- Dunedin has the highest dog ownership, with one dog for every seven people.
- Auckland’s densifying housing limits dog ownership, with one dog for every 14 residents.
- Changes like the Residential Tenancies Amendment Act 2024 aim to ease pet ownership restrictions.
One in every nine people owns a dog in New Zealand, so where are they all living?
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New data shows most of our furry friends are calling the cities with lower-density housing and relaxed coastal lifestyles home.
Dunedin was the most popular place to have a dog, with a four-legged friend for every seven people. That was followed by Tauranga and Christchurch, where one in every 10 people owns a dog.
In Auckland, one in every 14 residents had a dog. In Wellington, one in every 16 residents owns a dog, and in Hamilton, it’s one in every 17 residents.
The data, based on dog registration from the Department of Internal Affairs and Stats NZ population estimates, showed dog ownership isn’t distributed by where people live, but by how they live.
A property fit for a four-legged friend was front-of-mind for first-home buyers Brittany and Jakob.
The couple, who only wished to be known by their first names, said all they needed was “just a bit of grass”.
“That turned out to be a lot harder to find in Auckland for the price we could afford,” Brittany said.
The pair settled on a two-bedroom, fully-fenced home with a shared 1300sqm backyard in Mount Wellington and can’t wait to adopt a dog in the new year.
“I’m already part of a bunch of animal Facebook pages and have been tagging Jakob in posts of different dogs every other day.”
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Jakob said the pair had talked about getting a dog many times, but they were still renting.
“We knew it was only going to get harder each time we had to move if we had a dog. So, we wanted to wait until we could offer them a stable home.”
Ray White Auckland City agent Chris Cairns said Brittany and Jakob had done well in securing a home with enough backyard space for a dog, as it was becoming a rare amenity.
Cairns, who specialises in apartment sales, said not being able to house their pet was often a deal-breaker for buyers who either had to compromise on location or pay more.
Senior data analyst at Ray White, Atom Go Tian, said owning a dog appeared to be the exception rather than the norm in Auckland.
Dunedin has the most dogs per 100 people. Photo / Getty Images
A man takes his golden retriever for a walk at the beach. The dog breed is the most popular nationwide. Photo / Getty Images
“As living spaces get smaller and climb higher, it’s not just our lifestyle that’s changing but that of our four-legged friends as well.”
Go Tian said things fared better for urban dogs in the South Island, where Dunedin led all major cities with the most dogs per person.
“Tauranga, with its relaxed coastal lifestyle and lower-density housing, also bucks the North Island urban trend with rates closer to its southern counterparts.”
New Zealand’s cities were densifying rapidly and dog-friendly infrastructure was not keeping pace, Go Tian said, with the barriers being both physical and regulatory.
“Until recently, ‘no pets’ clauses were standard in rental agreements, effectively locking out a significant portion of would-be dog owners, and those who do find pet-friendly rentals often face heavy restrictions on where and when they can take them.
Ray White senior data analyst Atom Go Tian: “Dogs aren’t disappearing from New Zealand, they’re evolving to fit the country’s denser future.” Photo / Supplied
“These barriers are reshaping not just whether New Zealanders own dogs, but which dogs they choose.”
The Labrador retriever was the most popular dog to own in major cities, followed by golden retrievers, Staffordshire Bull terriers and Miniature Schnauzers, while Huntaways and Heading dogs were preferred in regional New Zealand.
Terrier breeds such as Smooth Foxes and Jack Russells were the least favourite dog to own in the major cities.
Go Tian said changes to the housing industry, including the Residential Tenancies Amendment Act 2024, which prohibited blanket “no pet” policies, were being made to make it easier for pet owners.
“The breed shifts documented over the past decade show New Zealanders adapting to density before regulations caught up, with mini schnauzers replacing Jack Russells, staffies thriving in apartments, and golden retrievers proving their versatility across the rural-urban divide.
Smaller homes and increased density in New Zealand’s major metros appear to be influencing pet choices. Photo / Fiona Goodall
“Dogs aren’t disappearing from New Zealand, they’re evolving to fit the country’s denser future.”
Ray White Kingsland business owner Tim Hawes said easy access to green space and fully-fenced properties were must-haves for dog owners.
“Most dog owners are looking for at least a patch of grass. If you have to compromise on smaller living, you have to have somewhere close to dog-friendly facilities.
“They need green space ... even if it is one metre by one metre, it’s seen as acceptable.”
Karlene Taylor, a mortgage adviser at The Finance Collective in Tauranga, said about 50% of her clients looked for an animal-friendly home.
“A lot of families that have been renting aren’t able to have a pet of their own and it’s often one of the first things that their kids want once they move into their own home.”
Taylor said dog owners were looking for a “bit of a yard and a decent fence” when purchasing a new home, while others liked to be near a park or the beach to walk their dogs.
Her advice to buyers with four-legged friends was to make sure their contents insurance did not exclude pet damage.
“Even the best-behaved pet can have an accident inside sometimes, and you really want to be able to claim on insurance if you need to replace carpet.”
Auckland was the most insured region for dogs, according to AA Pet Insurance.
The insurance company’s data showed 45.3% of dog owners lived in Auckland, with 14% living in Christchurch and 12.9% in Wellington.
The remaining top 10 regions for insured dogs ranged from the Waikato (4.3%) to Central Otago (1.6%).
AA New Zealand’s head of insurance and financial services partnerships Ben Rose said Auckland’s position in the top 10 regional table of insured dogs was likely reflective of population size and a higher average household income.
“Kiwis love dogs, and they come in all shapes and sizes with very different needs.”
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