Dogs with Jobs

We first heard about the work of Reid the biosecurity dog five months back. 

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. 

Rachel explains the plans for winter, when weather stops all island visits, and how she keeps Reid ticking over and his skills developing. 

What is biosecurity?

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

• Reid the bio security dog - the original interview from May 2024;
• Skye, the stoat detection dog working to keep Orkney free from predators;
• A team of five detection dogs survey the Isle of May for ground nesting 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 [email protected] 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 2024

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With long waiting lists for autism assistance dogs and medical alert dogs, and little prospect of getting one, teenager Ella Walker decided to train her own.

Meet Ralph, a multi-tasking medical alert and assistance dog, who’s just perfect for Ella.

They've been together since golden retriever Ralph was less than a year old. Since then, Ella has focused on training him for a range of specialist tasks and functions, with the help and support form her family and others.

Ella explains why she always has her eye on the next milestone for Ralph. 

• Assistance Dogs UK is an umbrella organisation for many assistance dogs charities 

Connected Episodes: 

More detail and photos at shineradio.uk/dogswithjobs.

Other support dogs and assistance dogs:

• Darcey the Canine Partner support dog and her owner, a relationship in full bloom 
• 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 an 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, 2024

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dogs pretty much outnumbered people at the Country Sports Day at Bereleigh, East Meon, both inside and outside the arena.

A particular delight was the arena demonstration from seasoned gun dog trainer, Graham Watkins, whose five spaniels, including a talented two year old and a 12 year grande dame, showed the range of jobs these dogs do on shoots during the season.

Dogs with Jobs presenter Kate Fairweather, caught up with veteran trainer Graham Watkins, who has five decades of experience training gun dogs. Semi retired now, he trains just a couple of dogs at a time - this is the voice of experience. Drawing on the spaniels in the arena on this particular day, he talks talent, training, breeding and career progression for his spaniels.

Recorded at the Hampshire Country Sports Day, 2024.

Sporting dog episodes:

• Echo, Delta and Polar, the gun dog trio (September 2024)
• Oberon the working Clumber spaniel (September 2023)
• Alfie, the waterfowling retreiver (October 2023)
• Who's winning at the South of England Hound Show? (August 2023)
• The Sealyham terrier Rat Pack (July 2023)
• Meet the Beagles! (October 2022)
• Debit and Dervish, the hunting hound pups (November 2021)
• An insight into the breeding of hounds (November 2021)

Dogs with Jobs features the full range of working dogs, therapy dogs, military and service dogs, assistance dogs, bio detection dogs and other, random occupations such as truffle hunting, modelling and more. Browse more dogs with interesting jobs.

Do you work your dog or dog? 

Get in touch with Kate Fairweather if you're interested in coming on the show on [email protected].  Kate is always at the Countryside Alliance country sports show and the Alresford Agricultural Show, both in September in Hampshire.

© & ℗ Kate Fairweather 2024

 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Black Labrador, Echo and her daughters, Delta and Polar pick up on shoots in the shooting season, and excel at scurries, trials and other activities during the summer.

The trio are much loved pets, but their owner, Kevin Warburton, is also a seasoned gun dog handler and part of the Hamble and Hound Gun dog Club.

The club puts on scurries at the South Downs Show, which takes place just outside Petersfield every summer.  

Kevin tells Dogs with Jobs presenter Kate Fairweather how he keeps them fit and well for the season, and how the gun dog training and activities keep his three Labradors happy and stimulated.

Recorded at the South Downs Show, 2024.

Sporting dog episodes:

• Oberon the working Clumber spaniel (September 2023)
• Alfie, the waterfowling retreiver (October 2023)
• Who's winning at the South of England Hound Show? (August 2023)
• The Sealyham terrier Rat Pack (July 2023)
• Meet the Beagles! (October 2022)
• Debit and Dervish, the hunting hound pups (November 2021)
• An insight into the breeding of hounds (November 2021)

Dogs with Jobs features the full range of working dogs, therapy dogs, military and service dogs, assistance dogs, bio detection dogs and other, random occupations such as truffle hunting, modelling and more. Browse more dogs with interesting jobs.

Do you work your dog or dog? 

Get in touch with Kate Fairweather if you're interested in coming on the show on [email protected].  Kate is always at the Countryside Alliance country sports show and the Alresford Agricultural Show, both in September in Hampshire.

© & ℗ Kate Fairweather 2024

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Daisie is a black Labrador retriever, who works as an "ambassadog" for the assistance dog charity, Canine Partners. 

Daisie and her handler, Ellie Chadwick, demonstrate to the general public the various tasks that an assistance may do to support its disabled human handler. They do this on a voluntary basis at weekends at country shows and other events all over the country, as part of the charity's fundraising efforts. 

Ellie's day job is also within Canine Partners, and she has spent her career to date working with and training support dogs.

This is linked to the last Dogs with Jobs episode, which focused on the canine/human partnership in action - that of eight year old golden retriever, Darcey and her human partner, Wren Rawlings. They have been partnered for seven years, and Wren gives an articulate and nuanced account of their relationship and how it has evolved and changed his life.  By coincidence, Ellie, whom we hear from in this episode, is the Canine Partners liaison link with Darcey and Wren - making this episode a companion piece.

Recorded at the South Downs Show, 2024. 

• More detail and photos at shineradio.uk/dogswithjobs. 
• Find out more about Canine Partners - from puppy walking to assistance dogs.

Other support dogs and assistance dogs episodes: 

• Darcey, the assistance dog and her human partner of seven years
• 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.

Do you work your dog or dogs?

I'd love to hear from you if so - or perhasp you can recommend someone else who works their dog or dogs.

Get in touch with me, Kate, on [email protected] or [email protected].

Find more dogs with interesting jobs. 

© & ℗ Kate Fairweather, 2024

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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, 2024

See 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 [email protected].

Find more dogs with interesting jobs. 

© & ℗ Kate Fairweather, 2023

See 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 [email protected] or [email protected].  

© & ℗ Kate Fairweather 2024

See 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 [email protected] or [email protected], and follow Dogs with Jobs on your podcast app.

© & ℗ Kate Fairweather 2024

See 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 [email protected] or [email protected].  

© & ℗ Kate Fairweather 2024

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.