WATCH: Ashton’s new welcoming committee reports for duty

She looks at him with intense admiration, eagerly waiting for her next command, her snout ready for action.

Two-year-old Posh and her loving handler Isaac Nyaba are Ashton International College’s newest welcoming committee who are tasked to keep the school a drug free environment.

The issue of drugs was highlighted last year when two pupils were expelled from the school for use and possession of cannabis oil.

The pupils were astonished as they watched the clever duo show off their skills at a demonstration headed up by trainer John Hendrik Greyvenstein from Braveheart Bio-dog Academy on Monday.

“Posh cannot be fooled. It is impossible to conceal the smell of the illegal substance, even if it is mixed as a combination drug. She is trained to only react to a specific smell. Once she has found the smell, she will show Isaac,” said Greyvenstein who trained Posh at his academy in Pretoria.

The playful German Shepherd cross Malinois came from a home with children and was therefore the perfect fit for a school. She started her intense four-month training at the age of 12 months.

“People often think our narcotics dogs must get high from the drugs during their training. This is not true, as we make the substances in a laboratory where the active ingredient that would cause a high is removed.

Only the smell of the substance is left. Therefore the dogs never come into contact with the real drug.”

Once her snout was tuned into the drug scent, she went on to train with Isaac, a registered dog handler, for four weeks.

“We form the bond between the dog and handler so that he becomes her territory. Dogs have the highest EQ of all animals, which means they read, understand and react to human emotion best. Once that bond is established the two of them can work anywhere in the world. In the case of Posh and Isaac, they are a real gem.”

The two are inseparable and enjoy playtime on the field when they are off duty. Posh lives on the school premises and has a cozy little home where she sleeps, although Isaac said it is difficult for him not to take her home in the evenings.

“She is like my baby. I can’t be away from her for more than a day. I am overjoyed that I can work with her,” said Isaac, who grew up in Glendale with five dogs.

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