Meet Louis, a talented springer spaniel, who works for the Hampshire Fire service. There are just 17 working “fire dogs” in the whole of the UK , which makes this a rather special interview.
Louis is a Fire Investigation & Search Dog for the Arson Task Force of Hampshire’s fire service, trained to sniff out the presence of flammable materials at a fire scene with outstanding accuracy in minutes, where humans alone would take days to cover the same ground.
It’s a great success story, since Louis was made homeless at less than a year old. He had so much energy and what dog handlers call “play drive” that his family just couldn’t cope with him.
He was rescued by veteran firefighter and dog handler Sean White, who saw that Louis needed a stimulating job to channel all that energy. So Louis joined the fire service as a trainee, alongside Sean’s other Fire Dogs, Harvey and Ruby. On this month’s Dogs with Jobs, we hear all about the dogs’ training and the big picture too.
Sean also debunks a few myths, and explains how they ensure the welfare and safety of the dogs, and where those cute little fire boots come in.
Find out more about the Fire Investigation & Search Dogs that work for Hampshire Fire Service.
Do you work your dog or dogs?
Kate loves to meet any and all working dogs. Please get in touch on team@shineradio.uk if you, or someone you know, would be interested in coming on the show to talk working dog life.
