Dogs with Jobs

Darcey, the golden Labrador retriever has been partnered with illustrator and teaching assistant, Wren Rawlings for over six years.  Wren explains to presenter Kate Fairweather what Darcey does for him and how the partnership has seen him through a roller coaster seven years. Having had pretty normal health through his childhood and teenage years, Wren was struck with life-altering illness when he was a university student, which left him disabled. The partnership is one of Canine Partners' many successes: Wren starts a teaching job in September and is getting married in a month after that - with Darcey as ring bearer, at the heart of the ceremony in October. It’s a life affirming tale of triumph over adversity. Darcey was trained specifically for Wren by Canine Partners, the support dog charity.   More detail and photos at shineradio.uk/dogswithjobs. Other support dogs and assistance dogs:  Benjy the trainee guide dog and his first five weeks on the job; Daisy, an autism assistance dog who works with a non-verbal autistic teenager;  Cashel, the autism assistance dog who works with a working actor; E.T., the military assistance dog who works with a veteran; Medical alert detection dogs and their lives before they start work; Breck, the guide dog and what a mature guiding partnership looks like. Find more dogs with interesting jobs.  © & ℗ Kate Fairweather, 2024See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mika is one of two wellbeing and trauma support dogs working in London's Metropolitan Police supporting officers' wellbeing, often in the face of trauma and emotionally challenging work. As a working chocolate Labrador, she's a distinctive presence and something of a one off, recruited specifically for healing work.  One reason that Mika and her canine colleague, Dexter and their handlers are interesting is that they and their handlers are on the payroll. The therapy dog model is well established in the UK, but these dogs are part of the mental health support structure, and perform a key role in signposting further support, as P.C. Morgan Heath explains to Dogs with Jobs presenter Kate Fairweather.  As so often with wellbeing and emotional support dogs, the initiative emerged organically, rather as it did with other emotional support dogs we've featured on the podcast (details below).  Handler, P.C. Morgan Heath tells the story of Mika and the original trauma support dog, Dexter, came to the Met, which has the largest dog section and breeding programme in the country. It's a moving tale, which has its origins in the Covid lockdown. Morgan was formerly an officer in the mounted police before injury forced her to give up riding, retrained and joined the dog section in a mental health support role.  Recorded at Goodwoof 2024, on the Goodwood Estate in West Sussex.  You may also enjoy these connected episodes: Champ, the engagement dog working in child protection in the Victoria police Keo the well being dog in the UK police; and Mabel the emotional support worker in the Fire Service Do you work your dog? Or perhaps you know someone else who might like to come on the show?  I love all and any working dogs and am always looking for dogs to interview.  Get in touch with me, Kate, via team@shineradio.uk. Find more dogs with interesting jobs.  © & ℗ Kate Fairweather, 2023See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A window into the world of forensic police dogs within the Metropolitan Police, the UK's largest urban police force.   Police Constable Clyde Charlesworth has worked forensic dogs for over 15 years, having worked on many significant UK disasters, such as the collapse of Grenfell tower in London, the Croydon tram crash, searches for missing persons Sarah Everard, April Jones, Alice Gross. Clyde talks to Dogs with Jobs presenter, Kate Fairweather in between displays in the arena at Goodwoof 2024, and explains the scope of work within this scent detection discipline.  Forensic dogs' work is vital in finding evidence to support convictions for violent crime.  Clyde currently has three dogs - General Purpose Police Dog Bonnie, a black German Shepherd and two spaniels - Rambo, the forensic dog, and Jeff the trainee forensic dog. Clyde also talks about Rambo's sub-specialism, finding bodies in water.  Despite the sad circumstances in which Rambo and others like him work, this is a low key, relaxed listen, and was recorded in the beautiful surroundings of the Goodwood Estate, at the dog event, Goodwoof 2024. Photo credit: @nonineedsmedia Related episodes:  P.D. Meika, who searches for London criminals' cash, drugs and firearms  P.D. Ted, the explosives detection dog with the West Midlands Police P.D. Jax the victim recovery dog with Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary; Champ, the office based engagement dog in child protection team in the Victorian police in Australia Mabel the emotional support dog in the Hampshire & Isle of Wight fire service P.D. Didi, the general purpose police dog Keo, the wellbeing support dog in the police Do you work your dog or dogs?  