Huntaway Dog Breed - Facts and Information

Appearance
The Huntaway has strong and muscular built. Their typical height is around 24 inches which is 60 cm. Their weight can vary quite a lot, depending on wether it is a female or a male, but also dependning on a region where they were bred, but it is typically between 55-100 pounds, which is 25-45 kg.

Huntaways have longer than tall body, deep chest, long tail, muzzle and long ears that are fold over and well padded paws that cope admirably with the rugged terrain of New Zealand.

Many people agree, that the black and tan color variation is one of the most elegant, but when you think about black and tan dogs, you will probably imagine Rottweilers or Dobermans. But Huntaway is another breed in this color ocassionaly with some white or brindle. They do not have one coat type and their coat can be smooth, rough or grizzly.


Personality
This breed is just perfectly suited to the New Zealand farming work with their hard working, disciplined personality and great endurance. Just like most of the herding breeds, even the Huntaway is extremely intelligent, easily trainable and pretty loyal. On the other hand, and this is again similar to other herding breeds, they are independent dogs.

All these characteristic traits make them amazing for a working on steep, rough country over large distances, driving very large herds of sheep. Often times, they are working

These days, more and more Huntaways are not used as working dogs, but they rather as household companions. It is mostly thanks to their gentle and soft nature, they are really eager to please loving towards one person they like the most, but they are friendly towards the whole family. They are also happy natured and fun to be around, which makes them amazing companions for older kids.

This is not the best guard, because of their friendly personality. They are friendly even with strangers, so they would probably invite the burglar into your home, rather than deter it.


Interesting fact
If you are not from New Zealand, it is very likely that you might never heard about the Huntaway before. But there are now more than 30,000 registered huntaways in New Zealand, which makes them one of the most popular dog breed of this country, next to Labradors.


History
This breed was developed for unique farming conditions in New Zealand which required a hard-working dog breed with excellent stamina and plenty of self-discipline. They were also bred to use their loud, deep bark to drive sheep. And today i can say that the breeding goal was accomplished, because you can hear the Huntaway steady barking miles away.

What breeds were used in the breeding process? Well, a lot of them and we are not sure about the certain breeds, but it is believed that the breeds that played role in the breeds development were Brittish Sheepdogs and Collies, but it is very likely that they were later interbred with some other dogs as well.

This breed was developed during the early 1900s, but they gained recognition by The New Zealand Kennel Club only recently in 2013. But because of the huge variance in size and coat type, i do not think that they will be recognized by foreign kennel club any time soon. But honestly, it does not matter that much.


Health and grooming
This normally very healthy dog breed with good lifespan between 12-14 years. Just like all dog breeds, they do suffer from some health issues like bone cancer, hip and elbow dysplasia and ear infections.

If you want to keep your Huntaway healthy and happy, daily proper exercise is a must. If they are working for their original purpose, than there is no need for additional exercise, but if you have them as family companions, daily long walks, jogs or hikes, accompanied with regular training sessions or task oriented playtime are essential to keep their mind and body in good shape.

It is not hard to groom this dog, The Huntaway almost looks after themselves. They do not need much bathing. They do shed, so regular brushing will help to minimize the shedding. Just like with all dogs you should regularly check their eyes, ears and nails and clean them or clip them if needed.