Dogs with Jobs
Meet the frontline workers of the canine world
Shine Radio celebrates the key workers of the canine world, and admires the intelligence and skill of working dogs.
Join presenter Kate Fairweather and some of the most talented working dogs you could wish to meet, ready to handle everything their jobs throw at them. Witness their focus and determination to harness their intelligence, instinct and often courage in their work.
Podcast of the Year, Community Radio Awards 2022.
Do you know a hard-working dog? Let us know at team@shineradio.uk or reach us on Petersfield (01730) 555 500 via the dog and bone.
2022 GOLD WINNER
latest episodes
Meet E.T. the military assistance dog
This month, Kate Fairweather stays very local, visiting Ramsdean to meet E.T., a talented young labrador retriever with big paw prints to fill. He’s the third in a line of exceptional assistance dogs owned by Allen Parton, disabled ex-Royal Navy Chief Petty Officer and the founder of Hounds for Heroes, the assistance dog charity.
Medical Alert Assistance Dogs in the spotlight
Simone Brainch of UK charity Medical Detection Dogs explains how specially trained assistance dogs alert their owners to impending medical emergencies, from hypo-glycemic episodes to allergic reactions.
It’s all down to the dogs’ amazing sense of smell, and the relationship between human and dog, which
transforms lives.
Meet Phantom, the secondary school learning support worker
Retired greyhound Phantom had a highly successful racing career. He now uses his therapeutic superpowers in his role as a support worker in the Solaris Nurture Unit at Bohunt School. Owner Erika Harris describes how this gentle giant has become a Monday morning regular for secondary students at Bohunt.
A rare insight into the breeding of a local trail hunting pack
A pack of hounds cover up to 20 miles in a day’s work. These are some of the healthiest canines around, thanks to a painstaking approach to breeding. Hound stud books date back to 1800. Dogs with Jobs presenter Kate Fairweather finds out what makes a good hunting hound, how they are bred for their local country, and why hounds are given, never sold.
Meet Debit and Dervish, the trail hunting hounds
Meet Debit and Dervish, a couple of gorgeous hound pups on the cusp of their “teenage” years. Hear about their future working pack life and join Kate Fairweather as she attends the first meet of the season.
Meet Daisy, the autism assistance dog
Meet Daisy, who works with a non-verbal autistic teenager.
She gives him confidence and security. She gives his parents an early warning of impending meltdown. Hear how this wonderful dog has transformed the lives of the entire family.
The assistance dog charity that transforms the lives of young autistic people
The Hampshire based charity Dogs for Autism was founded by a dog trainer, pet behaviourist and special needs schoolteacher, to focus on training, placing and supporting assistance dogs for autistic people. Neurodiverse people vary as much as neurotypical people....
Meet Alfie, the actor and model Dalmatian
Meet Alfie the actor and model, whose steadiness and charisma make him sought after by rap artists and commercial advertisers alike.
Hear how his career took off and what’s next for this handsome fellow on this month’s Dogs with Jobs with Kate Fairweather.
Meet Drake, the gun dog champion
Meet Drake, who has represented his country in the “gun dog Olympics”, with top scores two years in a row. Hear him demonstrate his retrieval skills on whistle commands from his handler.
How does Drake stay focused on the job and in touch over distance, in noisy conditions? Owner and professional gun dog trainer Jason Mayhew explains in this month’s Dogs with Jobs.
Benji, the trainee guide dog’s first five weeks on the job
Follow Benji the young guide dog as he starts out on his career.
Hear how his relationship with owner John Welsman and their confidence in each other grow – from their first encounter in June, to being able to navigate London’s Waterloo station five weeks later.
With training over, they are ready to strike out on their own.