Or perhaps know someone else whose dog is doing an interesting job? Please get in touch!  I love to hear about dogs with interesting jobs. Find me at kfairweather5@gmail.com or team@shineradio.uk.   © & ℗ Kate Fairweather 2024See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Meet Skye, an English springer spaniel who is one of a ten strong stoat detection dog team working on the Orkney Native Wildlife Project. That may sound like a lot of dogs, but since 2010, when the first stoat was spotted on Orkney, this INCREDIBLY successful predator has bred in its thousands, posing a huge problem to the island’s wildlife:   Its super high metabolism means it eats 25% of its own body weight every day; It’s not fussy - eggs, chicks, voles, mice, rabbits, hedgehogs, fish, insects and even roadkill are all acceptable; It tends to kill more than it needs to eat and stores the rest to eat later; It’s an amazing hunter -  fast, agile, can climb well and has great eyesight, hearing and sense of smell; It’s a great swimmer too, and can swim 3 km or more (eg to another island); When the baby stoats, called kits, leave home, they can travel over 40 miles in search of their own territory. Handler and conservationist Chantel Carr explains to Dogs with Jobs presenter Kate Fairweather that just two years ago, stoats were running around all over Orkney. Since then, over 6,000 stoats have been trapped. Now the numbers are coming down, the dogs’ work is even more important, as they actively find stoat scat (poo) and can alert the team to “stoat hot spots”.   The Orkney team swaps information and best practice with counterparts in New Zealand, where stoats were introduced to keep rabbits down, but have caused the extinction of a number of native birds.   Find out more information on the Orkney Native Wildlife Project; Find out more about the work of the RSPB in Scotland and NatureScot, which support the Orkney Native Wildlife Project.  Other dogs working in conservation Reid, the bio-security dog, who patrols the Scottish isles  Five detection dogs survey the Isle of May for storm petrels Barley the conservation dog and his international projects Nica, Nettle and Phoenix, the Japanese knotweed detection dogs Do you work your dog or dogs?  Kate would love to hear from you.  Get in touch via team@shineradio.uk or katefairweather5@gmail.com, and follow Dogs with Jobs on your podcast app. © & ℗ Kate Fairweather 2024See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The display from the Odyssey Flyball Club proved one of the delights of the Goodwoof arena at the Goodwood Estate in Sussex a few weeks back. Flyballer handler Hilary Larkham explains to Dogs with Jobs presenter Kate Fairweather what flyball is all about, how it came to the UK, and why precision timing is just as important as speed in this high octane, four dog relay race. Although you can see flyball at Crufts every year, this emerging, wildly exciting relay race over obstacles is not as well known as it deserves to be in the UK. We hope to bring you a longer version, but this is a great taster.  Other interviews recorded at Goodwoof 2024:  Ninja, the Barkour dog, who travels around Europe practising the noble art of parkour, or freerunning; Police Dog Meika, who searches for criminals cash, drugs and firearms with the London Metropolitan Police Find out more about Goodwoof.  Do you work your dog or dogs?  If you know a dog with an interesting job, Kate would love to hear from you!  Find me at kfairweather5@gmail.com or team@shineradio.uk.   © & ℗ Kate Fairweather 2024See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Six year Ninja is probably the best known proponent of "barkour" (parkour for dogs) in the world. Owner and handler Dominik Arend used to teach parkour to children in his native Germany, but Ninja and he now work professionally together. Parkour, also known as free-running or l'art du déplacement (art of movement) originated in France and is a discipline, which demands both athleticism and artistic expression. The urban environment is viewed as an obstacle course to be engaged with in one’s own individual, often gymnastic style. Dominik is eloquent and fascinating on the activity that has turned into a career for them both and how their relationship has developed over their shared working life, which clearly suits them.  Barkour's popularity is such, that Ninja and Dominik have almost half a million followers on Instagram and recently found themselves performing at Goodwoof, on the Goodwood Estate in Sussex. Dogs with Jobs presenter Kate Fairweather caught up with them both backstage. Thanks to Dominik for taking time to chat (@parkour.ninja on Instagram). Thanks to Noni Needs (@nonineedsmedia on Instagram) for the photo. Find out more about Goodwoof.  Do you work your dog or dogs?  If you know a dog with an interesting job, Kate would love to hear from you!  Email team@shineradio.uk or katefairweather5@gmail.com.