Constable Nick Press and his dog Ink, from Wellington District, have been working together since September. Here Nick gives an insight into what they do as a team and how they live and work.
Portrait and graduation photos by Constable Jane Dunn, Wellington Forensic Imaging
I got into the Dog Section after being a police officer for five-and-a-half years.
It’s something that takes some time as there are selection courses and things you need to do before you can be eligible to apply for positions. You must have also fostered at least one Police dog puppy from eight weeks old.
Time out.
Ink is my first dog on section. She’s unusual in that she has a floppy right ear, but that doesn’t stop her being an extraordinary dog on the front line and finding the baddies.
My favourite moment with Ink so far would probably be our first ever operational catch. Ink tracked for over two kilometres and caught two burglars who had committed three burglaries.
All the dogs live at home with their handlers and their families whenever they are not at work. They sleep in a kennel and run outside. No handlers would admit this, but I am pretty sure every now and again they sneak their dog inside for a wee doze in front of the fire!
All patrol dogs wear a special vest called a MAKO harness, which is stab-resistant, when they’re at work.
For a special occasion, such as graduation or parades, they wear a formal dress coat, just like their handlers – but day to day, us handlers wear overalls because we can get quite muddy and messy doing the work that we do. Handlers also wear a stab-resistant vest, like all other frontline officers.
I think Ink’s favourite part of her job is tracking. She loves getting to a job and finding the offender who’s run away.
In terms of life at home, Ink always has a lot of energy so I have to take her for a lot of walks and adventures on her days off. Her favourite thing in the world is to go swimming at the river and doing bombs off the rocks.
Fave thing in the world...
Being a dog handler is challenging but really rewarding. Dog sections have had male and female handlers of all shapes and sizes. As long as you’re willing to work hard and pass the fitness requirements then anybody can do it.
The fitter you are, the more enjoyable the job is. Some tracks can go for quite some distance up hills, through bushes and over fences so it definitely helps to have a good level of fitness.
Just like their handlers, dogs have to make the cut to get on section. Not every dog is cut out to be a police dog. In New Zealand we think the German Shepherd breed is best for us because they have a great nose, they are a good size and because their coat allows them to stay warm in the winter and protects them from heat in the summer.
Police dogs spend the first few months of their life being fostered, and this is something you can do if you meet the criteria.
Members of the public can get in touch with the Dog Training Centre in Trentham if they’re interested in fostering a Police pup – not just German shepherds but also the drug detector Labrador pups. Find out more here.
