When the humans are away, some pets sleep in a ray of sun all day, while others engage in destruction of property and vandalism of furniture and pot plants.
Causeway Veterinary Clinic vet Anna Richards said pets got up to mischief because when they were bored and full of energy, they created their own entertainment.
And while some breeds are more likely to eat the couch than others, the age of your pet is a major factor.
“Younger pets are generally more likely to get into things just like like younger children,” she said.
“And then certain breeds are more likely to be more active and get into more things because they're bored, or they need environmental enrichment, which they're not getting, so they create their own.”
Owners have a responsibility to provide enrichment, such as toys and exercise.
“Walking them before and after work, and it may not necessarily be walking, but it might be playing with them in the backyard,” Dr Richards said.
“Those sort of things are really important, and then leaving them with toys and other things that stimulate their mind. So that they're not bored while they're left alone.
“If you're working all day, then you come home and then you go to sleep for eight hours, it's a pretty boring life for a pet.”
You may think your couch is safe from being eaten or your bin from being rifled through because you leave your pet in the backyard while you’re out. But you would be wrong in thinking that your pet will not find ways to amuse itself.
“They need enrichment in the backyard as well, dogs will get to sprinkler systems because they try to create their own excitement,” Dr Richards said.
It’s important to factor in your lifestyle when getting a dog, and what kind of commitment you can make to its wellbeing.
“If you are a person that works a lot then it may be that you get a pet that doesn’t require much activity,” she said.
“You may get an older pet so that you don’t have to go through the puppy stage.”