Fersiwn Gymraeg ar gael yma
At RSPB Cymru, we are working as part of the EU LIFE funded Biosecurity for LIFE project, aimed at protecting ground nesting seabirds on some of our most important islands in Wales. The project funded one of the UK’s first rat conservation detection dogs, Jinx.
He spent his first two years being trained up in Liverpool before coming to live with Greg, the Site Manager for Ramsey Island, where he was trained further before being officially put out to work in August 2022. The use of a conservation dog to monitor rat incursions is a new tool to help protect seabird islands. Unlike most other detection dogs in the UK, he has been trained to specifically detect rats so that island managers are alerted and can take measures to protect the seabirds. Jinx also works with local boat operators to ensure no new rats sneak aboard and are inadvertently introduced. Here’s Jinx with his own take on the work he does for us.
“I love mornings, especially this morning. Boss man is wearing his special waistcoat and putting me in my harness. We’ve only just had breakfast! Yeeeyyy, this must mean we’re going out ‘working’ and not just having our usual morning walk! I like going out for walks with boss man - I think he needs the exercise, but I much prefer it when we get to go out ‘working…’
No clue where we are going yet, boss man did tell me, but I didn’t really understand what he said. I’m just wagging my tail and sitting still, looking at the door so that he knows I’m ready to go. Oh look! He’s just got the car keys! If I jump about a bit and wag my tail even more, he might hurry up! Come on boss man! I’m here, I’m ready! Hey boss man! Please, please can we go now.…?
I’m in the car, all nice and safe in my crate in the boot. No doggy seatbelts needed for me. They can be kept for the non-special pet dogs, not like us working spaniels. I’m a three-year-old Cocker Spaniel and have a VERY important job to do – identifying where rats live, AND I get treats for doing it. How cool is that? I’m one of a select few conservation detection dogs in the country and my job is to sniff out rats but not hurt them, so that makes me super special .
We’ve just stopped. I guess that means we’ve arrived, so I’m just going to sit here all quietly until boss man comes to get me…
Right, I’m outside (the school), still in my harness and he’s still wearing the waistcoat – that means it’s work time. Let’s do this! Watch out rats – if you’re here, I will smell you!
So, on the school yard there are lots of faces watching me. Rows and rows of children. It might even be the whole campus. Not that I mind as they smell nice, of fruit, crisps and more importantly not of rats! Boss man is putting out lots of our training pots on the yard. He usually hides a tiny piece of my Kong or rat poop in them for me to find as I have special receptors in my nose. This makes me good at picking up and identifying specific scents. Today, he has six training pots with him but only puts the good stuff in one. Sometimes it takes me a few runs around the yard to find it as there can be lots of other interesting smells around. Not this time though, as I find it straight away! So, the next really important thing for me to do is to just sit still next to the training pot (containing the rat poop smell) and wait. Boss man has taught me to do this, so I don't bark and disturb all those screechy birds out on the island. If I get it right, like I did today, boss man gives me my special toy to play with. Yippee! I love it, It’s a Kong on a rope. The red Kong on a rope which is my all time, favourite EVER! We get to play with it – boss man keeps hold of it and we play tug of war. It’s great. I pull and pull and pull on it whilst boss man keeps hold of the other end. Think boss man likes this game too as he’s very smiley when we do this.
Boss man hides the training pots again, this time in a different place. He makes me wait around the corner so I can’t see where he hides the special one. Not that this is a problem for me as I’m not a sight dog like a greyhound that only chases things that they can see. I search by smell and can easily find it. Although this time boss man tries to fool me as it isn’t in the usual training pots. This time he’s hidden it in a tiny crack on one of the posts in the yard. I get lots of fuss for finding this one and my special rope toy. I really don’t want to give it back this time. Please boss man, can we play with it for one more minute? I’m going to keep hold of it in my teeth just in case we can………grrr, I guess not. He gives me the command to let go so I better had!
Boss man is keeping the toy and the training pots and is now just talking. He likes to talk and makes me sit quietly whilst he does. A bit like all those children sitting quietly watching me! We’re getting lots of smiles and claps (and I’m getting some more fuss) so I think boss man is happy with my work today.
Right, we are all packed up now and I’m back in my crate ready to go home. This is good as have you seen the way boss man drives?!
I’m tired now. It’s been an exciting day. Think I’ll just curl up in my bed for a bit and just rest my eyes …. zzzzzzzzzzzzz just five minutes .. then I’ll be ready to go out again.”