s bodily sleep clock kicks in. It’s best to kick off movie night after your dog’s final walk and early enough that it doesn’t go on later than their usual bedtime.

•Familiar faces are best for your dog on movie night: If you’re planning to have a house full of visitors this Christmas, it’s good to remember that people’s energy and excitement levels can lead to your dog also becoming overly excited and overstimulated - especially when children are around. Always allow time for your pooch to be able to calm down after your visitors have left before tuning into your festive films. A good thing to remember is that a dog will never feel overwhelmed by the number of people it knows in a room – but if there are unknown people to your dog, this can prolong the settling down period.

•Edward Doherty, Insurance Manager of Asda Money, commented: “Nothing says Christmas like settling down with the family for a festive movie night in — especially with our pets. According to the research, it turns out our dogs go mad for Christmas movies as much as we do. Much like us, however, each has different tastes and preferences. So, to help every owner find the perfect festive lineup for their dog, we’ve also unveiled the top five Christmas movies according to different dog breeds. We hope Colin’s tips, as well as the tailored watchlists, will help our customers have the perfect festive season filled with cosy, memorable movie moments alongside their four-legged friends.”

Pets are such an important part of our lives, so it’s important to make sure they’re covered by the right pet insurance. Offering Lifetime to Time limited coverage options for both cats and dogs, at Asda Pet Insurance can choose a level of cover to suit you and your budget and keep your furry friends happy.

For further information, please visit https://money.asda.com/insurance/pet-insurance/britain-s-dogs-vote-for-their-howl-i-day-film-favourites

ENDS

Notes to editors

Research by Censuswide with 1,500 UK dog owners (aged 18+) between [add first date] and 13.11.24 to 15.11.24

*Seen by respondents that watch Christmas films with their dog during the Christmas period. Respondents that selected ONLY 'Christmas Comedies' AND/OR 'Animated Christmas Films' have been removed (1045 respondents down to 1000 respondents)

**The research was conducted by Censuswide with UK dog owners (aged 18+) between 13.11.24 and 15.11.24. Censuswide abide by and employ members of the Market Research Society which is based on the ESOMAR principles and are members of The British Polling Council.

Other example headlines we’ll use depending on pitch or publication:

PAW-NDERING WHAT TO WATCH THIS CHRISTMAS? NEW RESEARCH REVEALS DOG’S FAVOURITE CHRISTMAS MOVIES

TAIL WAGGING TV - THE CHRISTMAS MOVIE MUST-WATCH LIST, ACCORDING TO DOGS

ASDA PET INSURANCE REVEAL TOP 10 FAVE AND TOP 10 WORST CHRISTMAS MOVIES FOR DOGS

TOP CHRISTMAS MOVIES – AS VOTED FOR BY DOGS

Asda Pet Insurance reveals dogs’ top Christmas films just in time for the annual movie marathons

Asda Pet Insurance reveals Home Alone is British Pooches’ favourite Christmas film and unveils top tips to help movie-mad dog owners and their furry friends enjoy the ultimate festive cinema night

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