Police dog visit a highlight

A visit by police dog Hazza and his handlers Sgt Peter Pedersen and Sgt Colin Howard was undoubtedly the highlight of the week for Year 13 Biology students.

We were captivated by a field demonstration, as Hazza tracked a scent trail laid out by one of the officers, and grappled with an ‘offender’.

They’re looking into the genetic processes that underpin selective breeding of dogs. During the visit we heard that the since the police began their own breeding programme, the number of dogs successfully completing training and becoming working police dogs is much higher than before the breeding programme began.

The visit helped the students get access to a firsthand resource into the social and biological implications of breeding – and having the chance to see a live action demonstration of the traits the dogs are bred for was a great experience.