For Dong provides a psychology test called "Dong Behavior Type Indicator (DBTI)." Pet owners can receive advice and educational programs from dog trainers after taking the psychology test that classifies dogs' personalities into 16 different types. DBTI has a total of 60 questions created based on some 10,000 big data sets provided by LG Uplus (LGU+) and Lee Chan-jong, an animal behaviorist who often provides dog-related advice on an animal reality show titled "Animal Farm." Experts visit dog owners' homes and provide 90-minute training such as going for walks.
LGU+ said in a statement on January 24 that the number of registered dogs surpassed 150,000. To attract more consumers, the company will launch a special discount event on January 25 for 12 days for popular pet items such as toys and stroll items depending on the dog's DBTI result. Up to 60 percent discounts will be offered.
Government data showed that about 6.3 million households were keeping at least one kind of pet as of December 2020. However, a 2021 survey showed that about 26 percent of pet owners have considered giving up raising their pets mainly because of behavior issues such as damaging and barking. The domestic pet market, which stood at 900 billion won in 2012, is expected to reach six trillion won by 2027.
When the first wave of the coronavirus pandemic swept across the country in 2020, many remote-working single-person households spent more time at home with their pets. In 2021, single-person households accounted for 36.8 percent of total households in Seoul.