If you think every dog you see these days is a Schnoodle, Whoodle or Bernedoodle, you’re not going crazy. Mixed-breeds are Australia’s dog of choice, according to new data from Rent.com.au.
Mixed dog breeds have captured the hearts of many Aussies, raising their popularity to new heights in 2018. Today, ‘bitsa’ breeds make up a third of all dogs owned by renters across the country.
New Pet Resume data from national rental listings website Rent.com.au, provides a snapshot of dog ownership across Australia over the past 12 months.
The data reveals that mixed-breeds are the most breed of choice for renters across all states and territories. Renters in New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia and the Northern Territory were likeminded in their love for dogs, with the top 4 most popular breeds in these states and territories mirroring the top 4 nationally.
Whether you’re firmly a dog person, a cat person or happy to sit on the fence, it’s safe to say that for many Australians, the loyalty of man’s best friend has made for an easy choice of pet. In Australia alone, the pooch population is estimated to be around 4.8 million*.
Check out the national list of the 10 most popular dog breeds from Rent.com.au. One of them could be your next best friend.
Renters in the Australian Capital Territory showed the most individuality on the ranking: While mixed-breeds (29.9%) and Staffy dogs (9.4%) still topped the list, Labradors (6%) snuck in to take 3rd place, closely followed by Kelpies (5.1%) and Jack Russell dogs (4.3%).
The data showed renters in Tasmania had a higher percentage of Staffy dogs (12.6%), Maltese Shih Tzus (6.2%), Border Collies (3.4%) and Bulldogs (2.8%) than in any other state or territory, while Victorians take the lead with their love of the Jack Russell (4.9%).
Mixed breed dogs make up the highest percentage of dogs in the Northern Territory (40.2%), followed closely by South Australia (38.7%), Western Australia (38.4%), Queensland (37.5%) and Tasmania (35.1%).
The most notable dog trends of the year:
- Aussie renters love their bitsa dogs – except for our slightly posher cousins in the Australian Capital Territory who have the lowest percentage of mixed-breed dogs overall.
- Crow-eaters (South Australia) love their American Staffy dogs and Bulldogs more than most.
- The Chihuahua might be little, but it packs the biggest punch in Western Australia, making up 4.2% of all pets on the west coast.
Australia’s renters try to put their best paw forward
With regulations around pets varying from state to state, many renters find the search for pet-friendly rental accommodation a struggle. Rent.com.au’s Pet Resume tool is helping to overcome that barrier, helping them demonstrate responsible pet ownership.
Pet Resume allows renters to present their prospective landlord/agent with a detailed summary of their pet’s best qualities, a photo and information about whether their furry friend has been vaccinated or trained.
Rent.com.au Chief Executive Officer, Greg Bader said the information renters choose to add to their Pet Resume helps all parties involved in the application process (landlords and agents alike) make a favourable decision. “Our focus at Rent.com.au is on bridging the gap between the overwhelming demand for pet-friendly rentals on the one hand, and the limited supply of these properties on the other,” he said.
“We find that with most rental listings, the landlord/agent does not specify whether pets will be accepted or not and leave this open to their discretion. Pet Resume is a great tool to demonstrate responsible ownership.”
Today, around 90,000 pets have a Pet Resume and come attached to a Renter Resume on Rent.com.au.
You might also like:
– Search for pet-friendly rentals in Sydney
– Search for pet-friendly rentals in Melbourne
– Search for pet-friendly rentals in Brisbane
– Search for pet-friendly rentals in Perth
Rent.com.au
Rent.com.au is Australia's largest company dedicated to renters and is owned and operated by ASX-listed Rent.com.au Limited (RNT:ASX). For over 15 years, Rent.com.au has exclusively focused on making renters' lives easier by making it easier to find a property, secure it, move in and pay rent.