Top Dog Tour Magazine- Edition 2

You’ve heard of police dogs and sniffer dogs,
but how about a seagull patrol dog, or a
pooch who works as an estate agent model?
These are just some of the positions held by our
four-legged friends in Odd Jobs for Dogs.
“To do something with a sense of purpose can
be really helpful for a dog, especially a working
breed,” says Xavier Diekman, who works with
Rasy the seagull patrol dog. “Giving Rasy a task
like this improves her quality of life.”
Two-year-old Rasy’s job description is to keep
the promenades around Sydney Opera House
free from seagulls, so diners at the waterfront’s
picturesque bars and cafes can enjoy a pleasant
lunch without being mobbed by the pesky birds.
In reality this means she gets to walk in the fresh
air, chase seagulls and have lots of fuss from
grateful patrons – what more could a dog want?
“Rasy gets paid in the way that dogs like best,
which is treats, cuddles and lots of affection,”
says Xavier. “She’s a bit of a celebrity here.”
From chasing away birds to protecting them,
another star of the film is Hoki, a protected
species dog. Along the backcountry rivers of
New Zealand, the springer spaniel / border
collie cross uses her keen sense of smell to find
endangered ducks, which helps conservationists
monitor whether schemes to protect the birds
are working.
“If you’ve got a dog you can get a more accurate
picture of what the duck population is doing,”
says Hoki’s owner Paul van Klink. “The ducks
she sometimes finds – it’s quite incredible where
she can smell them from.
“Once she’s found a bird she watches it for
a bit, but then yawns and wants to carry on,”
continues Paul. “She’s got a work ethic like no
other – she loves going out there and gets very
excited when she knows she’s going to work.”
Also starring in the film is Teddy, who’s training
to be an actor, and Tiffany, a shih tzu / cavalier
cross, who uses her adorable looks to help sell
houses. And these wide-ranging roles for our
four-legged friends have one thing in common
– job satisfaction is high!
3 more incredible jobs for dogs
• Skydiving: The Colombian Air Force has
trained sniffer dogs to skydive, so they
can come on missions in the most remote
regions
• Reindeer herding: In Finland, the Lapponian
herder is a result of a female wolf / male
dog hybridisation for herding and guarding
reindeer
• Lobster fishing: In Florida, fisherman Alex
Schulze has taught his labrador Lila to dive
and retrieve lobsters from the ocean floor
TOP DOG FILM FESTIVAL TOUR - EDITION 2