Meet Luther, a police pooch with a brand new ‘taxi driver’

Luther, a 5-year-old detector dog, has a very important job – and a legacy to uphold.

The black labrador is one of two detector dogs based in Christchurch, tasked with sniffing around some of the biggest drug operations in the South Island.

He is also the last dog to have worked work with celebrated dog handler Senior Constable Bruce Lamb, who died earlier this year.

Luther was a ball of energy - literally vibrating with excitement on his first day back at work on Thursday after gaining a new qualification – and probably not what most people would expect from a police dog, so often characterised by the calm, obedient german shepherd.

Senior Constable Lyal Bayliss, 49, a freshly minted detector dog handler, and Luther’s new “dad”, said his liveliness was because Luther’s job was to find drugs, cash and firearms as quickly as possible.

“He is that driven. Basically, my job is just a taxi driver,” Bayliss said.

“I can pretty much just leave him to do his thing. It’s pretty crazy.”

Luther had a big leash to fill when he first started work in 2019, teaming up with Bruce Lamb.

One of Lamb’s most notable former dogs, Gage, was awarded a PDSA Gold Medal for bravery. Gage was shot in the line of duty as he protected Lamb in 2010.

But Luther has impressed with his skills so far, despite only being about halfway through his career.

In one outing with Lamb, he found $168,000 in the lining of a car door.

Luther and Bayliss graduated from detector dog school last week, though Bayliss said it was more for him than it was for the dog.

Bayliss has been a dog handler for 18 of the 25 years he’s worked for the police, but it’s his first time working narcotics, and he said the difference was massive.

It is up to Bayliss to ensure Luther’s searches are thorough, and to notice when the pooch signals that he has found something. That signal could be as subtle as a double-take in one direction.

Developing his handling skills was part of why Bayliss was attracted to the role, coupled with his respect for Lamb.

“Basically the whole reason why I joined the police was to become a police handler. That was my dream dog job,” he said.

Bayliss has been recognised twice for apprehending armed offenders with his former dogs and doesn’t expect the new role to be easy, but said he was looking forward to “not jumping fences all hours of the night”.

“I’m getting old,” he joked.

His last police dog, a german shepherd called Knox, has retired to Bayliss’ family home.

Although Knox has the luxury of being able to cuddle Bayliss’ children all day, he’s missing work.

“He whines if he sees Luther and I heading out to the van,” he said. “If he could, he would be up in the back of the van in a flash going with us.”