A pair of dogs has been trained to bark up the right tree, to tackle kauri dieback

The sniffer dogs are being phased in to help Auckland Council restrict the spread of the tree disease.

Biosecurity team manager Lisa Tolich says traditional testing methods to confirm a presence of the disease takes six weeks.

She says the dogs' strong odour recognition means they can get instant results.

Tolich says it will mean the team can make decisions in the field about high-risk spaces.