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.

A window into the working life of Billy, a young spaniel with a promising career ahead of him as a drugs detection dog.

Billy’s handler, Police Constable Paul King describes Billy’s training and how they navigate the leap into operational work.

There's plenty of detail along the way - the difference between proactive and passive drug scanning. Drugs detection work is a great game in some ways - criminals extend themselves to come up with ever more ingenious ways of hiding them and use decoy smells so Paul is alive to any opportunity to keep Billy’s skills evolving, too.

Paul explains why the greatest tool in the police toolbox is a dog's nose.

Recorded in the back of a police van at Crufts, the UK's largest dog show, in March 2025.

(I forgot to photograph Billy, hence going with the stock photo...I will replace it! )

You may also enjoy these connected episodes about the many disciplines within the police:

• Oreo, the digital asset 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
• P.D. Jax the victim recovery dog with Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary

• 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 perhaps you know someone else who might like to come on the show? I love all and any working dogs and am always looking for dogs to interview.

Get in touch with me, Kate, via team@shineradio.uk.

Find more dogs with interesting jobs.

© & ℗ Kate Fairweather, 2025

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.