"This means both household pets and hunting dogs benefit from kiwi avoidance."
NZ Deerstalkers recommends all hunters with dogs give it serious consideration.
"We all need to do our bit too to safeguard our national bird. But remember that avoidance training is no substitute for good dog control, and dog owners still need to take responsibility for their dogs' actions and whereabouts. If you don't know where your dog is, you cannot be certain what it is doing."
How it works
Sandy King, a conservation worker, and member of paws4conservation, trains dogs on the island.
"It's particularly important here because we have kiwi literally in our backyards," she says.
The training uses a mild electric shocks to reinforce a "Don't Mess with Kiwi, Or Else" message.
The same sort of training could be used to teach dogs to avoid any bird, or to stop them running off with your shoes, or pulling the sheets off the washing line, says King.
"The basic tools are an electric collar controlled by a transmitter held by the trainer, and the 'props' - whatever it is that you want the dog to learn to avoid.
"In this case the props are kiwi from the local DOC freezer (two victims of previous dog attacks on the island), and kiwi poo gathered off the lawn of my home in Oban."
A button on the transmitter delivers a short sharp "correctional" shock when pressed.
The correction comes when the dog moves in on the kiwi - when it puts its head down to have a good sniff . . . then, wham, the kiwi "bites".
Dogs are quick to learn when a specific action has unpleasant consequences. It's all in the timing.
"The correction must be at precisely the right moment, and the dog mustn't associate the correction with the collar, or the owner, or with me," says King.
"The advantage of the electric collar is that the correction can be given in a split second and from a distance, so the dog doesn't associate it with the owner or the trainer. It totally associates the shock with the kiwi."
When pressed, a secondary "page button", makes the collar vibrate but doesn't deliver a shock.
This gives the dog a bit of a fright, or reminder, to move away.
The page button is used instead of a correction for very sensitive or nervous dogs, or for dogs that have already had a correction but it hasn't quite sunk in yet.
One dog at a time
"First I set up the two (very unfortunate looking) kiwi some distance apart, put a good sprinkle of kiwi poo around each one, then fit the collar on to the dog. Ideally this is set up so that we approach into the wind and the dog gets a chance to scent the kiwi before getting close.
"The transmitter is set to a level that gives a good whack but doesn't send sparks flying from the dog's bum.
"And yes, I did test this on myself before using it on any dog.
Dog owner and trainer go for a walk and pass close to the first kiwi.
The owner walks right past, pretending not to know the kiwi is there, while I watch the dog.
First time round, most dogs go straight to the kiwi, have a good sniff and King gives them a correctional shock.
"Usually that one shock is enough and when we continue to the second kiwi the dog has already got the message loud and clear. It avoids walking close to the kiwi and that's it - training over."
"Some dogs will go straight to the kiwi again and need another correction, maybe even a third shock.
"Others might hesitate a couple of metres away and sniff before they move off. Some dogs will do the same but don't move away so quickly, so I give them a 'page' as a more gentle reminder than a shock."
It sounds simple but it certainly works and the lesson seems to last quite well.
"When we re-tested several dogs six months after their first training session, most still avoided both the kiwis. Nationwide records from the training scheme tell us that 87 percent of dogs remember the training for the first year, but after that it begins to tail off. It is therefore important to have an occasional refresher, and we plan to hold training sessions every six months. Any dog over six months old is eligible if it is still able to get out and about.
Good result, says hunter
Hunter James Sherriff is an advocate of kiwi aversion training.
"It's a great scheme. I hunt on a block of private land so I can have the dogs with me and it's good to know they'll ignore any kiwi that are about.
"Also, when we're just out walking - kiwi can be anywhere, even around home we've seen probe marks beside the driveway and heard them calling at night. The dogs aren't always tied up so it's peace of mind."
How did it affect his dogs?
"The training didn't traumatise them at all but it worked. A while ago we encountered a kiwi on the track; it came out right in front of us and the dogs just ignored it. I made them sit until it had passed and they showed no interest at all. I thought Jazz might have been a bit interested but she wasn't, not in the slightest. She obviously remembered the shock from her training."
Would he recommend that other hunters use kiwi aversion?
"Definitely - there's no downside."
To learn more, or have your dog trained: visit www.kiwisforkiwi avoidance training for dogs. Contact DOC, or email Wendy Sporle, National Mentor for Advocacy, of Kiwis for Kiwi, kiwendi@xtra.co.nz.
