Return to Homepage
The Ecoworks NZ Detector Dog teams have been involved with many conservation projects throughout New Zealand, the Chatham and the Pacific Islands. We use a mixture of strong eyed heading x border collie and labrador cross dogs to search and locate kiwi and seabirds. However we can train dogs to locate any search target required by the client. All dogs are trained and fully certified under the Department of Conservations ‘Threatened Species Detector Dog Programme’ to work on protected and threatened wildlife species.
Delia Teesdale (below) undertakes a large part of the detector dog training now with daily training of all dogs from 6 weeks of age onward. Delia is a well known dog agility and obedience trainer who has won a number of awards for her dog training expertise. She is now a full time part of the Ecoworks Team.
The Ecoworks Detector Dog Teams have worked on a range of highly threatened species such as the
Taiko, Fijian Petrel, Hawaiian petrel, Chatham petrel, great spotted and Haast kiwi (tokoeka).
Bob and Tar were sent to Fiji to work on the Fijian petrel project, Dr Colin Miskelly with a blue pengui and 'Tui'.
Ecoworks detector dogs are trained to search for and passively indicate their target by sitting because they are working with
highly endangered species. Above: Tui with a new taiko burrow, Maddie in Maui, Hawaii, Tui with a diving petrel, Mana Is.
Various forms of transport into the back country which the dogs are happy to deal with.
Travelling to Maui, Hawaii via Air New Zealand and Hawaiian Airlines.
'Bow' with a Haast brown kiwi, Patsy and 'Tar' on the Chatham's and 'Tui' with a brown kiwi at Motu, Gisborne.