Residents of Scots city are secretly spying on neighbours' pets for one reason

dailyrecord.co.uk:

April marks National Pet Month, a time to celebrate our furry friends. Scotland is a nation of dog lovers, where owners go above and beyond to make sure their pooches are loved, well cared for, and enjoy good walks.However, it turns out dogs are, bizarrely also a leading cause of neighbourly snooping, a recent survey from curtain specialists, Hillarys, has discovered.Seven per cent - that's 4.7 million Brits - admit to watching their neighbours to ensure their pets don’t stray into the gardens or lawns.

And Scotland is not immune to the nosey parker problem.While London leads the pack, with four out of 10 (3.4 million) residents confessing to spying on neighbours' pets, and Birmingham in second place, Edinburgh ranks in the top 10 list of residents who like to have a snoop.More than 10,000 people in the Scottish capital are having a peek into their neighbour's outdoor space to make sure their pets don't wander cheekily into theirs.But whether it’s a wandering dog or a curious cat, keeping pets from straying onto your lawn requires a mix of training, deterrents and secure boundaries.Thankfully, pet behaviour experts have waded in to share tips on how to keep curious pets and nosy neighbours under control.

Terry Cuyler, Certified Dog Trainer & Owner of Pawsprof.co, stresses the importance of training to stop dogs from trying to escape their quarters."Dogs don’t run away just to cause trouble," he explained. "They roam because they’re bored, spot something exciting, or don’t understand their boundaries.

That’s why training is essential, even with a fence."Teaching your dog their limits by walking them along the lawn’s perimeter, reinforcing recall commands, and keeping them mentally engaged with puzzle toys and training