The rise of the humble hound
The rise (and rise) of the humble hound
Australia is a nation of pet parents, with almost 70% of households across the nation proud to have a pet in the family.
Dogs are by far the most popular fur babies, pipping cats by quite a bit more than a whisker. In fact, the most recent Animal Medicines Australia (AMA) report estimated that there are around 6.3 million pet pooches in Australia. [1]
We take a look here at why we love our dogs and how having a hound in the home can be beneficial to our health and wellbeing. We’ve also come up with a list of ideal local doggy spots for play, pampering and pet-friendly relaxation.
Why we love dogs (and why they love us!)
Dogs are the best kind of people – loyal, loving, always ready for fun and able to make us feel that little bit better when the chips are down.
They are excellent, non-judgmental listeners and perfect exercise partners, with dog owners shown to have a more active lifestyle than people with other pets.
Dogs make wonderful companions for people living on their own and fabulous playmates for families. They are also a great way to teach kids about the responsibilities of caring for an animal, creating routines, and unconditional love.
As for why they love us, well, dogs are pack animals and, after thousands of years of interaction with humans, love nothing more than being part of a human family. They form very close bonds with their “pack” and love to play with, snuggle up to, and protect their humans.
Some research has shown that dogs have become so attuned to humans that they might even prefer our company to that of other dogs! [2]
The benefits of owning a dog
The title of a Harvard study into canine companions, “Get Healthy, Get a Dog”, [3] says it all; having a dog in the family is good for us on many levels.
Physically, dogs can boost our activity levels and are often a great accountability partner for exercising – you simply have to take them out for walks or suffer the consequences! They also encourage kids to get out and play, tirelessly chasing balls and romping around the garden or park.
Psychologically, dogs can calm us in times of stress with their compassionate presence. They also provide companionship and social support, especially for people who live alone. How many of you chat to your pup as if she were a person? And does she ever judge what you say or complain that you’ve already told her that story? Dogs rock as listeners.
Socially, dogs are a wonderful ice-breaker and point of connection between people. They get us out into the world and chatting with other dog owners or dog lovers – something that became increasingly important in the isolating months of the pandemic and continues to help people connect today.
Dogs in the home
During the rigours of lockdown, dog ownership increased in Australia, with a fifth of the country’s fur babies having been acquired during the pandemic. For homeowners, this has often meant making some changes to accommodate their new charges, such as installing fencing and pet doors or investing in pet-specific furniture.
For property investors, it’s becoming a point of interest, with “pet-friendly” among the top five search terms for rental properties.
In a tight rental market, many tenants are willing to pay a premium for the right to have their beloved pets with them in a rental property, and landlords may also charge a specific “pet bond” or “pet fee” to allow this.
Property managers can help negotiate pet clauses and ensure that a tenancy with pets on board goes smoothly for everyone.
Dogs out of the home
It’s important to know where dogs are most welcome so that you can enjoy full family outings without risk to your pets or other people. There are several dog-friendly places in and around our area, including beaches where your dog can frolic on the sand and bark at the waves with typical doggy abandon.
Here are a few of our favourites:
Off-leash beaches
Greenhills Beach, Cronulla
Silver Beach, Kurnell
Horderns Beach, Bundeena
Off-leash parks
The Ridge Bush Park, Barden Ridge
Helena Street Dog Park, Kirrawee
Carina Bay Reserve, Como
Leash-on walks and parks
Recreation Drive, Barden Ridge
Woronora River Bridge Walk, Woronora
Sutherland Park, Sutherland
Sutherland Shire Centenary Park, Miranda
Gunyah Beach, Bundeena
Pampering your pooch
Our area has several fabulous dog grooming salons to help you keep your fur babies looking, feeling and smelling their best. Here are a few we love:
Love on a Leash Dog Grooming Salon, Engadine https://www.facebook.com/loveonaleashdoggroomingsalon/
Just 4 Paws, Engadine and Gymea
https://www.just4paws.net.au/
Pooch & Hound, Gymea
https://www.poochandhound.com.au/
The Shearing Shed Dog Grooming Salon, Menai
ph: 9541 4577
Paws N Whiskers, Menai
If you need a groomer to come to you, there are also a couple of local mobile services available:
Aussie Pooch Mobile Dog Wash
https://www.aussiepm.com.au/dog-wash-grooming/cronulla
Shire Mobile Dog Wash and Grooming
https://shiremobiledogwash.wordpress.com/
Dog-friendly local watering holes
Dogs love walking their humans, but they also understand the importance of a relaxing drink along the way. Here are some of the best dog-friendly local spots to sip your latte (or a beer!) with your pooch in tow:
Cafés
The Boatshed, Woronora https://www.theboatshedworonora.com.au/about
7th Heaven Café, Sutherland https://7thheavencafe.com.au/
The Local Pantry, Engadine https://www.thelocalpantry.co/
Big Red Café, Engadine https://big-red-cafe.business.site/
Brick Pit Espresso, Kirrawee https://www.brickpitespresso.com.au/
Pubs and breweries
Bangor Tavern, Bangor https://www.bangortavern.com.au/about
Gymea Hotel, Gymea https://www.gymeahotel.com.au/
Sunday Road Brewing Co., Kirrawee https://sundayroadbrewing.com.au/
Dog days
There are several dog-oriented associations that celebrate days for dogs. For example here at Kore, we recently celebrated international dog day locally, with our dog-loving team hand delivering goodie bags that included treats, personalised water bowls and toys to 90 local clients and their darling dogs.
Dogs in the Park is another fun day for dogs, with demonstrations, competitions, and stalls. The next one is coming up December in Cronulla!
Summing up
Aussies love dogs. They are part of our families, and the bonds we form with them are physically, psychologically and socially beneficial to both humans and hounds.
We are very lucky that our area has so many wonderful places to enjoy spending time with our puppies and fantastic services to help us care for them.
Grab the leash (and the dog) and head out to explore some of them today!
[1] https://animalmedicinesaustralia.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/AMAU005-PATP-Report21_v1.4_WEB.pdf
[2] https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2019/jul/16/do-our-pets-ever-really-love-us-or-do-they-just-stick-around-for-the-food#:~:text=The%20science%20confirms%20what%20we,their%20humans%20temporarily%20leave%20them.
[3] Crouse, J. (2014). Get healthy, get a dog: The health benefits of canine companionship. Boston: Harvard Health Publications.
