New Zealand Huntaway

The New Zealand Huntaway loves to be active outdoors during the day. It’s not suited to being a city companion dog. A short morning walk in the park, four hours in the office, and a long walk at lunchtime will not suffice for a New Zealand Huntaway.

Therefore, the question of whether to live in an apartment or a house is clearly answered for the New Zealand Huntaway: This fur companion should reside in a rural area, ideally belonging to a farm.

They love being outdoors in all weathers and require lots of exercise.

Coat Care for the Huntaway

Since the New Zealand Huntaway comes in many different coat types, the maintenance required can vary.

However, this animal typically has an undercoat and tends to shed especially heavily during the shedding season. Daily brushing during this time helps – yet the breed may not be suited for those who prefer a clinically clean living space.

Since these dogs have floppy ears, owners should regularly clean the ears to prevent ear infections.

Is the New Zealand Huntaway Suitable for Beginners?

A Huntaway with a job can be a great companion even for a novice farmer.

Of course, the owner should actively learn about the specifics of working herding dogs.

Is the New Zealand Huntaway a Family Dog?

Providing the Huntaway has a fulfilling job, it can also enjoy family life: It gets on well with children. Other four-legged pack members such as dogs or similar breeds usually harmonise well with the New Zealander.

It’s known to be friendly to both the young and old. However, care must be taken that the Huntaway doesn’t start herding the human youngsters with barking.

Herding dogs like to be engaged with their flock the most. They need lots of mental and physical stimulation and are true working dogs. Since they work mainly through their piercing barking, they may find it hard to get excited about dog sports like Treibball.

Herding Is Their Showpiece Discipline

The intelligent Huntaway can learn tricks or enjoy scent work like mantrailing. Many Huntaways learn to understand and follow distant signals quickly, according to their herding tasks.

This is not only useful when driving sheep but also beneficial for dummy training. Yet their greatest passion remains herding with a significant wow-effect!

Generally, the Huntaway is a very robust outdoor breed. However, as with many large dogs, hip dysplasia and heart diseases are potential health risks for the New Zealand Huntaway.

A Lethal Disease in the Genes

Moreover, some Huntaway lines have a genetic disease named Mucopolysaccharidosis (MPS) IIIA.

This is a lysosomal storage disorder. Dogs affected lack an enzyme, causing their nervous system to increasingly deteriorate over time. Neurological symptoms appear in affected dogs at around 1.5 years of age.

The disease is inherited autosomally recessive. Genetic testing can now exclude carriers from breeding.

What Is the Lifespan of a New Zealand Huntaway?

These dogs are bred primarily for their unparalleled qualities as hardy work dogs. As such, with good health, they can live to be twelve to fourteen years old.

From puppyhood, a lot of emphasis should be placed on healthy skeletal development for this fur buddy. Given that the final size isn’t predictable, feeding tables and recommended food amounts for puppies of large breeds may be helpful.

The adult Huntaway is very active, so a high-quality dog food with a high meat content is recommended. There should always be plenty of fresh water available for the athlete.

The first dogs of the Huntaway type were bred around 1900, at which time there were significant sheep populations on the island of New Zealand.

Traditional herding dogs like the Border Collie could not cope with the size of the farms or the mild climate with high humidity.

Besides the Border Collie, likely ancestors of the Huntaway include the Labrador Retriever, Rottweiler, Bearded Collies, Harrier, Gordon Setter and Smithfield Collie.