Joel Martin and Alfa went to Trentham last month to complete their final tests. Photo / Bevan Conley
Joel Martin and Alfa went to Trentham last month to complete their final tests. Photo / Bevan Conley
Witnessing a drunk driver fleeing an accident started a teenage Joel Martin on the journey to becoming a police dog handler.
Last month the Whanganui constable and 18-month-old Alfa passed their tests to become a fully operational team.
Martin has fostered eight police puppies since 2016, but Alfa is thefirst dog he's trained right through to graduation.
"As a fosterer you're trying to train the dog to an initial course standard, which is very basic," Martin said.
"I'd been pretty comfortable with everything I'd done up to that point, but it's a big step up to go right the way through. The last year has been a big eye-opener for me."
The pair has been working together full-time since February.
After getting the seal of approval from the sergeant in charge of the Whanganui Dog Section, Sue Burridge, they travelled to New Zealand Police Dog Training Centre in Trentham last month for their final course.
Joel Martin and Alfa went to Trentham last month to complete their final tests. Photo / Bevan Conley
"You're not going there to run 10km in x amount of time or do an exam you've been studying really hard for. You're going to do a track with your dog, and you've got absolutely no idea where that track goes.
"There are a lot of maybes and a lot of balls are up in the air. I felt confident, but anything can happen."
They aced the tests and graduated on November 18, joining 123 other police patrol teams around the country.
Martin's journey towards becoming a dog handler began when he was around 16.
"I saw one of the other handlers here, Pagey [Jason Page]. I had just witnessed a car accident and called the police. They were drunk drivers and had run off up the street, and I was explaining to an officer where they had gone.
"I was basically saying 'they went across the road where that dog's going, up that driveway where that dog's going'.
"That probably planted the seed. I joined the police when I was 20, and this was where I always wanted to head."
New Zealand Police only use German shepherds. Photo / Bevan Conley
Martin said New Zealand police only used German shepherds.
The breeding programme was a good one, with around 50 per cent of the dogs making it to an operational standard.
Of the seven he fostered before Alfa, three were eventually cut from the programme.
One now lives happily with Martin's parents.
"The idea is to train the dog without it knowing it's being trained," he said.
"They are pretty special dogs, and I reckon they're not your normal German shepherd either. They're your tracking dog, your intelligent dog, and a dog that can defend itself or someone else."
He said temperament played a big part in a trainee making the cut, and from a young age they wanted to see a really confident dog, and one with high drive.
"If you're doing a big, long track you don't want them to go 'actually, I can't be bothered any more'.
'You've obviously got to work together well as a team as well, so bond is really important.
"That's been one of the great things about having Alfa right from when he was a little puppy. We've had a great bond all the way through, and we're best buds.
"That makes life a lot easier with the training."
Alfa is the eighth police dog Joel Martin has been involved with. Photo / Bevan Conley
Martin is currently in a one-year development position with the Whanganui dog squad, under the tutelage of Burridge.
She said they couldn't "just pluck a dog off a tree", and that was why continuing to develop teams was so important.
It can take a year to get a dog and a handler up and running, and that's if everything goes well.
"I'm really proud of both of them [Martin and Alfa] because it hasn't been an easy road," Burridge said.
"This development plan is a new concept and, with Joel, I think we chose the right person to stand it up. He has done an exceptional job and worked really hard.
"His diligence has made it work and it would be fantastic if we could do this again."
While Martin might not stay in Whanganui long term, it was great that he had been given the chance to follow his dreams, Burridge said.
Martin said "future-proofing" the dog squad was vital.
"If your three guys just left within a year, all of a sudden Sue's got no operational dog handlers and three trainees.
"Hopefully there's one here who knows what he's doing though."
