Rehome a Heading Dog in New Zealand: Free & Owner to Owner

The short answer

To rehome a heading dog well, be honest about its working drive and how it is with people, children and other animals, and look for a home that will give it real work or daily activity: a farm, a lifestyle block, or an active owner keen on training. Ask a modest fee and screen carefully. When the dog changes hands, you and the new owner must each tell the council in writing within 14 days.

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What a heading dog needs from a new home

Heading dogs are New Zealand farm dogs bred from the Border Collie. Te Ara, the encyclopedia of New Zealand, describes them heading stock and holding them at close quarters with "eye", a fixed, intense stare, and notes they are discouraged from barking. They are at their best on quick, close work such as catching or shedding sheep.

That makes a heading dog quiet but very switched on. Without work or something to focus on, the same drive can turn to fixating on cars, bikes, children or other pets. The right home has time, space and a plan to keep the dog busy, whether that is stock work, a dog sport or a lot of training.

Writing an honest listing

Describe how much work or exercise your dog gets now, any stock experience, and how it is with children, visitors, other dogs, cats and moving things like cars and bikes. Say whether it has ever nipped or shown its eye at people. Te Ara notes some highly strung heading-dog strains have a biting trait that training can modify but needs watching, so an adopter needs the full picture.

Honest detail gets a heading dog the right home. A listing that leaves out the drive or a nipping habit sets a family up to fail, and the dog is rehomed again.

Screening, and the handover paperwork

Ask where the dog will live, what work or activity it will get, who is home during the day, and whether there are young children or small pets. Meet in person, ideally where the dog will live, and trust your instincts. A modest rehoming fee filters out people who collect free dogs for the wrong reasons.

At handover, the dog's council registration carries over, but under section 48 of the Dog Control Act 1996 you and the new owner must each give the council written notice within 14 days, with the new owner's address and where the dog will live. Pass on the vaccination, desexing, microchip and vet records too.

Where to rehome, and the fee

If you cannot find the right home yourself, ask your nearest SPCA centre or a local rescue whether they can help, and call early because rescues work to capacity. Owner-to-owner rehoming lets your heading dog stay with you until you have found the right family.

For a sense of scale, SPCA New Zealand's adoption fee for an adult dog is $149, and that covers desexing, microchipping and vaccinations. A modest private rehoming fee is reasonable. The screening matters far more than the exact figure.

New to rehoming? Start with our step-by-step guide to rehoming a dog for free, our guide to screening adopters, and the reasons a modest fee beats free to good home.

Looking to adopt a Heading Dog instead?

Browse Heading Dogs available for adoption from rescues and owners across New Zealand.

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Frequently asked questions

Is a heading dog the same as a Border Collie?+

Not quite. Te Ara describes the New Zealand heading dog as bred from the Border Collie and selected for work, and notes it is not a registered pedigree breed. Many look like Border Collies, usually black and white, but they are bred for working ability rather than to a breed standard.

Can a heading dog live as a pet in town?+

Some do well with an owner who gives them daily training, exercise and a job, such as a dog sport. Without that, the herding drive can turn to fixating on cars, bikes or children. A farm, lifestyle block or very active home is usually the easier match, so be honest in your listing.

Do heading dogs bark?+

Much less than a Huntaway. Te Ara notes heading dogs are discouraged from barking and work stock silently with their eye, while Huntaways are bred to bark.

What paperwork do I need when I rehome my dog in New Zealand?+

Under section 48 of the Dog Control Act 1996, the dog's registration continues, but you and the new owner must each give the council written notice within 14 days, including the new owner's address and where the dog will be kept. Hand over the vaccination, desexing, microchip and vet records too.

How do I rehome my heading dog for free?+

List your dog on LocalPetFinder at no cost. Your email stays private until you reply, every listing is reviewed, and your dog appears alongside the SPCA dogs near you. Screen the people who apply, choose the family you trust, and both of you notify the council within 14 days of the handover.