"Kiwi chicks rock" reads DOC biodiversity ranger Bridget’s new T shirt, produced by Bank of New Zealand in support of its sponsorship of Bank of New Zealand Kiwi Recovery. This programme includes work being done to research and monitor kiwi, actions to save kiwi, and promoting kiwi conservation among NZ communities. One particularly successful BNZKR initiative is Operation Nest Egg. Rotorua’s own Rainbow Springs is the home of Kiwi Encounter, a working nursery and hatchery where kiwi are raised as part of Operation Nest Egg. Eggs are brought to them from the wild, and when they have hatched and the kiwi are large enough to protect themselves from predators, they are released back into the wild. Kiwi Encounter is now open to the public.

Other initiatives around protecting kiwi include the training and involvement of dogs. Dogs can be important tools for kiwi research and management, and without them it’s unlikely that work on kiwi would have produced anywhere near the same outcomes and sample sizes that it has so far. Dogs have a superb sense of smell, and when they pick up a kiwi scent in the bush they can follow it back to the burrow or the kiwi itself. Dogs usually find a scent by sniffing the ground, but if the wind is right, their nose is so sensitive they can detect a kiwi up to 100 metres away, simply by sniffing the air!

Bridget has been working in DOC’s Rotorua Lakes Area Office as a biodiversity ranger for the past two years. Over that time she’s been responsible for locating kiwi in the region, a formidable job given the rough terrain and the difficult nature of tracking these birds, even when they are wearing special radio transmitters.

Bridget’s decision to train her own kiwi dog should mean that in the near future the task of finding kiwi will be made easier. Her choice of pup was Tai, an adorably cute looking chocolate Labrador retriever, now just 18 weeks old. Her training will take around 2 years, such is the seriousness of her vocation. “There’ll be lots of learning for both of us, and it’s rather like having a child” says Bridget, “but I’m really looking forward to having her companionship in the bush. When I was younger I thought it would be really cool to be a ranger with a kiwi dog, and now it looks like it might happen!”

A good kiwi dog doesn’t need to be restricted to any one breed. It’s largely up to the handler’s personal preferences, the type of work required from the dog, and then up to the personality of the individual dog. However, until recently most kiwi handlers have used Labrador retrievers. Selective breeding over the last 400 years has incorporated desirable traits into the gun-dog group of dogs, including a good ability to use their noses, and to remain in close contact with the handler. More recently, heading dogs have been successfully used for day and night work.

In any litter there will be quite a range of personalities. The boisterous puppy that is the first to rush up to you will probably not make the best kiwi dog, but rather the pup that watches, makes up its mind, then comes up to you (a more laid back dog so you are not forever battling for dominance). The temperament of a pup at 6-8 weeks is a good indication of its personality, especially its aggressiveness, which is also related to dominance. A dog that “thinks before it acts” towards a stimulus is easier to control. Both dogs and bitches work equally well and can be just as gentle.

When training a kiwi dog, there are several rules of thumb to observe. For example, it’s vital to get the pup before it’s 4 months old, preferably sooner, but not earlier than eight weeks of age. The pup must begin basic obedience training as soon as you get it, so that by the time it’s 5 months old it should have a grasp on all the basic obedience commands. A strong bond between dog and handler is vitally important.

The certification procedure is done in two stages. Once the dog has mastered the basic commands and is at least 9 months old, it’ll be ready to be tested by a registered DOC protected species dog certifier. Dog and handler will be observed to assess the degree of handler’s control over the dog, the general relationship between them, and the dog’s temperament. An overly dominant or aggressive dog will easily be detected and eliminated (as will the trainer, as it is both that are being tested). The handler must also be experienced with kiwi. If the certifier is satisfied that the dog has potential, and the handler and dog meet the assessment standards, they will be issued with an interim certificate enabling them to begin finding kiwi under controlled conditions, e.g. with other experienced dog handlers, and with non-breeding radio-tagged kiwi in deep burrows. Over the next year the handler/dog team will be tested in the field for a full certificate, and this is reviewed every three years.

So over the next couple of years, Bridget and Tai will be undergoing some rigorous training in their pursuit of becoming an effective kiwi-tracking team. This will be a valuable part of DOC’s intention to monitor and enhance kiwi populations in the Rotorua region.

Kiwi chicks rock. So do their kiwi dogs!