Last year, 'selfie' was officially named the Oxford Dictionaries' word of the year - now it's time to learn the phrase 'petsie.' A recent survey conducted by Samsung Digital Imaging shows that Brits are literally "obsessed with taking and sharing more photos of our furry friends than of our own friends and family." 63% of pet-owners in the UK confess to taking photos of their pets on a regular basis, with 62% of respondents admitting to frequently taking photos of their dogs, 52% of their cats, 8% of their rabbits and 4% even taking ‘petsies’ of their guinea pigs. In a sign of the social world in which we now live, nearly two thirds (62%) of people admit to regularly uploading and sharing photos of their pets on Facebook and Twitter, with a further 16% revealing that half of the photos they upload onto Facebook are of their pets. To celebrate Britain’s love of dogs and the growing ‘petsie’ phenomenon, Samsung Digital Imaging has launched an online search to find Britain’s best ‘petsies’. To take part in the Petsie Awards, all you have to do is upload the coolest picture of your pet dog on Facebook by visiting the website below.

Website: The Petsies

Samsung Press Release

FORGET SELFIES, WE’RE ALL GOING BARKING MAD FOR ‘PETSIES’

Ahead of Crufts 2014, Samsung Digital Imaging reveals the rise of the ‘petsie’ - photos of our pets

• 63% of Brits admit to regularly uploading ‘petsies’ onto social networks
• People in the UK share more photos of their pets than of their friends and family
• 16% admit to sharing photos of their pooches to ‘show off’
• The Andrex Puppy is revealed to be the nation’s favourite dog
• To celebrate our love of dogs, Samsung Digital Imaging launches the ‘Petsie’ Awards, judged by Millie Mackintosh

18th February 2014, London, UK - Forget weddings, babies and selfies, its photos of our pets - or 'petsies' - that Brits really love posting on their social networks. In celebration of its sponsorship of Crufts 2014 and the Kennel Club’s ‘Dog Photographer of the Year’ competition, Samsung Digital Imaging today reveals new research which shows that we're a nation obsessed with taking and sharing more photos of our furry friends than of our own friends and family.

Almost two-thirds (63%) of pet-owners in the UK confess to taking photos of their pets on a regular basis, with 62% of Brits admitting to frequently taking photos of their dogs, 52% of their cats, 8% of their rabbits and 4% even taking ‘petsies’ of their guinea pigs.

In a sign of the social world in which we now live, nearly two thirds (62%) of people admit to regularly uploading and sharing photos of their pets on Facebook and Twitter, with a further 16% revealing that half of the photos they upload onto Facebook are of their pets.

Such is the trend for taking ‘petsies,’ that they are now overtaking the human race in the upload stakes. Giving us all ‘paws’ for thought, Brits now share an average of six photos a week of their pets versus just five a week of their friends and family. When asked why people are increasingly sharing photos of their pets, 16% of proud pet owners say it is to ‘show them off’ to their friends and family, whilst nearly half (42%) say they do so because their loyal dog or cat is ‘just another member of the family.’

With viral videos of talking dogs, sneezing pandas and super hero cats taking the nation by storm, it comes as no surprise that a quarter (25%) of Brits take photos of their pets to capture their most comical moments. Twenty-four per cent of pet-owners like to snap their pets in unusual places, such as in the driving seat of a car, whilst 16% admit to papping their pets in human-like positions such as at the dining table. A further 21% capture their pets red-handed doing something they shouldn’t be, like chewing up the house, whilst 17% admit to simply snapping their pets ‘smiling.’

When it comes to the nation’s favourite pet, it seems that dogs really are man’s best friend. In the same way many of us would with our friends and family, a quarter (25%) of us are now sharing photos of our furry friends’ birthdays on Facebook, whilst 23% share photos of their pets while on the family holiday.

Despite our love of taking ‘petsies,’ getting our pets to strike a pose proves challenging; one in five (20%) have had to hold food in the air to get their pets to stay still, whilst 16% say the only way to keep them in situ is to wave their favourite toy around the room. Over two thirds of Brits (71%) say that zoom lenses and action modes on cameras help them to take the perfect shot of their pets. A further 15% even admit to using filters to touch up photos before posting them online.

With its innocent face and tiny paws, the Andrex puppy is revealed to be Britain’s favourite dog, with the majority of Brits (18%) saying they would most like to own the Labrador retriever puppy. The top five most wanted dogs are:

1.       Andrex Puppy

2.       Lassie

3.       Scooby Doo

4.       Gromit  (of Wallace and Gromit fame)

5.       Beethoven

To celebrate Britain’s love of dogs and the growing ‘petsie’ phenomenon, Samsung Digital Imaging has launched an online search to find Britain’s best ‘petsies’. To take part in the Petsie Awards, all you have to do is upload the coolest picture of your pet dog on Facebook by visiting www.thepetsies.com**.

Millie Mackintosh, who will be on the panel of judges for the Petsie Awards, comments: “My dog is my best friend and I’m constantly taking photos of him. I’m thrilled to be part of the Samsung Petsie Awards and look forward to celebrating the weird and wonderful things our dogs do to make us smile.”

Russell Taylor, Vice President of Corporate Marketing, Samsung UK and Ireland, adds: “The explosion of social media has meant that we are sharing more information about our lives with the rest of the world than ever before. Our pets are a big part of this, so naturally, we want to capture images of them at their funniest and share these moments with others. That’s why Samsung has launched the Petsie Awards, which will be sure to set tails wagging across the nation.”

Caroline Kisko, Kennel Club Secretary, says: “Samsung's Petsie Awards tap into this national phenomenon, where people are taking and sharing pictures of their pets. For all the wonderful dogs we have at Crufts, by far the most popular posts on the Crufts Facebook page are those asking people to upload photos of their own four-legged friends, which are quite rightly the most cute, funny and wonderful of animals in their owners' eyes."

*Research conducted by OnePoll on a sample of 2,000 pet owners on behalf of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd

** The Petsie Awards: Samsung is giving everyone who enters ‘The Petsies’ a chance of winning tickets to Crufts 2014, which takes place on 6-9 March at the NEC in Birmingham. This will be decided through a lottery system, with 80 pairs of tickets being given out for the four days of competition.

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