The Department of Conservation is hosting a free Kiwi Avoidance training session at Egans Park in Kaimarama this Saturday.

The aim of the session is to educate dogs to stay away from kiwis they may encounter and to teach owners on the importance of proper dog control.

Dog owner Garrick Simpson going through DOC Kiwi Avoidance Training with recreation historic ranger Karl Fisher. Photo: Supplied

Training sessions occur once monthly and it takes roughly about 15 minutes to train individual dogs.

Recreation historic ranger Karl Fisher says dogs should be nine months or older and have basic handling training.

'You come along with your dog and go through an obstacle course that has a fake kiwi with some fresh kiwi scent and other bits and pieces on it.

'If the dogs show some interest in the kiwi I do some corrective action and ideally the dog will stay well away from it.”

Karl says in recent times their focus has shifted from working and hunting dogs to those who are family pets.

Due to the growth of the Coromandel community more kiwi are now being discovered within urban areas.

DOC is opening up avoidance training to more local pet owners and holiday makers in order to offer kiwis more protection.

The kiwi is a relatively brittle bird and their ribcages do not have a sternum like humans and other animals, he says.

'If a dog touches a kiwi there is a high potential it will be killed. Any crushing of the ribcage can cause the ribs to bypass each other and therefore puncture the lungs and heart.

'And for small dogs like Terriers, kiwis will instantly run away which is an exciting thing for a small dog.”

Karl says there have been about three incidents where dogs have killed kiwi, the most recent taking place about six months ago.

It involved a pig hunter who took his hunting dogs out into the bush, but also brought along the family's pet dog.

While the hunting dogs had been trained and stayed away from the kiwi, the family's pet dog had not been and killed the bird.

'But I've seen some really positive things during training sessions, like dogs that go through gorse three to four metres away just to avoid kiwis.”

'I praise everyone who comes to us because I think they are doing a wonderful thing.”

The Department of Conservation's free Kiwi Avoidance Training sessions is on at Egans Park on The 309 Rd in Kaimarama this Saturday, from 7.30am to 11am.

For more information call DOC on 07-866-1100