160,000+ Books, Games & Puzzles in-stock πŸ‡³πŸ‡Ώ 

Overnight NZ-wide delivery πŸš€ | Visit our Auckland bookstore β€’ Open 7 days, 8:30am–5pm

Dante Road

A History of the New Zealand Police Dog Section
By Robert Rattenbury
0.0 (0 reviews)
Brief Description
A History of the New Zealand Police Dog Section The NZ Police Dog Section was formed in August 1956 with English Sergeant Frank Riley, two German Shepherds, Miska and Dante, and some pups in Trentham. He was joined by Constables Alan Symes and Colin Guppy, who... Read More
Format: Paperback / softback
$5500
Pre-order
Releases 8th November 2026 (Approx. Date) Pre-order  "Dante Road" now to secure your copy from our first shipment

Found a better price? Request a price match

Established in 1956 with just two German Shepherds and a handful of dedicated officers, the New Zealand Police Dog Section has grown into a vital part of frontline policing. From one ageing van to a fleet of 135 modern vehicles, this book traces the section's remarkable growth, resilience and contribution to New Zealand policing.

  • Resilience of the Dog Section in New Zealand from early days of struggle to a position of strength in the NZ Police.
  • Stories from handlers of triumphs and tragedies that have seldom and in some cases never been told before.
  • The first comprehensive book on the training and use of police dogs in the NZ Police since the section began in 1956 with a Sergeant instructor, two handlers, two dogs and some puppies.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

A History of the New Zealand Police Dog Section

The NZ Police Dog Section was formed in August 1956 with English Sergeant Frank Riley, two German Shepherds, Miska and Dante, and some pups in Trentham. He was joined by Constables Alan Symes and Colin Guppy, who became the first handler with Dante.

Since then, despite some early naysayers, the section has grown to a sworn staff of 183 with nine civilian staff and veterinary support from Massey University.

From one old decrepit van, the section now has 135 modern vehicles.

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780473806224

Publisher: Police Dog Charitable Trust

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 16 November 2026

Country: New Zealand

Imprint: Police Dog Charitable Trust

Contributors:

  • Edited by Joy Leach
  • Contributions by Paul Selby
  • Edited by Dr. Fran Waldron
  • Contributions by John Edmonds

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Width: 165.0mm

Height: 244.0mm

Weight: 0g

Pages: 426

Collections

Education & Reference New Zealand and Australia Published New Zealand Published Non-Fiction Non-Fiction Pre-Orders Politics & Current Affairs Pre-order Books Pre-orders Pre-orders by Release Date Robert Rattenbury Science & Nature

About the Author

Robert Rattenbury lives in Whanganui with his wife Jennifer. A retired senior sergeant, he spent half his working life in the police before moving into injury rehabilitation with ACC. In retirement, he returned to writing, publishing So You Want To Be A Cop in 2018 and A Battered Proud Badge in 2020. He was a weekly columnist for NZME and nominated for a Voyager Media Award in 2020. In 2025 He published his first novel, Heist In The Hutt.

Dante Road – A History of the New Zealand Police Dog Section is his latest book.

