detector dog program - national breeding and development centre

The Detector Dog Program is vital to Customs border management and has evolved significantly since 1969 when Customs had only two dogs, recruitment being from animal shelters, dog pounds and people with unwanted pets. From these early beginnings the Program continued to grow throughout the 1970s and 1980s.

By the early 1990s, the volume of work led to difficulties in sourcing quality dogs. The Customs Detector Dog Breeding Program was developed to produce a reliable, high-quality supply of dogs.

This development included research into the best breed of dog to meet the requirements of Customs. The Labrador was selected for its focus, versatility, temperament and strong hunt-and-retrieve drives.

A three-year study was held at the Customs National Breeding and Development Centre in Melbourne in conjunction with the University of Melbourne and the Guide Dog Association of Australia.

In early 1993, a three-year pilot breeding program began using Labradors purchased from the Guide Dog Association of Australia and leading breeders. The first pup, named Fred, was whelped in May of that year. The result was a dramatic increase in the number of puppies that met Customs standards. The breeding program is now the only source of Customs detector dogs. It promotes a strong gene pool providing healthy, positive dogs that are confident in unfamiliar environments, determined and with an untiring desire to retrieve.

Many other agencies also use dogs bred by Customs, including the Australian Defence Force, the Australian Federal Police, the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service and State and Territory police. Customs-bred dogs have been deployed in a variety of fields, including arson detection, food detection and/or explosives and firearms detection.

The 'puppy foster carer' scheme is a key component of the breeding and development program. Foster families care for pups in their homes for up to 12 months. The pups' progress is monitored as they are socialised into different environments. All food, medical and associated costs are covered by Customs.

Since 1993, Customs has bred more than 1,000 puppies, most of which have been successfully deployed throughout Australia and overseas as operational detector dogs.