Note: This article’s statistics come from third-party sources and do not represent the opinions of this website.
Like most western nations, Australia is home to many different dogs. These animals are largely kept as companions throughout the country.
In this article, we’ll take a look at some statistics that shine a light on dog ownership in Australia, some of the topics we cover are:
- Australia Dog Ownership
- Dog Training Statistics
- Australian Dog Bite Statistics
- Cost of Dog Ownership in Australia
12 Australia Dog Statistics
- Over 40% of all households in Australia own at least one dog.
- Most pet owners are younger, higher income, and have children.
- The United States owns more pets than Australia.
- 2.1% of all Australian pet owners are in obedience clubs.
- Most dog owners provide treats to their canines as a part of training.
- 24% of all pet owners teach their pet tricks or enroll them in obedience classes.
- Most dog bite victims are adults.
- Most dog bites result in legal action.
- Most dog bite incidents involve just a single dog.
- The average cost of a dog in Australia is $627.
- Money spent on pet insurance and veterinary care has increased.
- The national average yearly cost of owning a dog is $8,303.6.
Dog Ownership
1. Over 40% of all households in Australia own at least one dog.
(RSPCA)
Compared to other animals, dogs are the most common in Australian households. Only 27% of households owned cats, for instance.
2. Most pet owners are younger, higher income, and have children.
(RSPCA)
65% of households with pets make $50,000 or more, likely because owning a pet takes a considerable amount of expendable income. Furthermore, 70% of 18–24-year-old people in Australia are pet owners, while this percentage is much lower in older households. Three-quarters of those with children 6 or older also owned pets.
3. The United States owns more pets than Australia.
(RSPCA)
While Australia does have one of the highest pet ownership rates in the world at 61%, the United States has a slightly higher rate at 67%. What the rate is regarding dogs is unclear, however.
Dog Training Statistics
4. 2.1% of all Australian pet owners are in obedience clubs.
(Pet Plan)
Only a very small percentage of Australian pet owners are in an obedience club. However, this does not mean they don’t train their pets. It just appears that many do not go beyond basic training. While this statistic is for all pets, we imagine most pet owners included have dogs, as obedience clubs are not very common for other pet species.
5. Most dog owners provide treats to their canines as part of training.
(Pet Plan)
According to one survey, 68.8% of all pet owners gave their animals treats regularly. The exact context they gave those treats in likely differs, but we imagine many were given training situations. Again, this statistic does include all pets, though dogs are included.
6. 24% of all pet owners teach their pet tricks or enroll them in obedience classes.
(Animal Medicine Survey)
A small minority of pet owners seem to invest in any obedience for their pet according to one survey. While this survey asked about all pet owners, dogs likely make up a large percent of the pet owners questioned.
Dog Bite Statistics
7. Most dog bite victims are adults.
(Office of Local Government)
Nearly twice as many adults were bitten as children in the first quarter of 2021, and we expect that this is the normal trend. Generally, it appears that dog bites in children are pretty rare. However, dog bites on other dogs are pretty common, exceeding dog bites on adults. Cats and livestock also received a substantial number of dog bites, but not nearly as many as in the other categories.
8. Many dog bites result in legal action.
(Office of Local Government)
Many dog bites only resulted in an investigation with no further action required. Sometimes, dangerous dog declarations were required, and this seemed to be one of the most common actions when an action was taken.
Infringements were the most common result, as were warnings. Occasionally, the dog had to be euthanized. Other times, the dog was simply seized and then taken to the local pound. Often, this seemed to be the case when the problem was with the owner, not the dog itself.
9. Most dog bite incidents involve just a single dog.
(Office of Local Government)
Out of all the dog bite reports, most of them appeared to only involve a single dog. Therefore, pack behavior is not the driving force of most dog bites in Australia. Instead, these occurrences are usually due to bad handling or training of a single dog.
Cost of Dog Ownership Statistics
10. The average cost of a dog in Australia is $627.
(Animal Medicine Survey)
The average cost of a dog in Australia is $627, excluding those animals that were given for free, which is about 28% of all dogs. Very few people paid over $1,000, though about 15% did. Overall, the average cost of a dog is far more than the average cost of a cat. However, the average cost of getting a dog is going up, and more and more people are purchasing dogs over $1000 from breeders and similar locations.
11. Money spent on pet insurance and veterinary care has increased.
(Animal Medicine Survey)
While you’d expect the cost of most dog ownership-related items to increase, veterinary care and pet insurance have increased more than other categories. The average amount spent on food has decreased, however. Specifically speaking, veterinary services went from $2.2 billion in 2016 to $2.6 billion in 2019, when the survey was last completed.
12. The national average yearly cost of owning a dog is $8,303.6.
(Animal Medicine Survey)
Out of all pets, dogs are the most expensive. For instance, cats only cost their owners $3,624.2 a year. All other pets were in the $400s or under, making them much less expensive than owning a dog. Dogs weren’t more expensive for any one specific reason, though.
Frequently Asked Questions About Australian Dog Statistics
How Many Dogs Are There in Australia?
As of 2019, there were just over 5 million dogs across all of Australia, which could be found in about 40% of all households. Based on this information, it is likely that most homes owned more than one dog. However, the average number of dogs owned in pet-owning households is 1.3. (Animal Medicine Survey)
Which Country Has the Most Dogs?
Not surprisingly, the United States has the most dogs, with 75.8 million. While Australia has a lot of dogs, it is nowhere near as many as in the United States. In fact, there are quite a few other countries that outrank Australia in this regard. (World Atlas)
What is the Most Popular Dog in Australia?
The most common dog in Australia is the Labrador Retriever, at least in terms of the number of litters birthed. The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and the Golden Retriever come in second and third place, though they don’t even come close to the Labrador Retriever.
How Many People are Killed by Dogs Each Year in Australia?
Typically, Australia sees about one to two dog-related fatalities each year. Usually, the victim is either very young or very old. Surprisingly, fatalities in elders are not that uncommon. Therefore, elders should be considered just as sensitive against dog attacks as younger people. Surprisingly, most dog fatalities are caused by dogs that people know.
Conclusion
Dog ownership is remaining steady in Australia. About 40% of all households own dogs in Australia, and many of these owners are younger, higher-income, and have children. Dogs are quite expensive, costing over $8,000 a year on average. Therefore, expendable income is required to properly care for a dog.
Dog bites are fairly uncommon in Australia, with serious dog bites being even less common. Most dog bites do not require expensive care. That said, many dog bites do lead to legal action, and of course, this only includes dog bites that are reported. This category seems to be extensively underreported.
Sadly, not many Australians seem to train their dog appropriately. Only 24% reported training their pet or teaching them tricks.
Featured Image Credit: McCann Michelle, Shutterstock