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Meet talented youngster, Police Dog Meika, of the London Metropolitan Police's Dog Section.  A week shy of her second birthday, Springer spaniel Meika is already trained in detection work across several disciplines, including drugs, firearms and cash detection.  Police Constable Emma Robling explains some of the training and demands on Meika, as well as what a working day looks like. She also gives some context - the Met has its own breeding scheme and lays claim to the UK's biggest urban police dog section, with a dizzying variety of specialist search disciplines. Meika and Emma are part of one of four teams on duty at any given time in London.   Recorded at Goodwoof, the annual dog event held on the Goodwood Estate, where Meika and Emma were part of an arena display put on by the Metropolitan Police's Dog Section.  Thanks to Emma for taking a few minutes to talk about Meika's talents and work.  Thanks to Noni Needs (@nonineedsmedia on IG) for the photo.  Related episodes:  P.D. Ted, the explosives detection dog with the West Midlands Police P.D. Jax the victim recovery dog with Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary; Champ, the office based engagement dog in child protection team in the Victorian police in Australia Mabel the emotional support dog in the Hampshire & Isle of Wight fire service P.D. Didi, the general purpose police dog Keo, the wellbeing support dog in the police More photos at shineradio.uk/dogswithjobs  Do you work your dog or dogs?  Or perhaps know someone else whose dog is dooing an interesting job.  I love to hear about dogs with interesting dogs. Find me at kfairweather5@gmail.com or team@shineradio.uk.   © & ℗ Kate Fairweather 2024See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hear about the vital contribution to seabird conservation made by Reid, an English springer spaniel who works as a rodent detection dog in the Scottish islands. Conservationist and handler Rachel Cripps talks to presenter Kate Fairweather about Reid's work, visiting Scotland's islands during the course of the year, in all weathers, searching for evidence of rat incursions.  Biosecurity is the practice of protecting places from the threats to wildlife posed by the introduction of new diseases or types of plants or animals that do not naturally occur there. The work of Biosecurity for Scotland focuses on protecting 38 seabird islands around Scotland from invasive non-native mammalian predators, such as rats, mice, mink and stoat. These Scottish islands are remote, home to many globally important colonies of seabirds. Native seabirds, which have not evolved alongside predators and are vulnerable to invasive predators, which eat the eggs, chicks and sometimes adult birds. Thanks to Sophie at RSPB for introducing Reid and Rachel to the show.  NTS and NatureScot.Biosecurity for Scotland  is a partnership of RSPB Scotland, National Trust for Scotland and NatureScot. This project is supported by the Scottish Government’s Nature Restoration Fund, managed by NatureScot. Other dogs working in conservation Five detection dogs survey the Isle of May for storm petrels Barley the conservation dog and his international projects Nica, Nettle and Phoenix, the Japanese knotweed detection dogs Do you work your dog or dogs?  Get in touch with Kate at team@shineradio.uk with suggestions or introductions to working dogs to feature on the show - she's always interested to hear about dogs with interesting jobs. © & ℗ Kate Fairweather 2024See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We hear a lot about breeding in working dogs. Yet we know little about their brains:  How might a guide dog’s brain differ from that of a hunting hound? Where does personality fit in with a working dog?  Can a dog have ADHD?  Kate Fairweather asks these questions and more of Sophie Barton of the Canine Brains Project, based in the Hecht Lab at Harvard University in Boston. Sophie oversees the Working Breed Study at the Canine Brains Project. This is a non-invasive brain imaging study into selected working breeds. A major goal of this research is to benefit the working dog community by improving breeding and training practices. Participate in The Working Breeds Study  More about the Canine Brains Project  Do you work your dog or dogs? Get in touch with Kate via team@shineradio.uk if you have a dog that does an interesting job. She loves to hear about working dogs. Also, if you have suggestions for guests for the podcast - either handlers or people who are working in an academic or training area in this field, please do get in touch! © & ℗ Kate Fairweather, 2024  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Explosives detection work is a highly specialised discipline within the police, and the stakes are high. On this episode of Dogs with Jobs, we meet Police Dog Ted, one of 17 explosive detection dogs working within the West Midlands Police Service, one of the largest urban police forces in the UK, which even has its own breeding scheme.   