The number of dogs in New Zealand is skyrocketing, outpacing human population growth by a factor of 10 in the last year.
The country’s dog population grew by 2.4% in 2022 (plus a 3.1% increase in 2021), compared to human population growth of just 0.2% (this year) and 0 .4% (2021), based on analysis of registered dogs. by Infometrics.
New Zealand families have welcomed nearly 70,000 additional dogs into their homes in recent years, bringing the total number of human best friends to 605,834.
And top dog status, at least as far as purebreds are concerned, belongs to the lovable, ever-hungry family Labrador, closely followed, and we suspect more commonly in rural areas, by New Zealand’s own breed, the huntaway.
Brad Olsen, chief economist and director of Infometrics, says he gathered the information from the Department of Internal Affairs (DIA) data, despite a lack of enthusiasm from some members of his team, because he knew it would be of interest to people. .
Olsen, who is not a dog owner, believes the increase in the number of dogs has to do with “a bit of companionship that people are looking for.”
He says Labrador retrievers (more commonly known simply as Labradors) were also the most popular in 2018 and 2020, when he last ran the numbers.
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Remy, one, must be a nearly perfect specimen: a Labrador/Huntaway cross.
Richmond’s year-old Tasman Remy must be the perfect dog: he’s a Labrador/Hunter mix.
His human, nurse Dominica Cresswell, says she rescued him in June after searching for a while and being overwhelmed by the number of dogs that needed rehoming.
She says their mix of races has turned out to be a good match for her family of five, including three boys ages 11, 14 and 15.
KEVIN STENT/THINGS
Loose Leash’s Phil Krieg shows how he leads a pack of 14 dogs on a walk along the south coast of Wellington (video posted July 2021).
“The beauty of him is that he has this very friendly lab nature, quite food-motivated, so he’s relatively easy to train,” she says, “but he’s adorable and athletic-looking. He is leaner or more agile than a lab. He was born to go running through the hills and that is what I like to do ”.
Although he is too young to exercise for very long, Cresswell has been able to take him on sprints in the mountains, saying, “He definitely has legs on him. He is small, but I think he can outrun me.
Cresswell isn’t surprised by the growing number of dogs in Aotearoa, saying they are a blessing to the home, making sure the family gets out into nature.
“Every day he takes us out, either to the hills or to the back beach (Tāhunanui) or Rough Island. In the afternoon, one of the children will take him down to the park.”
Anthony Phelps/Things
Alex Phelps plays with neighbor Hamish Burnett’s dog Zeke, a Labrador retriever.
Blenheim’s dog, Zeke, is one of 43,193 Labradors in the country. (Huntaways number 30,614.) His owner, Blenheim butcher Hamish Burnett, isn’t surprised that Labradors are so popular. He adopted 22-month-old Zeke when he was a pup, knowing the breed is “cool, friendly, cuddly and they love to play.”
“They can run alongside you, they love to fetch and pull the rope. They can be lazy if they want to be or have a lot of energy. We can do a 10K run in the morning and then do another three-hour walk in the afternoon.”
He says that it is true that Labradors like to eat: “Like father, like dog. But he’s on a controlled diet, so he only gets what he’s given.
“He sits with his head in your lap when you’re at the table, drool dripping down the side of his mouth.”
Virginia Woolf/Things
The huntaway is often used for herding sheep – this one was competing in the Nelson Lakes Sheep Dog Trial Club meet at St Arnaud. (File photo)
Olsen says that Huntsmen appear to be “the most popular regional, rural and provincial dogs,” but even in some areas of the country, Labradors are prevalent.
The breed, which is usually black and tan in colour, is also known as the New Zealand hunter as they originated here, bred to be highland sheepdogs that can cover great distances in their herding roles.
Dog ownership, when adjusted for human population, is generally highest in more provincial areas, and is particularly strong in the South Island, according to DIA figures.
“The South Island accounts for just over 23% of the human population, but just under 33% of the dog population, a ratio that is virtually unchanged since we first reported in 2018,” Olsen’s analysis shows. .
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Labrador Zeke, with neighbor Alex Phelps, who loves to walk him.
He says that the Chatham Islands remain the “floating capital of New Zealand”.
“In 2022, there was one dog for every two people in the Chathams (405 dogs for a human population of 800). Other prominent places in New Zealand include the Hurunui, Southland, Ruapehu and Clutha districts.
“In all of New Zealand as a whole, there was one dog for every 8.5 people.”
- The number of dogs in the city of Wellington is the lowest in New Zealand on a population-adjusted basis: in 2022, there was one dog for every 16 people in the city of Wellington.
- The cities of Wellington, Auckland and Hamilton have some of the lowest numbers of dogs per person in New Zealand.
