Six year Ninja is probably the best known proponent of "barkour" (parkour for dogs) in the world. Owner and handler Dominik Arend used to teach parkour to children in his native Germany, but Ninja and he now work professionally together.

Parkour, also known as free-running or l'art de desplacement (art of movement) originated in France and is a discipline, which demands both athleticism and artistic expression. It's countercultural to the extent that proponents view the urban environment as an obstacle course to be engaged with in one’s own individual style.

Dominik is eloquent and fascinating on the activity that has turned into a career for them both and how their relationship has developed over their shared working life, which clearly suits them both.

Barkour's popularity is such, that Ninja and Dominik have almost half a million followers on Instagram and recently found themselves performing at Goodwoof, on the Goodwood Estate in Sussex. Dogs with Jobs presenter Kate Fairweather caught up with them both backstage.

Thanks to Dominik for taking time to chat (@parkour.ninja on Instagram).

Thanks to Noni Needs (@nonineedsmedia on Instagram) for the photo.

Find out more about Goodwoof.

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Meet talented youngster, Police Dog Meika, of the London Metropolitan Police's Dog Section.

A week shy of her second birthday, Springer spaniel Meika is already trained in detection work across several disciplines, including drugs, firearms and cash detection.

Police Constable Emma Robling explains some of the training and demands on Meika, as well as what a working day looks like. She also gives some context - the Met has its own breeding scheme and lays claim to the UK's biggest urban police dog section, with a dizzying variety of specialist search disciplines. Meika and Emma are part of one of four teams on duty at any given time in London.

Recorded at Goodwoof, the annual dog event held on the Goodwood Estate, where Meika and Emma were part of an arena display put on by the Metropolitan Police's Dog Section.

Thanks to Emma for taking a few minutes to talk about Meika's talents and work.

Thanks to Noni Needs (@nonineedsmedia on IG) for the photo.

Related episodes:

• P.D. Ted, the explosives detection dog with the West Midlands Police
• P.D. Jax the victim recovery dog with Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary;
• Champ, the office based engagement dog in child protection team in the Victorian police in Australia
• Mabel the emotional support dog in the Hampshire & Isle of Wight fire service
• P.D. Didi, the general purpose police dog
• Keo, the wellbeing support dog in the police

More photos at shineradio.uk/dogswithjobs

Do you work your dog or dogs?

Or perhaps know someone else whose dog is dooing an interesting job. I love to hear about dogs with interesting dogs.

Find me at kfairweather5@gmail.com or team@shineradio.uk.

© & ℗ Kate Fairweather 2024

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hear about the vital contribution to seabird conservation made by Reid, an English springer spaniel who works as a rodent detection dog in the Scottish islands.

Conservationist and handler Rachel Cripps talks to presenter Kate Fairweather about Reid's work, visiting Scotland's islands during the course of the year, in all weathers, searching for evidence of rat incursions.

Biosecurity is the practice of protecting places from the threats to wildlife posed by the introduction of new diseases or types of plants or animals that do not naturally occur there.

The work of Biosecurity for Scotland focuses on protecting 38 seabird islands around Scotland from invasive non-native mammalian predators, such as rats, mice, mink and stoat. These Scottish islands are remote, home to many globally important colonies of seabirds. Native seabirds, which have not evolved alongside predators and are vulnerable to invasive predators, which eat the eggs, chicks and sometimes adult birds.

Thanks to Sophie at RSPB for introducing Reid and Rachel to the show. Biosecurity for Scotland is funded by NRF, and is a partnership of RSPB Scotland, NTS and NatureScot.

Other dogs working in conservation

• Five detection dogs survey the Isle of May for storm petrels
• Barley the conservation dog and his international projects
• Nica, Nettle and Phoenix, the Japanese knotweed detection dogs

Do you work your dog or dogs?

Get in touch with Kate at team@shineradio.uk with suggestions or introductions to working dogs to feature on the show - she's always interested to hear about dogs with interesting jobs.

© & ℗ Kate Fairweather 2024

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.