An annual competition to celebrate and highlight New Zealand dogs is underway, with organiser’s hoping for bumper entries for its ten-year anniversary.
The New Zealand Top Dog competition is the brainchild of Frog Recruitment and sees dog owners nominate their pooches in various categories including Top Dog with a Job, Top Office Dog and People’s Choice.
Frog Recruitment chief executive, Shannon Barlow told The Wag, the competition started as a way to celebrate the positive impact of dogs and has grown from there.
“It is our annual feel-good competition, and it’s there to shine a light on the positive impacts that dogs have on our lives, whether that’s from mental health and well-being to workplace culture.
And I guess it kind of started as a bit of fun, but over the years it has really grown into something special.”
One of the most hotly contested categories is the People’s Choice Award, which all nominations are eligible for.
The award was won by Golden Retriever Kingsley from Invercargill last year.
Kingsley was described as an active golden retriever with many strings to his bow.
“When he’s not competing in agility or sled dog racing he’s working at Tisbury School. Kingsley’s active attitude to life could be put down trying to keep up with his border collie siblings he lives with, but when he comes to school he provides a variety of opportunities for kids to learn, be comforted, and feel safe around dogs.
Kingsley can be seen throughout the day being read to by tamariki, cuddling upset or injured tamariki or vacuuming the classroom floors. Kingsley has a bubbly and friendly face, which gives the smaller and younger kids confidence to approach and learn how to be around bigger dogs.”
Shannon Barlow said the competition was also a chance to highlight the growing role that dogs play in New Zealand workplaces.
“When we started over a decade ago,it was really more of a novelty. So you’d hear about it every so often, and it was definitely out of the ordinary.
But we’re seeing more openness now, especially with things like flexible working and a bigger focus on well-being.”
She said figures showed 75 percent of employers who have allowed dogs in the workplace reported positive impacts.
These included enhanced workplace culture, stronger psychological contracts, increased employer brand, lower absenteeism, positive mental health, reinforced organisational values, lower stress levels and increased communication.
“I think particularly now when we’re seeing more of a push for the return to office.
Obviously, it’s not going to suit every workplace, and there’s right ways to go around it, but the shift in attitude has definitely happened, which is great to see,” she said.
The Frog Recruitment New Zealand Top Dog Competition is supported by Simparica Trio, Jetpark Hotels, and Addiction
Prize packs are up for grabs for category winners, including hotel stay for the overall tog dog (and their owner)
Entries close on 10th August 2025 with winners announced at a special ceremony on August 28th.
