Sniffing out threats: Archie's nose for nuisance weeds
Archie, the pest-hunting border collie, has had a busy year since becoming fully certified for pest detection.
The four-year-old is currently the only dog in New Zealand to be certified through the Department of Conservation for sniffing out Chilean needle grass.
His skills mean the weed can now be hunted all year round, rather than having to wait for it to seed and display its distinctive purple colouring.
Reaping the training benefits
Archie’s owner and handler is Lauren Piket, one of our biosecurity officers.
She trained Archie herself for over two years, outside of her usual work hours. He passed his full certification test in November 2023 and will be sitting his first-year recertification in November, when it’s hoped he’ll also become qualified to hunt for great willowherb.
Great willowherb is an invasive flowering weed that prefers wet or damp environments such as wetlands. It’s been found at several locations in Canterbury, and with Archie’s help, Lauren is hoping to target areas outside of the usual hotspots.
After November, Archie will need to sit a test every three years to remain certified in the Conservation Dogs Programme.
Lauren says Archie not only needs to show he can find the target species but that he can ignore distractions such as birds, stock and people.
“The tests also check that he can come on command, do emergency stops – things like that. There’s a whole range of skills the dogs are assessed for.”
Sniffing out Chilean needle grass on private farmland
Assisting other councils
In August, Archie spent a week in Blenheim helping Marlborough District Council staff find Chilean needle grass there. It followed a similar trip to Auckland in April.
Brent Holms, Senior Biosecurity Officer for Marlborough District Council, says they were grateful for the visit.
“Having Archie here to sniff out the invasive weed was especially useful at that time of year, when the plants were difficult to detect with the naked eye.”
Now in the midst of the ‘growing’ season, the duo have some busy weeks ahead – nabbing pest plants before they flower, seed, and spread. A lot of their surveillance is done in North Canterbury.
Lauren is incredibly proud of Archie’s progress.
“It’s very satisfying when you’ve put so much time into training, and then he gets out there and finds very tiny plants. Sometimes they’re so small that I have to get them tested to verify it’s the right plant.
“His skills mean I can now add ‘dog handler’ to my job title. It is a dream role.”