Ted's handler, Police Constable Damo Smart, has over 21 years' experience as a police dog handler and instructor. Damo was part of the West Midlands Police display team in the Crufts arena with dozens of police colleagues and dogs. Performance over, he joins Dogs with Jobs presenter Kate Fairweather in the press room at Crufts to talk about P.D. Ted, and where such specialised police dogs fit into the overall framework and resources within the police service. Travel sickness is a no-no for explo dogs, who must be away from home for big sports events and royal occasions as part of the job.  Damo explains why it also takes a certain attitude from the handler to work these dogs, given the high stakes involved. So a steady attitude and the ability to relax once the work is over is key. Damo explains what he looks for in an explo dog and what it takes to search at this level - and to search safely.   Connected episodes:  Jax the victim recovery dog with Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary; Mabel the emotional support dog in the Hampshire & Isle of Wight fire service P.D. Didi, the general purpose police dog Keo, the wellbeing support dog in the police More photos at shineradio.uk/dogswithjobs  Do you work your dog or dogs? If you would be interested in coming on the show, please get in touch with Kate at team@shineradio.uk or call 10730 555 500.  © & ℗ Kate Fairweather 2024  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Meet Bakersfield and Strike, as they relax in the dressing room, during a break between performances. These two collies are competing at the highest level in the Heelwork to Music competition at Crufts, the world's biggest dog show.  It's a glamorous business, yet the atmosphere in the dressing room is cosy and good natured. Both handlers are veterans of the heelwork to music competition, with many appearances at Cruft behind them.  Bakersfield's handler, Lucy Creek, explains what the sport entails and how she fell into it. To do well, her dogs have a focus and energy that marks them out from being tiny puppies. Lucy explains how distractions in the arena might call for a bit of improvisation on the fly. Heelwork to music demands precision movement from the dog. The freestyle round allows plenty of room for humour and artistic inspiration and the individual performances are very different from each other, so a delight to watch from the arena side. It's the first time Strike has performed at Crufts, but his handler, Lucy Heath has been here 16 times with various dogs, performing in the heel work to music category. She's honouring her last, beloved dog by choosing her favourite medley from the musical, Grease for the freestyle. With Spike by her side, their performance is a huge crowd pleaser. Update, Strike and Lucy Heath have been on Britain's Got Talent to great acclaim since this was recorded, in April 2024.  More photos at shineradio.uk/dogswithjobs  Do you work your dog or dogs? If you would be interested in coming on the show, please get in touch with Kate at team@shineradio.uk or call 10730 555 500.  © & ℗ Kate Fairweather 2024    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A fascinating and rare glimpse into the world of fox red Labrador Jax, a police victim recovery dog. There are fewer than 40 dogs working in this highly specialised field within the police in the UK.  Victim recovery dogs - also known as cadaver dogs or human remains dogs - search for human remains, blood or tissue as well as shallow graves or blood spattered evidence such as clothing or weapons. The stakes are high. On the one hand, the work of Jax and dogs like him is key to identifying forensic evidence, which can be definitive in prosecuting violent crimes. But there's a very human side too: in a search for a missing person who is presumed dead, the location of a body can bring much needed closure to family and loved ones.  It's not an everyday sort of job, and Jax is often deployed as part of a large missing person search, travelling from home and dropping into unfamiliar sites. His steadiness, sociability and love of the hunt means that he and his handler are a highly effective part of the wider search teams. Police Constable Felicity Thomas of the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary talks training, rewards and the thrill of the search with Dogs with Jobs presenter, Kate Fairweather. Browse more dogs with interesting jobs. Hear about the astonishing work of Medical Detection Dogs Florin, Iggy and Asher Keo the Oscar Kilo (OK9) wellbeing dog in the police Meet Mabel, emotional support worker in the Hampshire & Isle of Wight Fire Service, from her owner, the Chief Fire Officer. Hear about Didi the Police Dog Do you work your dog or dogs? If you would be interested in coming on the show, please get in touch with Kate at team@shineradio.uk or call 10730 555 500.  © & ℗ Kate Fairweather 2024  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This month's episode is a short but interesting one. Presenter Kate Fairweather introduces springer spaniel Bonnie, who works as a bedbug inspector checking hotels - including some household name, super smart hotels - for bedbugs.   