Sixty-five per cent of dogs sleep in their owners' bedrooms and of those, almost three-quarters are allowed on the bed and almost half sleep in the sheets.
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The 2022 Great Australian Dog Survey has also revealed cavoodles are our most popular dog breed and the most common name for dogs is Luna.
Aussies are also happy to splash cash on their pups, with 74 per cent purchasing their dog for more than $1000.
And two in three owners would like to take their pooch on an overseas holiday.
The survey found Aussie dog owners (which make up around 40 per cent of the population) are becoming less interested in having kids, with 1 in 3 respondents (37 per cent) desiring children less since becoming a dog owner. That was up from 33 per cent in 2020.
Dogs are also truly are a key part of Aussie families.
Half of all dog owners (50 per cent) say it's been harder to cope with losing their dog than it has been when losing a human.
More than half of all dog owners would take a pay cut if it meant spending more time with their furry friends, and one in three (35 per cent) have negotiated to work from home in order to spend more time with their pooches.
Just over half of respondents say that their workplace isn't dog-friendly.
The pandemic had had a big impact on dogs and their owners:
- 5 per cent of respondents had a dog join the family in the past two years
- COVID influenced the decision of 36 per cent of those
- 12 per cent of them sometimes regret it
- 19 per cent of the dogs were rescued and 58 per cent were brought home from a breeder
The top 10 dog names were: 1. Luna, 2. Charlie, 3. Bella, 4. Buddy, 5. Ruby, 6. Frankie, 7. Bella, 8. Archie, 9. Molly, 10. Daisy.
The most popular dog breeds were: 1. cavoodle, 2. Labrador Retriever, 3. Greyhound, 4. Border Collie, 5. Golden Retriever, 6. Goldendoodle, 7. Labradoodle, 8. German Shepherd, 9. English Staffordshire, 10. Bull Terrier.
Scratch co-founder and CEO Mike Halligan said it commissioned its first Great Aussie Dog Survey in 2020.
"A lot has changed in society since then so we wanted to follow up and find out how the lives of Aussie dogs have changed. The results have left us laughing, crying and scratching our heads," he said.
The full results are here.
