Choosing a dog based on looks instead of your actual daily routine leads to a trashed lounge and a stressed pet.
You think you'll start running 5km every morning in the Waitakeres. But will you? Most Kiwi owners overestimate their energy by 300%.
A Greyhound needs a sprint then sleeps for 18 hours. A Huntaway needs a job. One needs a park, the other needs a purpose.
Track your true movements for seven days. Subtract work, the Southern Motorway commute, and sleep. What’s actually left?
You might have 15 hours free, but if you’re spent after work, you only have 2 'active' hours. Don't buy a dog that needs 4.
Do you really go tramping every weekend? Or is Sunday for brunch and recovery? Your dog needs your real self, not your Instagram self.
If your audit shows only 45 mins of daily activity, a retired racing Greyhound is perfect. They sprint, then hibernate on your sofa.
Using their nose tires a dog’s brain faster than a lap around the block. Quality 'scent-work' is your high-efficiency secret weapon.
Chewing the sofa or barking at the postie isn't 'naughty.' It’s energy leaking out because your audit was wrong.
Will you walk them when it’s horizontal rain in July? If not, you need an indoor mental-play plan or a lower-energy breed.
Short on time? Use daycare in Auckland or a professional walker. Even swapping a bowl for a KONG burns serious mental kilojoules.
A Kelpie can live in a flat if you have the time. A Bulldog can live in a mansion and be miserable without engagement. Match the drive, not the garden.
See the full 168-hour audit template and breed energy ratings for New Zealand.