People will go to all sorts of lengths to conceal contraband to bring into our prisons, but our detector dog teams are constantly working to stay one step ahead.

Two of our teams recently competed at the 51st National Police Dog and Detector Dog Championships alongside Police and the New Zealand Customs Service.

Corrections host our own trials each year, and the handlers who place first and second go on to represent us at the championships, competing alongside all other agency dog sections.

Dog handlers from Hawke’s Bay and Canterbury represented Corrections alongside detector dogs Tui and Kaos, placing second and third out of six detector dog teams.

The championships were a little different this year, with the trials changing to a new scenario-based format closer to what’s experienced on the job.

One of our dog handlers reflected on the change, saying the new scenario-based format was fun. "It was just like doing any other operational search. Tui is a very good dog and worked really hard over the three days.”

Another handler commented on the challenging nature of the scenarios. “This is my second time at the Nationals, and the format was quite different this time with all of the searches being based on operational scenarios. The scenarios were challenging for both the handler and the dog requiring the best from the whole team to do well. It takes a lot of training and trust between dog and handler to do well in the trials. Competing is an awesome experience and it’s great to represent Corrections at this level.”

“These trials are much more than a competition,” says Corrections’ Manager of Detector Dogs, Joe*. “They’re an opportunity for us to showcase the capability, professionalism, and specialist skill level of our dog section. They also give our handlers the chance to stretch themselves, grow their capability, and benchmark against the very best in the country.

“The Corrections National Dog Section is recognised as an industry leader both nationally and internationally. Our handlers are experts who turn up every day with passion, skill, and an unwavering commitment to keeping our sites, our people, and our communities safe.

“I’m incredibly proud of our section, and particularly proud of our dog handlers. Reaching the National Police Dog Trials is a significant achievement in itself. It takes experience, time, dedication to your craft, a strong bond and trust with your dog, and a huge amount of resilience and determination. Both handlers – and their dogs – have absolutely earned their place on that field.”

This year’s event wrapped up with a prizegiving held at the Dog Training Centre in Trentham.

* Please note: Names have been changed for privacy.