They say dog is man's best friend but the relationship between Paul Robb and his german shepherd Tess is deeper than most.
The Tauranga man is training his dog to become the Bay of Plenty's first Land Search and Rescue (LandSAR) dog.
"Hopefully we will be able to go out there with
her and search and find people with her."
Mr Robb, a LandSAR volunteer, was puppy searching when he found Tess two years ago.
Search dogs are one of LandSAR's most important tools, as they can cover a large area in a small space of time, using their natural scenting abilities.
But there are only two qualified LandSAR search dog teams in the North Island - in Auckland and Wellington.
Once Mr Robb and Tess (pictured) have passed their assessments early next year they will be called on for rescues in the Bay of Plenty.
Mr Robb, who works fulltime as an electronics technician, trains with Tess almost every day in his spare time.
He takes her out running or tracking after work each night and has longer training sessions on the weekend, sometimes travelling to Hamilton.
"I wanted to do something which was structured around helping the community," Mr Robb said.
"At the end of the day it's finding that missing person, that's the goal."
And it was rewarding to see Tess' progress - she was assessed at a training camp in Taupo last weekend with 14 other dogs in the training.
"When you see the growth she has made from one camp to the next, to see the big step up she has taken - and me, because we are a team; there's two of us."
The dad of three said his wife and daughters were supportive of his goal and hectic schedule. And though they loved Tess too, the family all respected she was a working dog.
"You try and find that happy medium with her, because you have got to be careful with them - they are special animals."
And there's no doubt that Tess knows who her master is.
"She doesn't leave my side," Mr Robb said.
