Tall Tails and True

It’s a first for Tall Tails & True as Roger and Deb welcome their very first guest, Russel “Rusty” Menadue!

A former dog handler with the Corrective Services NSW Security Operations Group K9 Unit, Rusty worked alongside his Passive Alert Detection Dog, Charlie. Together, they were Team Menadue, callsign K9 418, detecting drugs inside NSW gaols.

We chat with Rusty about his time in corrections, his subsequent work as a firefighter, and how he and Roger first met. A chance to hear another perspective on working life with a dog by your side—and a few stories along the way.

Roger kicks off Episode 22 on a ride with the Gunfighters Motorcycle Club before taking us back on the job with police dog Anja.

From a siege to the search for a suspect armed with a Tommy gun, Roger shares more stories of their tactical work together. We also head into cannabis plantations, including a job in Nowra with Kancho.

More firsthand stories from a policing career where you never quite knew what the next call would bring.

A touch of Hannibal Lecter, remarkable restraint and an instinct that may have saved a life—meet Anja.

After an opening chat about dog training, Roger shares how Anja became his partner in both tactical and general purpose police work. He recalls a confrontation outside a Kings Cross hotel, where she acted before he realised what was unfolding, intervening as an offender armed with a box cutter was about to attack a security guard.

From ignoring stray dogs and squawking pet macaws to raising future police dogs, Anja’s story reveals her character, capabilities and the qualities that training alone can’t guarantee.

Roger’s back from the NT Police Muster in Moama, with old friends, shared memories and a river cruise that didn’t quite go to plan.

Then we tackle the main topic: self-defence. Drawing on Roger’s policing and martial arts experience, we discuss situational awareness, confidence without overconfidence, and the limitations of a short course. From recognising danger and finding a way out to learning how to fall and get back up, the conversation goes well beyond fighting.

We finish with Cossack, a powerful police dog with a status-seeking personality, a brief introduction to Red Dog, and a glimpse of Anja—the little pocket rocket whose story continues next episode.

An armed hold-up in Surry Hills leads to a tense search and an unexpected discovery. Roger Mayer recalls a dangerous night that had more than a few surprises in store.

We also catch up on Roger’s weekend in Wellington with Loose Leads Dog Training and look ahead to his upcoming NT Police muster.

In a heartfelt moment, Roger pays tribute to young Constable Mia Lay on the day of her funeral, with thoughts for her family, friends and police colleagues.

And we celebrate Roger’s 70th birthday—a special milestone following his recent world jiu-jitsu championship win.

Why doesn’t Roger like guard dogs? Deb asks him about a comment from an earlier episode, and Roger explains his concerns for the dogs themselves, as well as what happens when constant barking or repeated alarms become easy to ignore.

That leads to a new story from the revised edition of Roger’s book. In Sydney, a “Mr Big” and his crew used repeated alarms to draw security out, hide and wait until the alarms were dismissed as false. Roger’s arrest of Mr Big for trespass then took unexpected turns involving the National Crime Authority and an Internal Affairs investigation.

The story also raises a serious question: what do you do when someone senior directs you to do something you believe isn’t lawful?

Roger is back from Japan with a world title (gold medal), a silver medal and plenty of stories from the trip. He shares what it was like competing at the SJJIF World Championships before we turn to a question from one of our listeners, Jeannette: what is the funniest hiding place or chase you have ever had with a dog?

That question takes us back to the Dog Squad. Kancho tracks down crooks after a break-in, Roger recalls falling through one roof and getting stuck on another, and Dax the Rottweiler joins him for a bushcraft course with a lesson in camouflage.

Have a question for Roger about policing or dog training? Send it in for a future episode of Tall Tails & True.

An inmate escapes from custody, a knife-wielding offender, riots in Sydney — and a police dog who paid the ultimate price.

In Episode 16 of Tall Tails and True, Roger takes us through some of the more confronting incidents from his years in the NSW Police.

We hear about a juvenile offender who escaped while being transported from a police station, and Roger’s pursuit and arrest with Jane by his side.

Roger then recounts the arrest of a Frenchman who had stabbed multiple people in Sydney, including a police officer, before barricading himself inside a house.

It raises an important question: why wasn’t Kancho sent in?

Roger explains the protocols around deploying police dogs when knives are involved, why protecting the dogs is such an important consideration, and the tragic reality that some police dogs have been killed or seriously injured in the line of duty.

We also revisit Roger’s involvement in the Redfern and Cronulla riots. At Redfern, Roger’s dog Anja was right there alongside him, bravely working as rocks were being thrown at police. Even after being struck in the leg by a rock and bleeding, Anja continued trying to catch the rocks being thrown.

And to finish, we bring Roger’s story right up to the present. At the time of recording, he’s preparing to head to Japan to compete in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

From chasing offenders to chasing submissions — Roger clearly isn’t slowing down anytime soon.

Listen to Episode 16 of Tall Tails and True NOW

A stolen car. A smash-and-grab. A police dog named Kancho. And a pursuit that ends with Roger and Kancho taking an unexpected plunge into Blackwattle Bay.

In Episode 15, Roger recounts another memorable story from his years in the NSW Police Dog Unit, tracking offenders believed to be responsible for a daring robbery at a high-end Oxford Street boutique.

Before the chase, Roger answers Matt’s question about the hardest types of people he encountered during his policing career.

And, naturally, an episode about Kancho wouldn’t be complete without hearing about his reputation for biting offenders — along with some allegations from Roger’s fellow officers!

Another story from Roger’s book, another chapter from a remarkable career… and one very memorable swim.

What happens when a police dog goes missing in the middle of a job? As it turns out, it’s happened to Roger—and he’s got some stories to tell!

In this episode, Roger recalls a couple of occasions when he lost track of his own dog while out on the job, along with some stories of other handlers who found themselves in the same predicament. Because even highly trained police dogs don’t always do exactly what they’re supposed to!

But the episode takes a much more serious turn as Roger recounts his involvement in the Bathurst riots of 1985. He shares what it was like to be there, the danger faced by police on the ground, and an experience that remains one of the more confronting moments of his career.

From lost dogs and frantic searches to a night of real danger and uncertainty, this episode is another glimpse into the unpredictable reality of life in the police and the Dog Squad.

Tall Tails & True — real stories from a life with police dogs.