THEY SAY a celeb has made it when they’re know by their first name only – Adele, Bono, Oprah …. so Benny, whose Sunday name is Champion Scotiabear Talk Of The Town at Rathmil, JW, ShCM, must be a real A-lister.

Benson, known as Benny to his friends, is the catwalk version of David Gandy; a canine supermodel; a 75cm tall, 70kg Newfoundland – or Newfie as the dogs are affectionately known.

Owner June Milne, a member of Rathven Institute in Banffshire since 1968, has been showing Benny since he was six months old, and it was clear from the start that he was a natural.

“At his first show, the Scottish Kennel Club in 2008, he won First In Puppy and Best Puppy In Breed,” said June, who has owned dogs all her life. “And he’s been winning ever since. We knew from day one that Benny was an excellent specimen of the breed.

“I first saw him when he was three days old and he came home with us when he was eight weeks old. At that point we had the other two Newfies so it was quite a household. It was time to get a motorhome when Benny arrived!”

“There’s a lot of travelling involved in showing a dog wherever you live, but especially when you are in the north of Scotland. Most shows have camping and caravanning facilities and it’s a great way to get to know other people with show dogs.

“We’ve thoroughly enjoyed the social aspects and our favourite show has always been the Border Union Agricultural Society show in Kelso. It’s a lovely town, with very welcoming people who describe the show as ‘Little Crufts’ and there’s great walking along the river for the dogs.”

Although some show dogs have a strict regime designed to keep them -

and their coats – immaculate, June’s philosophy is that a show dog is still first and foremost a dog. And they ought to “be a dog” even if that means a load more grooming for June.

“Benny loves water and mud – he’s a dog, he’s meant to,” said June. “We have a large garden with a burn and a pond - both of which are a magnet for Benny. He’s able to get in and out of the garden via a rather large dog flap in the

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From guide dogs to gun dogs, there’s sometimes more to life than walkies and cuddles for our favourite four-legged friends. Here we meet two dogs with jobs – and their devoted owners who get to spend their day with a very different kind of colleague.

DOGS WITH JOBS LEND A PAWSamantha Bradshaw

FEATURE

Model pooch: Benson shows off his best pout with owner June Milne.

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back door.

“I know some show dog owners who think we’re mad to let him get messy but I’ve got my own grooming room so he gets plenty attention. Newfies have a double coat so he needs thoroughly brushed through daily.”

Crufts has always been an annual highlight for Benny too. Especially in 2015 when, at the age of seven, he won the Veteran title. And, like many stars, Benny decided to quit at the top of his game, hanging up his show lead and his rosettes and trophies for a life of leisure.

June has advice for anyone considering taking up showing their dog.

“Enjoy all of the experience. Don’t be upset if your dog doesn’t win. As we say in our house, you always take the best dog home anyway.”

If Benny is at the glamorous end of the canine job spectrum, then four-year-old Ella the German Shepherd and working cocker spaniels Izzy (10) and Buddy (two) are at the working coal face.

This trio live and work with their Police Scotland dog handler Jen Cameron. Jen who is originally from the Kilchoan in the Highlands where her mother Sue Cameron was a long standing member of the West Ardnamurchan Institute, now works in the dog section based in Glasgow. She grew up around working dogs with collies and Jack Russells. Jen explained, “I’ve been in the police service for 18 and a half years and it was eight years before I applied and secured my place on the dog section. It’s an application process and you are assessed for many things before being accepted, including your comfort levels around the dogs. These are dogs which you have to build a very strong bond with – they will protect you if you are threatened or in danger.

“There’s a matching process where the officer’s and the dog’s personalities are taken into account. My first dog was Gunner, a German Shepherd who was a year old; a dog donated to the police service by a member of the public. We went through an intense 12 week course together which is training for both the handler and the dog.

“The training is reward-based for the dog. So for example, a first step would be one drug placed in an empty room. When the dog puts its nose to the drug, they are rewarded with their toy – which is a tennis ball. We look for dogs which have the drive to want to please.

“Buddy is the baby of my ‘pack’. He’s two and starts his initial training in June. He’ll start with drugs and if he passes all his training and we achieve our licence, he may well make his working debut at T in the Park.”

Izzy, Buddy’s fellow working cocker, is already a sniffer dog although she will retire soon, whilst Ella is known as a general purpose dog meaning she helps to find missing persons, detains

anyone fleeing from police, is involved in maintaining public order and tracking and finding missing property.

Jen’s first police dog Gunner was – appropriately – also a tactical fire arms dog. She would work with the fire arms squad and he would go into situations ahead of the team where there may be a person with a firearm in a property to locate them by barking.

Police dogs live with their handlers and they become part of the family.

“It’s a bit different from the other officers who can leave the job behind when they go off duty,” said Jen. “You are with your dogs 24 hours a day and that builds an amazing bond and such a relationship.

“For me the most memorable part of the job is when we’re called out to find a missing or vulnerable person. You have an anxious family who are scared and who have possibly been out looking themselves. For the dogs to be able to find someone in those circumstances and have made such a difference to that family’s life is just the best feeling.”

Jen Cameron on call with sniffer dog Izzy.

FROM THE DESK OF WOMEN TOGETHER’S VERY OWN NEWS HOUND, BRODIE ALEXANDER...I’m enjoying my stint as guest editor and chief newshound of Women Together – af-ter all if it’s good enough for the Duchess of Cambridge… Although I need to speak to my agent: the Duchess managed to get the front cover of Vogue and here I am stuck on page 21.

I can’t hang around though. I’ve never un-derstood why the humans in the office won’t leave without a lead in their hand; I think they are afraid of getting lost. But it’s okay, I go with them and while we’re sniffing out stories, I show them where the best lamp-posts are.

The skill and discipline required by a dog and their handler is extraordinary.