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 team@shineradio.uk. 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 team@shineradio.uk. 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.