Detection for Good

30/10/2025

Get excited! DFG has CONFIRMED that we will be hosting the one and only Paul Bunker of Chiron K9 LLC right here at our brand new Headquarters in Mundaring in the Perth Hills.

We will be offering an immersive conservation detection experience with campfires and catering alongside all-clear and detection workshops, and team evaluations and coaching. If there is a special skill you would like to learn that isn't on the list, please reach out and I will see if we can embed it in the program.

So mark your calendars now for late September 2026 and stay tuned for booking to open soon once we nail down the final details!

Will we see you there?!

19/10/2025

Hello from our brand new Headquarters in Mundaring! Stay tuned for workshops and local appearances coming soon! 🔜

18/10/2025

We are incredibly proud to be a part of this epic program to bring detection dog capacity to the fight against the spread of Phytopthora, to protect our plants and ecosystems for the future. 🐾 🌱

Yes, one of them can’t say “chunkers,” another uses their whistle like a recorder, and they all relentlessly put s**t on each other (and me). But it’s that very ability to own flaws, be vulnerable, poke fun, fling dog toys like nobody’s business, squeal “Yes!” and dance with a dog in a parking lot that makes this team absolutely perfect.

Pictured here are Australia’s operational Phytophthora Detection Dog teams, ready and rocking. 💪🐾

Over the past week they’ve worked their butts off across Western Australia, successfully locating Phytophthora in the bush, in laboratories, and in vehicles. No matter how many problems there were to solve or how far behind schedule we got, as long as the dogs were happy, the handlers never gave up.

One thing’s clear — this team of people and their incredibly clever dogs can reach any corner of the continent and find Phytophthora.

We’re incredibly grateful for each and every one of them. They’re already proving they can reach any part of the country to help protect Australia’s landscapes from dieback. 🌱

If you’re a land manager, nursery operator, or site owner and need areas assessed for Phytophthora, these are the people to call

🐾 Megan & Kelly – Detection for Good (WA)
🐾 Liam & Danica with Milo & Squid – Glevan Consulting (WA)
🐾 Morgan & Pippa – Enviro-Dynamics (TAS)
🐾 Dave & Alice – TATE Animal Training Enterprises (NSW)

Not pictured but equally important to the project are Sue & Peppa from Quarry clean (TAS) and Avery & Echo from APEX canine (NSW) — also key contributors helping drive this forward.

What started as an ambitious idea just a couple of years ago is now a nationwide capability, led by an incredible group of people and their dogs.

Phytophthora is one of Australia's leading environmental and agricultural threats and this is serious business. These guys have given hundreds of in kind hours to this project already so give them a share or a shout out on your socials if you're that way inclined!

01/10/2025

30/09/2025

Meet the team taking paw-sitive action for WA’s native flora 🐕
Handlers Megan Barnes Detection for Good and Liam Brown joined DBCA Parks and Wildlife Service, Western Australia at the Dieback Information Group Conference (DIG 2025) last week with WA’s very first dieback detector dogs - Milo and Kelly.

Milo and Kelly are trained to locate Phytophthora dieback by using their amazing sense of smell, to help with mitigating one of the most significant threats to the unique biodiversity of Western Australia.

A DIG conference highlight was watching Milo and Kelly in action and learning how canine detection is changing the game for biodiversity protection.

For more information on Phytophthora dieback and DBCA’s response 👉 https://www.dbca.wa.gov.au/management/threat-management/plant-diseases/phytophthora-dieback
Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water Threatened Species Commissioner

23/09/2025

I am so excited to FINALLY let the spaniel out of the bag! DFG is delighted to announce that we have the privilege of bringing the very special Kelly on board as part of our conservation dog team and that our dieback dog program is now LIVE.

10/09/2025

10/09/2025

CAN YOU HELP US?

We are looking for people willing to share their big vehicles (larger thann 4WD) with us for a few minutes to an hour.

WHAT?
Allow us to use your vehicles to search for targets with the dogs in a safe location. This can be wherever you keep it, a public place or at HQ.

WHEN?
Starting THIS WEEK and ongoing for the next few months 🙂

I’m ESPECIALLY KEEN TO GET A COUPLE IN BETWEEN NOW AND SUNDAY.

HOW LONG?
Just long enough for a search or two - about 15 mins counting setup.

BONUS if you are within 20 mins of EVP or willing to bring to the pines around sledding times 🙂

Please DM me 🙂

Send a message to learn more

09/09/2025

This Saturday 13 September, Everlasting Ideas returns as part of this year's Everlasting Kings Park Festival 🌸

Come along for a day of inspiring discussion in the Western Australian Botanic Garden with talks from Sue McDougall, Digby Growns, Josh Byrne, NatureLink Perth, ReWild Perth, Detection for Good with Kelly the detection dog and Kings Park Science 🌳🐕

The Kings Park Horticulture team will be on hand to answer your native gardening questions and the Kings Park Science team will be highlighting some of their incredible research and conservation work 🔬

The kids can even get creative with the Kings Park Education team! Paint a wildflower watercolour masterpiece, make a mini garden and take home your very own nature craft 🎨

You can also visit stands hosted by Water Corporation, SERCUL, NatureLink Perth, ReWild Perth and ARC Centre of Excellence in Plants for Space 🌻🌏

🌸 Everlasting Ideas
📅 Saturday 13 September
🕗 9:30am - 2:30pm
📍 Corner of Lovekin and Forrest Drives, Kings Park
🎫 FREE, no bookings required
👉 https://bit.ly/41Gc6UP

22/08/2025

💯%

Thoughtful Thursday: What promises are you making?

Over the last several months I've been out teaching and had over 50 students at the Foundation for various events. Now that the dust has settled, there has been the chance to sit and reflect, adjust my training, and think about many of the lessons I have learned. The interesting thing is most of them have not been about dog training. Okay, they are, but they aren't.

A lot of what I have learned is about how we are working with people, which relates to how we work with dogs. Before I was a full time dog trainer and human coach, I worked in the world of philanthropy and was lucky enough to go to large conferences where I saw some amazing speakers. One of them was Alex Sheen, the founder of Because I Said I Would. His story and use of Promise Cards was profoundly moving and inspired a lot of reflection. (Here is the history of that story: https://youtu.be/ob_VJYystJk). In fact, fifteen years later I still have the shirt, use it for pajamas, and think of it often. It was an incredibly moving keynote speech. I regularly look up the website and watch his TEDx speeches.

Why was it so moving?
One simple concept.
Make a commitment.
And keep it.
People want us to keep our promises.
Dogs want us to be consistent.

I often watch handlers talk to their dogs, constantly. Or tell me the behavior they want is one thing then cue something totally different when in the heat of the moment, sometimes even using a totally different word. Our mechanics are so important in dog training. If we do not have our mechanics squared away, how can we be consistent for our dog?

Every time we train we are writing a contract, not only with words but with actions. Our dogs read our body language so much better than listen to our words, so it's important for us to be body aware.

When you say you will do something, do it.
And know that we are making promises to our dogs.
And we need to keep them.
Because we said we would.

______________________
You can find out more about the Because I Said I Would Foundation at https://becauseisaidiwould.org/

05/08/2025

EDIT: position filled

I'm also looking for Junior to help out $17 an hour to support us in a bunch of tasks that support caring for the dogs and operations, including washing bedding kennels etc, disinfecting equipment, sorting gear etc. Perth/ south side folks, if you know a kind reliable high school student with a decent work ethic not scared of dogs, Let me know.