Spirits are high as 18 dogs and their owners brave the rain to clear rats from an area of cover crop on a shooting estate in Hampshire.

It’s a “bobbery” pack of different breeds, from a sizeable lurcher to a mini sausage dog, along with terriers and hounds. Host Kate Fairweather marvels at how the different breeds instinctively apply their skills to the jobs that suit them best - marking the rat holes, digging or standing by to chase any rats that slip past the terriers.

After months spent gorging on grain left for the pheasants, the rats have multiplied in the area around the grain bins and ‘cover crop’. Poison is the only alternative to dogs, with the attendant risks to wildlife, so the gamekeeper welcomes the rat pack as the most effective and humane option.

It’s noisy, it’s muddy, it’s exciting and it’s certainly quick - a hard bite to the neck, combined with a shake kills the rats instantly, and the dogs move on to the next, cheered on by their owners.

Kate Fairweather was guest of the West Sussex Warreners.

Connected Episodes

Dogs with Jobs features the full range of working dogs, therapy dogs, military and service dogs, assistance dogs, bio detection dogs, sporting dogs and other more unusual occupations such as truffle hunting, modelling and conservation detection work.

If you enjoyed this, you may also like other episodes that feature sporting dogs and hunting hounds:

• Meet the Sealyham terrier rat pack , recorded at the Game Fair (August 2023)
• Who’s winning at the South of England Hound Show? (August 2023)
• Meet the South Down Bloodhounds (November 2022)
• Meet the Beagles! (October 2022)
• Debit and Dervish, the hunting hound pups (November 2021)
• An insight into the breeding of hounds (November 2021)

Do you work your dog or dogs?

Kate is generally obsessed with working dogs and loves to hear about them – the more varied the better! Keep the introductions coming!

If you, or someone you know works their dog or dogs, and would consider being interviewed on Dogs with Jobs, please get in touch with Kate via team@shineradio.uk.

© & ℗ Kate Fairweather 2026

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Albert is a clever young working cocker showing plenty of talent at his grisly, yet very important job.

P.C. Matt Thompson of the West Midlands Police is a joy to listen to - he is focused 100% on Albert while he's waiting for his next "big" dog. Albee is showing plenty of potential and Matt is an articulate and humorous interviewee.

Please be aware that, there is some detail about the reality of life as a victim recovery dog, which some might find unsettling.

If you found this episode interesting, you may enjoy hearing about several other dogs in a similar line of work. As Matt explains in this interview - Albee works in the city, but the job can be very different in different areas of the country, and these interviews illustrate that difference:

• Jax the victim recovery dog with Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary - who does a live demo on the show. Jax' handler is strong on the human element; and
• Rambo the forensic police dog, with some detail about recovering victims from water - a sub-specialism of this discipline.

More amazing police dogs (other working dogs are available on the podcast - just scroll through).

• Oreo, the digital asset dog
• Billy the drug detection dog
• The UK's National Police Dog Trials 2025
• P.D. Viper the firearms support dog
• P.D. Chase and the career arc of a general purpose police dog
• P.D. Meika, who searches for London criminals' cash, drugs and firearms
• P.D. Ted, the explosives detection dog with the West Midlands Police

• Mika, the well being and trauma support dog in the Metropolitan Police
• Champ, the engagement dog working in child protection in the Victoria 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 2026

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this Christmas and 5th birthday special programme, creators Kate Fairweather and John Welsman pick some of their favourite episodes to celebrate five years of fun making podcasts together.

Episodes referred to in this episode:

• The National Police Trials 2025
• Nathan Foy on the guide dogs that have taken him from boyhood to parenthood,
• Harley, the peanut allergen detection dog
• From first steps to a Canicross ultramarathon for Logan the spaniel and owner Sara
• Billy, the drugs detection dog of the West Midlands Police

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 team@shineradio.uk.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.