Where is dog capital of NZ?
AUCKLAND: Hurunui is ‘‘dog central’’ in New Zealand, it seems, the small South Island district boasting the most registered dogs per 1000 people in the country.
Figures provided by the Ministry of Internal Affairs show Hurunui has a whopping 421 dogs per 1000 people, far in front of its nearest rival district, Southland, where the number is 380 per 1000 people.
More densely populated areas have fewer dogs, Wellington City recording the lowest number at a mere 58 dogs per 1000 people.
The figures also show Labrador retrievers are by far the most popular registered dog breed in New Zealand.
Sheepdogs huntaways and Border collies are the second and third most popular breeds, which can likely be attributed to the sheer size of our rural community.
Hurunui is a district within the Canterbury region and stretches from the east coast to the Main Divide.
The ministry’s figures show last year Hurunui had a total of 5451 dogs spread among a population of about 12,950.
And while Wellington City had 12,220 dogs, spread among a population of 211,200, the number per 1000 people was far fewer than Hurunui.
Auckland (group) has the most dogs overall with 106,332, but that number is spread among a population of more than 1.6 million.
And on the question of favourite dog names, Bella and Charlie were the voted the top two in Wellington in 2020.
An informal survey conducted by the Wellington City Council asked respondents to vote for their favourites on a wide range of things, from audiobooks to dog names.
Labradors were voted ‘‘top dog’’, followed by cavalier King Charles spaniels and Border collies.
Wellington & District Labrador Retriever Club secretary Trudy Warmerdam said Labradors had long been a popular choice of dog.
‘‘Labradors are great family dogs, but they’re also easy to train . . . They’re great for anything really — guide dogs, hunting, duckshooting, guard dogs.
‘‘They’re the most popular family dog because they’re so good with kids.’’
Although Wellington was a dense city, easy access to beaches and hiking trails made it an ideal place for Labradors, she said. — The New Zealand Herald