ThinkPets is an independent guide for Australian dog owners. This page explains where our breed information, cost estimates and product reviews come from, and what our scores and ratings mean.
In short: we research; we don’t physically test products. We use published breed standards, veterinary sources, manufacturer data and current Australian prices, and we say so when a figure is an estimate.
1. Breed information
Each breed profile brings together:
- Size and appearance from the breed standard used by Dogs Australia, where the breed has one. Crossbreeds such as the Cavoodle or Groodle have no official standard, so we give typical ranges and explain what affects them, usually the size of the Poodle parent.
- Lifespan as a typical range for the breed, drawn from veterinary studies and breed club health surveys. Individual dogs can live well beyond or fall short of it.
- Health risks from veterinary literature and breed health programs. For each condition we say whether the parents can be screened (by X-ray, eye examination or DNA test) or whether it can only be managed. The risk level shown (low, moderate, high) is our summary of how often the condition affects the breed and how serious it is.
- Grooming, exercise and diet from breed club guidance and typical Australian grooming and food prices.
Breed suitability ratings
Each breed page rates how well the breed suits apartment living, families with children, first-time owners and an active lifestyle. These ratings are our editorial judgement, not measured outcomes or probabilities. We weigh the breed’s adult size, exercise needs, trainability, temperament with children and strangers, grooming and health care needs, using the breed standard and the breed information sources above.
We show each rating as a band: Excellent, Good, Fair or Challenging. Individual dogs vary a lot within a breed, so treat the rating as a starting point and meet the dog, its parents and the breeder or rescue group before deciding.
2. Intelligence rankings
Our intelligence rankings for purebred dogs follow Stanley Coren’s The Intelligence of Dogs (1994). Coren surveyed obedience judges and grouped breeds by how quickly they learned a new command and how reliably they obeyed it. It measures trainability and willingness to work with people, not overall cleverness.
| Group | Repetitions to learn a new command | Obeys the first time | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brightest | Fewer than 5 | 95% or more | Border Collie, Poodle |
| Excellent | 5 to 15 | 85% or more | Miniature Schnauzer, English Cocker Spaniel |
| Above average | 15 to 25 | 70% or more | Yorkshire Terrier |
| Average | 25 to 40 | 50% or more | Boxer |
| Fair | 40 to 80 | 30% or more | Pug, French Bulldog |
| Lowest | 80 to 100 or more | 25% or less | Beagle, Shih Tzu |
Coren did not rank crossbreeds. For crossbreeds and breeds not in his list, the ranking shown is our estimate based on the parent breeds, and should be read as a guide only.
3. Cost estimates
Our cost calculators combine current Australian prices for food, grooming, routine vet care, a buffer for unexpected vet bills, and council registration with each breed’s size, coat and health risks.
- Yearly cost adds up food (based on the breed’s typical daily intake and premium dry food prices), grooming, routine vet care and supplies.
- Health complexity score is a multiplier that starts at 1.0 for the healthiest breeds and rises for breeds with more inherited health problems. It raises the vet budget accordingly. For example, a yearly base of $950 multiplied by a score of 1.4 gives an estimated $1,330.
- Lifetime cost multiplies the yearly cost by the breed’s typical lifespan, allows for prices rising a little faster than inflation, and adds higher vet costs in old age. We show a low, standard and high scenario because real costs vary a lot.
- Registration fees come from published council fee tables. See our registration costs by state.
These are budgeting estimates only. They are not quotes and not financial advice, and your own costs will depend on your dog, your vet and where you live.
4. How we review products
Our gear reviews are research-based. We do not physically test products. Each review draws on the manufacturer’s published specifications, ingredient lists or ratings; prices and stock at Australian retailers; and patterns in verified owner reviews. Claims made by a manufacturer are reported as the manufacturer’s claims, not as our own findings.
What we score
Each product gets a score out of 100 in six areas. Scores are meant to be comparable across categories: an 80 for a toy means the same level of quality as an 80 for a dog bed.
| Area | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Overall | Our overall judgement of the product for the dogs it is meant for |
| Durability | How well it holds up in everyday use, based on materials, the manufacturer’s claims and owner feedback |
| Value | What you get for the price, including running costs over a year (replacements, refills, subscriptions) |
| Breed match | How well it suits different breeds’ size, behaviour and health needs |
| Ease of use | Setup, everyday use, cleaning and maintenance |
| Australian availability | Whether it is reliably in stock from Australian retailers, and how quickly it ships |
What we check in each category
- Dog food: protein, fat and fibre from the guaranteed analysis; the main ingredients; joint-support ingredients such as glucosamine, chondroitin and green-lipped mussel; whether the food is labelled complete and balanced; and the daily cost for a typical dog.
- Dog toys: what the toy is made of and whether the maker states it is free of BPA, phthalates and latex; how it suits light, moderate and heavy chewers; the risk of swallowed pieces; and whether it can be recycled or composted.
- GPS trackers: the manufacturer’s water-resistance rating, battery life claims compared with owner reports, Australian mobile coverage, the device’s weight, and the full cost of the subscription over one and three years.
- Dog beds: support for heavier and older dogs, whether the cover comes off and can be machine-washed, the stated weight limit, and how long the bed is likely to last.
Environmental claims
Where a product claims to be sustainable, we check the claim against the certifying body’s public records (for example B Corp or 1% for the Planet) and say when a claim could not be verified.
5. Keeping things up to date
- Availability: we only review products that are currently sold by at least one Australian retailer.
- Specifications: taken from the manufacturer’s own product pages, not from retailer descriptions.
- Cross-checking: marketing claims are compared against independent sources and owner reviews.
- Comparison: most reviews compare the product with at least one alternative so you can see the trade-offs.
- Price checks: each review shows the date its price was last checked. We recheck prices regularly and correct errors as we find them.
6. How ThinkPets makes money
Some links on ThinkPets are affiliate links. If you buy through one, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. See our affiliate and data disclaimer.