The results of the 2022 Great Australian Dog Survey are out and the findings reveal some surprising truths about man’s best friend.

Aussie dog food company Scratch surveyed 12,700 dog owners and found that 65 per cent of dogs sleep in their owners bedrooms and 56 per cent sleep under the covers.

Many dog owners see their dogs as part of the family, with one in three less interested in having children of their own since getting a dog.

Half of all dog owners said that losing their dog was harder than losing a human loved one and eight in 10 Aussies believe that dogs deserve to be seen as more than “property” by Australian law.

Two in five owners believe their dogs may be part of the LGBTQIA+ family.

The majority of dog owners (61 per cent) spend anywhere between $1000 to $4000 on their dogs per year.

More than half of dog owners would even be willing to sacrifice some of their salary to spend more time with their pets, with roughly a third having already negotiated to work-from home for that reason.

Dog owners are willing to put up with a few pitfalls, including finding it harder to rent, holiday and date.

One in five Aussies have lied to their landlord about owning a furry friend.

Eighty-three per cent said their dogs made it harder to holiday, but two in three said they would like the opportunity to take their dog on an overseas holiday.

One in three said dating had become more difficult since getting a dog.

Most Aussies bought their dog from a breeder (51 per cent), while less than a quarter adopted them from a rescue organisation (22 per cent) and 10 per cent bought them from a friend.

More than 80 per cent said they would consider adoption when they purchased their next dog.

When it comes to dog breeds, Aussies are most partial to the cavoodle, with “doodle” breeds and retriever breeds dominating the top 10 list.