Dogs & Kiwi in New Zealand

To dogs, chasing kiwi is a game, but to kiwi it’s life & death

Ground-dwelling birds are naturally intriguing to dogs – they don’t fly away! To dogs, chasing kiwi is a game. To kiwi, it’s life and death. Kiwi are different to other birds because they don’t have breastplates or chest muscles to protect their internal organs. Dogs, no matter their size, are the biggest threat to adult kiwi as it takes just a gentle nudge from a small dog ‘playing’ to potentially crush its delicate ribcage and internal organs.

I caught up with Lydia Grunwell from the Whakatāne Kiwi Trust and she explained why Whakatāne is so unique.

Over 350 kiwi live wild in the surrounding hills nearby. There’s no other place in New Zealand where kiwi freely roam so close to a populated area. Kiwi can live up to 40 years if free from predation, but due to the constant threats, few kiwi reach this milestone. Dogs are the biggest threat to the Trust’s adult kiwi. Other threats include stoats and cats, and the Trust also works hard to control them.

It’s not just Whakatāne; dogs are killing kiwi throughout New Zealand and the public need to do their part to significantly lower risks that dogs pose.

YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE

When a dog kills a kiwi, it’s not the dog’s fault, it doesn’t know any better and is just being a dog. The responsibility sits solely with its owner. Unless a dog is trained, restrained or restricted, if it comes across a kiwi, it may think it’s a great game of chase, because weirdly this bird doesn’t fly away.

AVERSION TRAINING

Get your dog, no matter what the breed, aversion trained! If your dog is six-months or older and not on heat, then book them in to be aversion trained. It’s quick, harmless and effective, and significantly reduces the risk of your dog killing kiwi. Aversion training is available for weka as well.

Training involves using a correction collar to train dogs to stay away from the bird’s scent. If you have concerns or questions about the training, ask if you can attend a training day without your dog to see the process involved. Lydia said that research has shown when dogs were trained consistently, 87% of them still avoided kiwi scent after 12 months!

Some councils now even require landowners to have dogs’ aversion trained before they will sign-off on building consents, and more landowners are only providing access to hunters with kiwi aversion trained dogs.

MAKE SURE YOUR DOG ISN’T ROAMING

Make sure you know where your dog is at all times, or, when that is not practical, leave him in a secured area, with no way of escaping. Wandering pet dogs regularly kill kiwi. You may not think they would be interested, but trainers have noted that when the owner of a dog is not present, the animal’s interest in kiwi scent increases.

KNOW BEFORE YOU GO!

Find out where you can, (and can’t), take your dog. Unless a sign says otherwise, keep your dog restrained with a lead. If you are heading away on holiday to an area known to have kiwi, such as Whakatāne, make sure you can follow the local guidelines. If this is going to be impractical, then for your dog’s sake, leave them behind with a sitter or book them into kennels.

Certain areas prohibit dogs altogether, while others only allow dogs if they have up-to-date aversion training. Make sure you know all the rules and restrictions before you head out. Search on council websites or join an online dog owners’ group to find out places you can take Fluffy.

REPORT WANDERING DOGS

If you see a dog wandering where it shouldn’t, please report it. You may just save a kiwi. If there’s an owner nearby and they seem approachable, have a polite word to them. They may not be aware that dogs are prohibited. Otherwise call your local council to report the dog sighting, taking note of the description of the dog and owner as best you can.

MORE INFO ABOUT AVERSION TRAINING IN NZ HERE If you live in the Whakatāne district check at www.whakatanekiwi.org.nz for dates

WHO DO I REPORT ROAMING DOGS TO? Report to your local city/district council. Details will be on their website.

WHERE CAN I TAKE MY DOG? Find out on your local council website.

LEARN MORE ONLINE: To find out how to act to protect both coastal wildlife & your dog, scan the code to watch the Department of Conservation’s programme Lead the Way.