Dogs with Jobs

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 ,...

Barley is a hugely talented 10 year old Border Collie, who works as a conservation detection dog on projects in the U.S. and Latin America.   Barley has travelled all over national parks in the United States as well as Guatemala in the course of a varied and glittering career to date. He has trained and worked on 16 separate plant and animal scents, from zebra mussels to ocelots and other wildcats...

Presenter Kate Fairweather and co-producer John Welsman and his guide dog Benjy are delighted to be recording from the UK-based charity, Guide Dogs charity’s  Christmas Brunch.  Over 50 dogs in a lovely restaurant in the heart of the City of London - what a delight. What an amazing atmosphere and absolutely no barking or dodgy behaviour, because they’re all beautifully trained.  They’re not all gu...

"Endeavoured" is a show dog champion with a lot of silver trophies.  His owner Patricia Sutton describes working life as a show dog, and the qualities needed to compete at national level. Pat is hugely knowledgeable, with an earthy turn of phrase, so the episode is packed with humour and detail. She runs the venerable Rossut Beagles kennel, which was founded by Pat's parents in the 1940s. Known as...

A rare glimpse into truffle hunting at the highest level, from Italy's National Working Trials, which took place in October 2023.  Louise Mizen Ferguson, Chairman of the Lagotto Romagnolo Club of Great Britain takes us, via her audio diary, on a road trip to Italy with her Lagotti, Dario and Sage.    This is the full version.  You can also listen to editorial highlights in the most recent episode...

This episode of Dogs with Jobs gives a rare glimpse into truffle hunting at the highest level, from the Italian National Working Trials, which took place in October.  Louise Mizen Ferguson, chairman of the Chairman of the Lagotto Romagnolo Club of Great Britain takes Dogs with Jobs to Italy.  Her own Lagottos, Dario and Sage, have had a lot of success in the show ring both in the UK and Italy. Ind...

Breed enthusiast Barbara Brown introduces the wonderfully named Oberon. He's a Clumber Spaniel, which is the largest English spaniel, and is a vulnerable breed, hailing from Clumber Park in Nottinghamshire.  Oberon works as a gundog, specialising in heavy cover - using his superior nose to clear ground after a shoot. Barbara talks to Dogs with Jobs presenter Kate Fairweather about his talent, and...

Kate Fairweather discovers how far instinct can take a sheepdog with no formal training when it comes to working sheep.  The dog handler, trainer and author, Stuart Barnes performs as the “Dog and Duck Show” at country shows. He draws on decades of experience as a shepherd for his performance, which took place at the South Downs Show in August 2023. Stuart introduces Jess the sheepdog and Lassie t...

Meet Alfie, a super-fit fox-red Labrador whose owner Chris Green performs as the "Cornish countryman" at country shows. Water-fowling is hunting wild ducks or geese for the pot. It remains legal under the UK's Hunting Act to hunt particular species during the shooting season. It is both solitary and - it's fair to say - a minority sport. Both dog and human require patience and a high level of phys...

A jaw-dropping display of human/canine teamwork, precision herding and communication from the English National Sheepdog Trials 2023.  Presenter Kate Fairweather sets the scene: 150 sheep dogs competing over three days for the privilege of representing England at the next stage of international sheep dog trialing. While they respond to whistled commands, these dogs must work independently of their...

Louis the yellow labrador volunteers at Queen Alexandra (QA) Hospital, a large and busy hospital serving Portsmouth and the surrounding area. Today, Louis is joining a monthly session for those who serve or have served in the military. Led by Keith Malcolm, Armed Forces Covenant Lead Nurse, it is a welcoming space, just off the canteen, where people can relax with people who have experienc of and...

Meet a working rat pack of Sealyham terriers, a Welsh breed, which is teetering on the edge of extinction. Recorded at the Game Fair 2023 at Ragley Hall, interviewee Harry Parsons is known by many for his work in keeping the Sealyham terrier breed viable.  He has a pack of 30 at home, and has dedicated the last several decades to this engaging, intelligent terrier. With fewer than 140 puppies born...

Champ is a six year old yellow Labrador retriever working full time as an engagement dog within the Australian police.  It's an office-based role, five days a week for Champ, who supports the police officers' wellbeing within the Victorian Joint Anti Child Exploitation Team (JACET), which falls under the aegis of the Victoria police, but which also works collaboratively with other agencies in chil...

