Aussies would take a pay cut to spend more time with our dogs during the week

Yes, we love our dogs that much.

Aussie dog food brand Scratch has just released the results of The Great Australian Dog Survey, which, across two weeks in May, surveyed 20,000 Aussies to see how we relate to the nation’s 4.8 million dogs.

If you said the best thing about lockdown has been the extra time with your furry pal, then you wouldn’t be alone. In fact, according to the survey, half of us Aussies would even take a pay cut to spend more time with our dogs during the week. Yep, to us Aussies dogs are more than just pets and 81 per cent of us believe that to reflect this, the law should classify dogs as more than ‘property’.

Short of a legal-status update, however, dog owners are turning to social media to showcase their pups’ importance. With 33 per cent of under 35s and 29 per cent of 35 to 45 year-olds reporting having an Instagram for their dog, the competition to have an insta-famous pooch is clearly heating up. 

What’s more, our dogs have proven their charms offline as well, with many of us – 64 per cent to be precise – reporting we’ve made new friends thanks to our dog. Apparently, our four-legged friends can also serve as allure-boosting “wingdogs” – yep, 83 per cent of Aussies actually find someone more attractive if they have a dog with them. Perhaps, that’s why 72 per cent of us believe dogs should be allowed in pubs and cafes. 

But Scratch knows our doggies aren’t always angels, so they also asked owners about their dogs’ most memorable doozies. Among many, these included: devouring a Costco-sized salmon fillet, chowing down on a barbeque and eating $500 dollars worth of underwear.

Scratch is a subscription-only dog food service that launched in 2018 and now feeds 5,000 Aussie dogs. Doggies subscribed to Scratch receive a personalised recipe made from 97 per cent Australian ingredients. Head to Scratch’s website to find out more about the service and the results of the survey.

scratchpetfood.com.au