Hear the UK's top police dogs demonstrate the skills and qualities needed to operate at the very highest level. Courage, physical strength and agility, tracking ability, steadiness, precision and responsiveness are all tested during the UK trials. For the handlers, too, the pressure is on: competing against the best, being watched and judged by their peers.

Join Kate Fairweather at the National Police Dog Trials 2025, which took place in May at the Tally Ho training grounds, outside Birmingham.

Bringing together police dogs and their handlers - from Scotland to Cornwall, this is a remarkable display of what the UK’s police dogs can do in a competitive trial.

Thanks to the West Midlands Police Dog Section for having Dogs with Jobs along. Also to P.C. Demo Smart, (you may recall his explosives detection dog, Ted from an earlier episode), Sergeant Hayley Phillips as well as veteran competitor and judge, Sergeant Nick Dalrymple and P.C. Rachel Bower.

You may also enjoy these connected episodes:

• 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
• Keo the well being dog in the UK police; and
• Mabel the emotional support worker in the Fire Service

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

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