Nosy barkers

Handler Andrew Hall could be describing his best mates rather than the detector dogs that sniff out potentially catastrophic pests at Wellington Airport, those cute little beagles who shove their wet muzzles in your bag without so much as a by-your-leave.

There's intense and cheeky Max, who pulls out all the tricks to stop Mr Hall from leaving him at the end of the day. And there's his laidback brother Mason, "not the sharpest tool in the shed". Then there's Oscar, who has a red shoe fetish and a habit of howling at the ceiling when disturbed.

"He's a really nice dog," Mr Hall says. "When he hits red or tan leather shoes, he just starts getting a bit excited. He just gets a bit fixated on them." MORE>>