As country show season begins in the UK, this month on Dogs with Jobs , we’re seeing some of the top working beagles.   Eleven packs are competing in the South of England Hound Show , which takes place in June each year under the auspices of the South of England Show near Ardingly. It's a timeless scene - show judges wear bowler hats and white coats and the event observes customs that have changed...

Have you ever wondered what assistance dogs' lives are like before they start work?  This month we visit the charity, Medical Detection Dogs and meet the many young dogs in training for medical alert assistance work, who are working towards being placed with a  human partner. The working dogs all live with families and volunteer fosterers at night and for the weekend. In the morning, the various d...

In the second of the Medical Detection Dogs series, we hear black Labrador retriever Plum at work. Her job is to detect E-coli samples at the Medical Detection Dogs charity’s training centre. It’s important work! Her trainer, Mark, explains what she does, how long it takes and how they ensure that Plum is rested and ready for work.  Plum is being trained and working in parallel with four other dog...

In the first of a two part series, this month, Dogs with Jobs presenter Kate Fairweather visits the charity, Medical Detection Dogs and hears from its CEO, Dr. Claire Guest. Claire led the team responsible for the world’s first study of canine detection of bladder cancer, which was published in the BMJ in September 2004. She founded the charity on little more than anecdotes and what was at the tim...

A bonus edition of Dogs with Jobs - from the Big Apple! Presenter Kate Fairweather was in New York in April and ran into Caboose, unobtrusively doing his job at Manhattan's Staten Island Ferry Terminal. Meet Caboose, a yellow Labrador as he works the late shift with his owner Michael from 9pm to 5am the next morning. Working with at least two other canine colleagues at any one time, he makes sure...

Meet Labradors Bess and Buster, trained by police in the UK for detection work in the fight against illegal wildlife trade in Thailand. Bess and Buster will be combating the trafficking of the Critically Endangered pangolin, the worlds only scaly mammal. Thailand is a key trafficking route for both alive and dead pangolins to China and Vietnam, where there is a ready market for their scales and me...

Keo works as an OK9 dog through the police wellbeing charity, Oscar Kilo.  Keo was smuggled to the UK during the lockdown in 2020 - a time when the price of puppies was soaring, and a black market in puppies flourishing. He was rescued by the police, and was eventually adopted by IT specialist Scott Parker, who works for the Gloucester Constabulary. Scott has had his own mental health journey, and...

Join Giglee, the truffle hunter as he searches for English truffle - the elusive, exclusive and very expensive underground fungus. This month on Dogs with Job s , Kate Fairweather goes truffle hunting with Giglee and his owner Tom Lywood. Giglee is a Lagotta Romagnolo, an ancient breed that originated in Italy's Po Valley. This area was marshland in the sixteenth century, when the breed was used t...

Meet Mabel, a glorious fudge-brown cockapoo (cocker spaniel and poodle cross) who works as an emotional support dog in the Hampshire & Isle of Wight Fire Service. Mabel is interesting on two levels: first, for the role she's in currently, as the first emotional support dog in this fire service. Three of the UK's 17 fire investigation search dogs are also in Hampshire (we featured Louis the fir...

We met Cashel the autism assistance dog a few weeks ago, in December. This follow up episode features a planning discussion on how Cashel will support Leo over the next year.  Leo, his parents, and Hilary Armour of Dogs for Autism have kindly agreed to share the audio of this development meeting. It gives a good insight into the level of care and thought that support a successful autism assistance...

Meet Cashel, an autism assistance dog who joined his owner Leo Long during the pandemic, when he was a 17 year old sixth form student.    Three years on, cavapoo Cashel's working life looks very different.  Lockdown is mercifully a distant memory, and Leo's acting career has taken off. Leo has recently starred as a gifted young autistic drummer in the feelgood Netflix hit, "I used to be Famous", p...

Accompany Millie the golden labrador on her hospital rounds, as she spreads joy and warmth to staff and patients alike at Petersfield Hospital on this month's episode of Dogs with Jobs.  It's a deceptively simple episode - the gentle sound of a dog padding around the hospital on an ordinary Thursday morning. Yet there's a magic here when the dog loving patients encounter Millie, and talk about how...