Many of the best hotels consider it best practice, to have regular sweeps for bedbugs.  Sometimes a hotel has had a past problem, had it treated, and wants to check that these unwelcome little visitors have not returned.   Other clients are highly sensitive and don’t want anyone to know they have bedbug detection dogs in the house - which also makes sense! For more sensitive clients, Simon Chapman and bedbug detection dog Bonnie do out of hours visits, leaving Bonnie's working harness at home, and pretend to be a regular owner and pet dog out on an evening walk...  Simon Chapman of K9 Manhunt Scotland explains to Dogs with Jobs presenter Kate Fairweather how he keeps Bonnie motivated and up to scratch.  Browse more dogs with interesting jobs. Hear Simon talking about how he took five detection dogs to the Isle of May for a conservation project  Do you work your dog or dogs? If you would be interested in coming on the show, please get in touch with Kate at team@shineradio.uk or call 10730 555 500.  © & ℗ Kate Fairweather 2024See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The first seabird conservation project to use detection dogs in the UK. A team of five detection dogs are deployed to an island off the east coast of Scotland, UK. "Sprocker" spaniels Molly and Nelson, Storm the Belgian Shepherd and Piper the Springer spaniel are experienced detection dogs, but this was their very first conservation project. With a short time window in which to work on the project, a pet dog, Esme, a Belgian Malinois, was been trained as a backup.   It was a first for NatureScot, which looks after Scotland's natural heritage and, at the time, was the first time detection dogs had been used in the UK in seabird  conservation work with seabirds. Their job was to start the process of surveying the Isle of May, which is a nature reserve, to establish the size of a new colony of storm petrels. The storm petrel is a shy, nocturnal, ground nesting bird hitherto not seen on in the east of Scotland. How did they know the storm petrels were there? As part of conservation efforts in the UK and elsewhere, fine mist nets are used as a safe way to capture wild birds for ringing. Licensed ringers place a lightweight ring with a unique number around a bird's leg. Once ringed, an individual bird's activity can be noted. Such information allows conservation organisations to understand bird population movement, changes and trends, and provides information vital for bird conservation. It was through this practice that the presence of storm petrels on the east coast of Scotland was first noted. Simon Chapman of K9 Manhunt Scotland explains to Dogs with Jobs presenter Kate Fairweather how the project came about, what the challenges were and how the dogs - most of whom usually work as drugs dogs - stepped up to the challenge of a new type of project and distraction-heavy environment. Other conservation detection dogs episodes: Barley the conservation detection dog and his international projects Nica, Nettle and Phoenix, the Japanese Knotweed detection dogs Do you work your dog or dogs? Contact me, Kate Fairweather if you would be interested in coming on the show, at team@shineradio.uk. © & ℗ Kate Fairweather, 2024  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Meet a talented trio of highly specialised detection dogs, who focus on UK’s most  invasive plant, the notoriously tough Japanese knotweed. Nica the springer spaniel, Nettle the working cocker spaniel and Phoenix the Dutch shepherd devote their entire working lives and considerable skill on finding Japanese Knotweed. Together with their talented handler, Kat Janczur of Canine Detection Solutions, they work with knotweed eradication companies, landowners and developers to survey construction sites, highways, railroads and individual properties.  Japanese Knotweed is the UK’s most invasive plant.  Over two metres high in full bloom, it has evolved to withstand volcanic eruptions and seismic events, and can lie dormant for years, waiting to regerminate once conditions are favourable.  It’s a very, very tough plant, which means that it’s almost impossible to eradicate, and a constant fight to keep it down. Nica, Nettle and Phoenix can detect even tiny bits of knotweed, as well as the underground rhizomes, which humans cannot see. This which makes them the most effective way to check sites, all year round. Kat explains how she keeps the team physically fit and mentally at the top of their game for this high stakes detection work. She explains some of the techniques she uses to keep her dogs independent, and to avoid handler bias when it comes to detection work. Connected episodes: Barley the conservation detection dog and his international projects Do you work your dog or dogs? Contact me, Kate Fairweather if you would be interested in coming on the show, at team@shineradio.uk.© & ℗ Kate Fairweather, 2024    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.