More from Politics & Current Affairs

View all
  • In the Room
    Signed Copy
    New Release
    Dylan's Pick Dylan's Pick
    In the Room
    'Every Prime Minister needs someone who will challenge them - and that was you.' So said Jacinda Ardern to Andrew Campbell on his final day as her Chief Press Secretary. Now, for the first time, Campbell offers a revealing insider's account of one of New Zealand's most extraordinary political eras. Serving alongside Ardern for almost her entire time in office,...
    By Andrew Campbell
    Paperback
    $3199
    Elsewhere:
    $3799
    (2)
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Dylan's Pick Dylan's Pick
    One Last Question, Prime Minister
    From Muldoon to Luxon, untold stories from the House of Parliament Barry Soper has spent close to five decades questioning New Zealand's prime ministers.From the imposing, larger-than-life characters of Rob Muldoon and David Lange, to the golden age of Helen Clark and John Key, and the post-Covid era of Jacinda Ardern and the 'Chrises', Soper's insight and nose for a...
    By Barry Soper
    Paperback
    $3199
    Elsewhere:
    $3999
    (6)
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Facing Up to Our Future
    New Zealand's traditional β€œshe'll be right” optimism is no longer adequate to the challenges facing the country.Β  Facing Up to Our Future: Challenges and Choices for New ZealandΒ brings together 21 of the country's leading thinkers to confront the long-term pressures shaping the nation's next decades. Edited by Emeritus Professor Peter Davis, the collection ranges widely, covering issues as diverse as...
    Paperback
    $3299
    Elsewhere:
    $3500
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Signed Copy
    Uncomfortable Economics
    New Zealand once ranked among the world’s most prosperous nations. Not any longer. Why has our economic performance lagged behind countries we once outpaced? And what will it take to reverse the decline? In Uncomfortable Economics, David Schnauer shows that New Zealand’s underperformance is not inevitable. It is the result of choices β€” cultural and political β€” that can be...
    By David Schnauer
    Paperback
    $3799
    Elsewhere:
    $4000
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Regime Change
    From the two reporters who have covered him more closely than perhaps anyone else over the past decade comes this definitive portrait of Donald Trump in the White House and the first year of his second presidency. Based on hundreds of interviews and unprecedented reporting from deep within the administration’s most closely guarded rooms, Regime Change takes the reader into...
    By Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan
    Paperback
    $3299
    Elsewhere:
    $4299
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • New Release
    A Different Kind of Power
    #1 New Zealand bestseller #1 Amazon bestseller #2 Audible bestseller #3 New York Times bestseller #3 Sunday Times bestseller #4 Australian bestseller From the former prime minister of New Zealand, then the world’s youngest female head of government and just the second to give birth in office, comes a deeply personal memoir chronicling her extraordinary rise and offering inspiration to...
    By Jacinda Ardern
    Paperback
    $3200
    Elsewhere:
    $4000
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • A Different Kind of Power
    Ockham Winner
    A Different Kind of Power
    What if we could redefine leadership? What if kindness came first? Jacinda Ardern grew up the daughter of a police officer in small-town New Zealand, but as the 40th Prime Minister of her country, she commanded global respect for her empathetic leadership that put people first. This is the remarkable story of how a Mormon girl plagued by self-doubt made...
    By Jacinda Ardern
    Hardback
    $4799
    Elsewhere:
    $5999
    (7)
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • New Release
    Lizzy's Pick Lizzy's Pick
    Dirty Work
    Twelve years after they were exposed and discredited in the book Dirty Politics, some of the most cynical people in New Zealand politics are back. The epitome is Jordan Williams, with his abysmal attitudes to women, morality-free fundraising as a lobbyist for the tobacco industry and – worst and most destructive in New Zealand’s recent history – him and his...
    By Nicky Hager
    Paperback
    $3299
    Elsewhere:
    $3499
    (10)
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • New Release
    The Cauldron
    How did an elderly cleric overthrow the Shah of Iran and change the world?Why did Bin Laden attack the USA - and why did the USA destroy Saddam?How did Britain and France carve up the Middle East - and why did the Kurds never get their own state? THE ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO THE MAKING OF TODAY'S MIDDLE EAST: A SPELLBINDING...
    By Simon Sebag Montefiore
    Hardback
    $4999
    Elsewhere:
    $6000
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Dylan's Pick Dylan's Pick
    Suicidal Empathy
    The bestselling author of The Parasitic Mind shows why empathy in politics leads to civilizational collapse. What happens when a society elevates victimhood to a virtue and decides that punishment is cruel? You get the disease Dr. Gad Saad calls suicidal empathy. And the West may be terminally infected. In his new book, Suicidal Empathy, Saad unleashes a blistering critique...
    By Gad Saad
    Paperback
    $3099
    Elsewhere:
    $3799
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • 1984 Nineteen Eighty-Four
    In the drab and oppressive world of 1984 Nineteen Eighty-Four, George Orwell introduces us to Winston Smith, a man haunted by the omnipresent surveillance and control exercised by the Party and its enigmatic leader, Big Brother. Winston works diligently at the Ministry of Truth, where his job is to alter historical records to fit the ever-changing narrative dictated by the...
    By George Orwell
    Paperback
    $1299
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • New Release
    End Times Fascism
    A blistering expose of the new far-right apocalyptic alliance that's on the move around the globe - and how we resist. The far right is on the march again - but this time it's different. A new, apocalyptic alliance of religious fundamentalists, billionaire Silicon Valley tech kings and ethno-nationalists is on the move. They're united in their belief that some...
    By Astra Taylor and Naomi Klein
    Paperback
    $3299
    Elsewhere:
    $4000
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow

Why buy from us?

Book Hero is not a chain store or big box retailer. We're an independent 100% NZ-owned business on a mission to help more Kiwis rediscover a love of books and reading!

Service & Delivery

Service & Delivery

Our warehouse in Auckland holds over 160,000 books, toys, board games and puzzles in-stock so you're not waiting for your order to arrive from overseas.

Auckland Bookstore

Auckland Bookstore

We're primarily an online store, but for your convenience you can pick up your order for free from our bookstore, which is right next door to our warehouse in Hobsonville.

Our Gifting Service

Our Gifting Service

Books make wonderful thoughtful gifts and we're here to help with gift-wrapping and cards. We can even send your gift directly to your loved one.

Politics & Current Affairs lists from the team

Explore our curated lists from our heroes to find your next read!

The Latest at Book Hero

View all