Council’s Natural Systems Coordinator Kate Drinan said the initiative will help map and manage the spread of the weed in key areas across Port Stephens.

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“The dogs are great at spotting smaller plants that otherwise the human eye cannot see which helps us pin point areas to target,” Ms Drinan said.

“Chinese Violet is particularly problematic in Port Stephens and if we find it, we want to try and eradicate it,” she added.

Once the dogs detect the weed, Council crews then work to spray or hand pull the weed and continue to monitor the area.

“It can be like finding a needle in a haystack at times, especially in dense bushland, so these dogs will really help narrow down the area we need to focus on,” Ms Drinan said.

Both Daisy – the cocker spaniel, and Henry – the border collie, have undergone intense training for the job.

Indago Environmental Director and Dog Handler Naiomi Finlayson said the dogs love this type of work.

“They’ll go out into the bush with me and I’ll ask them to find Chinese Violet – when they come across it, they’ll indicate so I can take the locations and report that back to Council,” Ms Finlayson said.

“We make sure to always reward them when they successfully find and indicate a trace of Chinese Violet.

“It’s a day of searching, treats, rewards and a swim afterwards for both of the dogs,” she added.