DOG ownership has soared among millennials as young couples seek to hone their parenting skills, research has found.

More than two million couples are getting a puppy to prepare them for having a baby, according to a study by online pet food retailer Paws.com.

The majority of millennials (67%) believe looking after a dog is good practice for parenthood. Nearly a third (32%) of young pet parents regard their dog as their son or daughter and 62 per cent admit they love them as much as their family.

As a result, today’s generation of pups are reaping the rewards of doting first-time ‘paw-rents’, with half receiving Christmas and birthday presents, 44 per cent enjoying birthday celebrations and nearly one in five (16%) getting their own bedroom. A further 37 per cent are even allowed to sleep in their owner’s bed.

With the vast majority of young adults agreeing that looking after a puppy can be just as demanding as looking after a baby, many first-time dog owners share similar experiences to new parents. In the first year of getting a pup, nearly half would check on them during the night, over a third took time off work to look after them and a similar number dropped them off at pup school daily.

Proud young dog owners have also been guilty of ‘sharenting’ – the act of over-sharing news and pictures of kids online. Thirty-nine per cent said they posted pictures of their pet on social media every day during the first year of getting them, following the example of many celebrity couples.

Aside from the joys of becoming a dog owner, nearly a third also admit that looking after their puppy was harder than expected and close to a quarter Googled concerns up to five times a day to help them know what to do. According to these anxious millennials, the top three puppy pains include potty training (47%), obedience training (41%) and knowing the right foods to choose (35%).

Stephanie Wenban, vet and wellbeing ambassador at Paws.com, said: “Dogs bring so much joy to our lives and it’s great to see young people taking their pet parenting roles so seriously. However we understand how hard it can be, particularly in those early days, from knowing how to potty train your pup to making sure you’re meeting all their nutritional needs.”

The research also shows a shift in priorities, with young adults today far more likely to own a dog before starting a family compared to their parents (46% vs 27%).

While millennials are using dog ownership as an opportunity to trial run starting a family, other factors leading them to choose puppies over babies include: ‘It’s less expensive to have a dog than a child’ (27%) and ‘It won’t impact career progression’ (26%).

To help new pet parents, Paws.com is launching a free puppy parenting course. Visit paws.com/learn