Twelve-week-old Joey is a high-energy and inquisitive kelpie pup, but 3 Combat Engineer Regiment's newest recruit, based at Lavarack Barracks, Townsville has some big paws to fill.
Joey's uncle, Archie, is a successful explosive detection dog, and handlers at the regiment's explosive detection dog section are hoping to continue that success with Joey, beginning with a socialisation program with new people and dogs, as well as training that will develop his hunt drive.
He has been exposed to everything from helicopters, gunfire and wildlife to different people and vehicles, to get him used to the varied environments he'll operate in, in his army career.
Handler Sapper Glenn Newman said this helps build a puppy's confidence.
"We do environmental exposure before they get to a fear period, because everything in the beginning is neutral to them," he said.
Puppies are trained in basic obedience that includes making sure they can be easily recalled when working off leash at distance from the handler.
They are also imprinted with their target odour, which the regiment does by exposing a puppy to the odour while they are eating.
The dog becomes conditioned to an odour they'll eventually search for by associating it with a high value reward, like food, from a young age.
The explosive detection dog section at Townsville has a number of Labradors supplied by Border Force, with others received from local rescue shelters and breeders, but they plan to keep bringing in one or two new puppies each year so handlers can raise the dog from a pup.
Joey follows Border collie Ash, who arrived at the unit mid-last year, and Archie, who was trained in 2018.
Sapper Newman said raising puppies would result in search dogs shaped to their capability needs.
"From day dot, we've built the hunt drive and imprinted odours to what we need," he said.
"They understand what's right and wrong, and we've raised them to love search."
Each new puppy that comes in breathes life into the regiment's dog section, according to Sapper Newman, prompting sappers to learn training techniques to benefit their newest recruit.
"Morale comes up, and people have to go out and find new information and processes, to help the puppy learn," he said.
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