Dogs with Jobs

Jarvis the working cocker and Bailey the labrador are highly trained Urban Search & Rescue (USAR) dogs.
Along with veteran handler Graham Currie, the dogs are first responders to disaster scenes in the UK such as train crashes or collapsed buildings. Bailey is also an ISAR dog - working internationally as part of a search and rescue cooperation that came into being after the 9/11 attacks.
Their job is to find survivors among the rubble who may be buried or unconscious, so that they can receive medical help as fast as possible. They are part of the Technical Rescue and USAR Station at Essex Fire & Rescue Service.
This interview is packed with practical insight into the dogs' training and the organisational and logistic support of the wider team. Graham describes their experiences together in the kind of life and death situations that few dogs or humans encounter.
Graham also talks compellingly about the team's volunteering as an International Search & Rescue (ISAR) team - Bailey's most recent deployment was to Venezuela in the wake of its huge earthquake.
Urban search and rescue is a discipline that demands exceptional steadiness, where no two days are the same, and in which their success is the difference between life and death for survivors.
Graham and his dogs travel long distances when required, so must be at ease on boats, planes, being airlifted by a helicopter or swinging from a rope so once they arrive they are ready to work.
Find out more:
Dogs at the Essex Fire & Rescue Service
Service Dogs UK
Related episodes
Rusty the Hampshire Search & Rescue dog
Throwback: Lottie, the missing persons investigator
Wessex Bloodhounds: hunting humans for fun
Louis the Fire Investigator
P.D. Albee, the cadaver dog
P.D. Jaxx, the victim recovery dog
Mabel, emotional support worker in the fire service
Do you work your dog or dogs?
I love to meet and hear about working dogs of all kinds and LOVE introductions - so don't hold back. Find me, Kate Fairweather at team@shineradio.uk
© & ℗ Kate Fairweather 2026
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Bloodhounds have such an extraordinary nose, that they can distinguish - and track - the scent of individual human beings.
The Wessex Bloodhounds hunt “the clean boot” - which means that a pack of hounds hunt the scent of human runners, who set off with 20 minutes’ head start across the fields. The hounds hunt (track) the runners, and the riders follow the hounds. It's all the hue and cry of a traditional hunt, but none of the controversy.
Senior Master, Sam Heighes (daughter of the highly respected bloodhound expert, Jeremy Whaley) and Jack Jennings, Master and Huntsman discuss the pack with Dogs with Jobs presenter, Kate Fairweather, and introduce star bloodhound, Romance.
At a training meet in South Harting the next day, we witness the gentle start to the season. Known as “tub” hunts, because everyone’s a little tubby from the summer holidays, these training meets feature short hunts and are very relaxed. The riders, horses, hounds and the human quarries start to get their fitness up in readiness for the proper season ahead.
You can find out more about the bloodhounds at wessexbloodhounds.com.
Connected episodes about sporting dogs:
Ratting with the West Sussex Warreners rat pack (February 2026)
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 deeply obsessed and would love to hear from you - the more varied the better! Get in touch via team@shineradio.uk . If you search Dogs with Jobs on your podcast app, you can hear almost 100 episodes - which cover assistance dogs, police dogs, gun dogs, conservation dogs and more.
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Meet the Flyball Buccaneers, a Flyball team that we met at Dogs Day Out 2026 in May this year.
Although you can see flyball at Crufts every year, this emerging, wildly exciting relay race over obstacles is not as well known as it deserves to be in the UK.
It's a lovely introduction to the exciting team sport that is flyball. Enjoy!
Find the Farnham based Buccaneers Flyball Club on Facebook at @Buccaneersflyballclub.
Connected Episodes
The Odyssey Flyball Club at Goodwoof 2024
Do you work your dog or dogs?
If you know a dog with an interesting job, Kate would love to hear from you! Find me at kfairweather5@gmail.com or team@shineradio.uk.
© & ℗ Kate Fairweather 2026

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dogs with Jobs is taking a break over the summer. Back in September.
In the meantime, keep the introductions coming - we are always delighted to hear about dogs doing interesting jobs!
Get in touch via team@shineradio.uk.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nine year old collie, Peggy Sue, is on her last agility season this year.
Owner, Rachel Williams took some time out from organising the Agility trials at Dogs Day Out in Hampshire to talk about the sport in general and Peggy Sue's career.
Rachel is interesting on the working urge in collies - Peggy Sue will retire from agility, but she has no plans to stop. She's also bringing on her younger puppy, Brie, whose parents are both working farm dogs.
She also explains why this sport - seen at the highest levels at Crufts and international competitions - remains highly accessible to any dog and handler with a close relationship and a liking for activity.
It's accessible to all - from kids to really quite old (!), and all breeds can participate from toy poodles to malinois.
Recorded at Dogs Day Out, 2026 in East Worldham, Hampshire.
Photo by Sean Cameron.
Find out more about agility:
Kennel Club website - list of approved trainers (positive reinforcement only)
Agility4all.co.uk - UK based agility shows for all dogs (with diary)
Agilitynet on Facebook for meet ups and classes near you
Do you work your dog or dogs?
Please get in touch with Kate at team@shineradio.uk if you'd like to introduce a working dog to the show!

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.