The latest four-legged graduates of the New Zealand police have crossed the grass stage at the Dog Training Centre in Upper Hutt.
German shepherds Ragner and Dax, and their handlers, Constables Mathew Morris and Nic Ah Kuoi, will join more than 100 dog patrol teams across the motu.
The graduation on Thursday had been a long time coming, said Morris.
"It took me five years to tick all the boxes. You have to foster a puppy, you have to do your initial AOS (Armed Offenders Squad) training, and they like you to have around five years' experience working front line before you can get a [dog handling] job."
New police dog team Constable Matthew Morris and Ragner. Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
Morris and Ragner will assume their new post in Auckland next week.
They are a tight team, having been together since Ragner was just three months old.
"He's my best mate. You spend more time with your dog than you do your family. He lives with me, we go to work together, we spend our days off together," said Morris.
"It's obviously turbulent at times ... but it's the best job."
German Shepherd Ragner is among the latest graduates from the police's Dog Training Centre in Upper Hutt. Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
Constable Nic Ah Kuoi and his best mate, Dax, were looking forward to being on the job in Invercargill.
"We've spent the last nine months in training, so it'll be good to bring that out on to the street, and hopefully offer some more capability down home."
Two other dogs and handlers on Dax and Ragner's course missed out on Thursday's graduation.
Inspector Todd Southall, who coordinates the dog teams nationally, said around 100 teams were put through the Dog Training Centre each year, but only about 30 graduated.
"I think the public expect the police dog section to have a high standard.
"The use of a police dog can [involve] force at times, so we've got to make sure the handlers have outstanding control of their dogs, their tracking, their bite work - all the disciplines they're required to do, they have to meet the threshold."
Dogs and their handlers had an important part to play in fighting serious crime, he said.
"You ask any front line cop: When a ... dog team turns up, they feel much safer and reassured.
"We're dealing with some pretty dangerous and nasty people out there now."
Waiting in the wings at the Dog Training Centre were four-week-old labrador puppies Spy and Isla, who will begin their careers as detector dogs next year.
