Tinker Magician's Assistant Animals at Work

Welcome to Animals At Work - the show about...animals at work.

Around the world there are millions of animals that have jobs.

This is the show that brings you the most extraordinary,

bizarre and unusual animals at work.

Coming up...

puppy performer Tinker's first time on stage as a magician's assistant.

He'll have weed on the curtains.

Tokkalas, the foster mum to abandoned big cats.

And there's slippery business with Blythe, the champion charity worker.

Hi. Welcome to Animals At Work, the show that talks to the animals.

And if you're a dog... HOWLING

Enjoy the show.

First we're off to Morpeth in the north of England.

This country cottage is home to Tinker the Maltese Terrier.

Her boss, Christian, is a magician.

He plans to train up tearaway Tinker to be his onstage assistant.

This is Tinker, she's a two-year-old Maltese dog.

Stay, stay...

Her job tomorrow night is to come on stage

and magically appear and pick out a card out of a pack of cards

in front of the audience's eyes.

Whether she's gonna do this, I've got no idea

but fingers crossed...

Turning Tinker into his assistant

will be a tough act for Christian.

This cheeky character needs to learn some new tricks.

Tinker is the main addition to the show

and she's actually gonna be the star.

All the training that I do with any of the animals,

I only do it if they want to do it.

It's been pretty difficult and it's taken a lot of time.

She has her moments like some dogs do.

The kind of dogs that I use,

it's very excitable and loves being on stage. They're born for the stage.

Maltese terriers were once lapdogs favoured by royalty

and paraded around their grand palaces. Mary Queen of Scots,

Queen Victoria and Marie Antoinette pampered these much prized pooches.

If her ancestors could behave in the presence of royalty,

surely Tinker should be well-bred for life onstage.

This is really a big moment, a big time for stardom.

It's gonna be Tinker time.

Tinker needs rigorous training to become Christian's new assistant

and she has to follow in the paw prints of the great Pepsi.

Well, this is Pepsi.

Pepsi is the original star dog. In dog years, Pepsi is actually 105

so I think he deserves a nice retirement

and spend some time in the garden in some lovely, hot, sunny weather.

Over his epic ten-year career, Pepsi mastered the ultimate trick -

picking the right card out of a deck.

Tinker will be let into the secrets of the Magic Circle

and will also be the leader of all the other animals.

It's taken years to perfect what I do.

I've had some great times, fantastic shows and I enjoy doing it.

The animals I've got are my pets but they also go on stage

and perform as well.

They love doing it

and they're probably the best assistants a magician could have.

But as Tinker starts her training, things aren't looking too good.

Will Tinker be able to pull off the trick in time for the show?

Good girl! Do you want to take the card again?

Tinker? Tinker! Tinker! Tinker!

Tinker, look.

Now we're off to Namibia, West Africa.

This Jack Russell terrier has an amazing job.

Even though he's a boy, he's a stepmother to orphaned wild animals.

He's doing a very good job. He teach them manners

and it's good.

You already can see that he's the dominant one of the group

so they have a lot of respect for him and so he's doing a good job.

Tokkolas lives in a rehabilitation centre for wild

and potentially dangerous animals who need extra-special care.

Most of them are problem animals.

Mum's been shot and we get the babies and we raise them.

Jack Russells were first bred over 200 years ago to dig out foxes.

It's that inquisitive nature that makes Tokkolas

perfect for this incredible job.

He seems to have these wild animals wrapped around his paw

but mothering the fastest cats in the animal kingdom isn't easy.

Like most terriers, Tokkolas is pretty fearless.

He not only parents the cubs, he also rules the park.

His job is to teach them manners. If they annoy him too much...

bite him too much, he has to bite them so they have to learn.

If I say stop and I bite you, it's stop.

There's a bit of a comparison towards what mummies would've done

and that is to have order and rules and regulations in the group.

I think that is what Tokkolas tries to teach them when he bites them

and keeps them on the spot.

Part of his job is to teach table manners.

Tokkolas's job description also includes visiting schools.

Tokkolas helps me also not only with animals but going out to schools

or agriculture shows and we go out with the younger animals.

He lets them feel more comfortable.

Having Tokkolas there makes it easy

for everyone to get up close and personal with live, wild animals.

If you touch a lion in your life and grow up with this feeling

that you've touched it, you're not gonna go and shoot it one day.

MEWLING There's no end in sight for our new foster mum.

Already there's a new litter of orphaned leopards

for Tokkolas to whip into shape.

Although keeping cubs clean can be a little messy.

He's supposed to clean baby's mouth and also lick their bums.

If you don't lick them or don't wash them, they won't do their things.

They will explode.

It makes a difference with him.

I think we've got the best jobs we can ever ask for

because we have a relaxed job, we're together the whole time

and we have a lot of fun every day and if we can make a difference

with one cheetah or four cheetahs

and their mum's been shot and a dog and humans raise them,

we can make this difference with four cheetahs surviving, we will do it.

This amazing Jack Russell foster mum will be with Marlyse all the way

on their incredible quest to rehabilitate orphaned big cats.

We've been watching your videos of your pets doing wacky things.

Take these two crazy critters.

But don't worry, these hamsters have been professionally trained.

Tic is right as rain and ready to do it all again.

We're headed back to that talented terrier in England.

Tinker the Maltese terrier is in training for her new job

as a magician's assistant to boss Christian.

Good girl! Do you want to take the card again? Tinker?

She has a lot to prove because Pepsi,

who used to work Tinker's shift, isn't easily impressed.

Pepsi has done about 1,500 shows on stage.

He's really mastered the art of being a performing magic dog

but he's also been a fantastic pet and I love him so much.

He is the master dog but Tinker's doing very well.

In 24 hours, Tinker goes on stage for the very first time.

But there's still a lot to do to make sure the show isn't dog poop.

Tinker's role in the show tomorrow is a big one, to be honest.

In this trick, Tinker has to pick out the 3 of hearts from Christian.

Even after intense training, that's easier said than done.

She might get this right, she might get it wrong, I don't know.

Not going well.

It's very, very difficult to train animals.

I don't want to force her to do anything she doesn't want to do

so I'm just gonna let her take her time.

Take the card. Oh no, Tinker.

Wrong again.

She's got the wrong card.

Here's a card!

She's still not concentrating.

And if she wants to wander off, she just wanders off.

Good girl!

Good girl, in one. Come back here then!

Do you see the card? Look at the card.

How's it going? Absolute nightmare.

Is she not responding to you?

I look after the animals largely.

I do the roadie's work. I'm the oldest roadie in the business.

Take out the card. Come on, good girl.

Take the 3 of hearts. Good girl!

Not completely wrong but not right either.

Come back here.

I think that Tinker has what it takes

to be a magic star on the stage. Things can go wrong though.

Oh, good girl!

Christian may be optimistic but Pepsi is definitely not convinced.

I think she's very nervous.

I'm nervous, all right?

If she can go on and she can wander on stage and she can see me on stage,

I'll be happy with that.

If the card trick goes right, that's a bonus.

Good girl. Show the camera.

Got it right at last.

There's just a few hours to go before it's showtime for Tinker.

Was Christian right to give her the job of magician's assistant,

or will it end up a right old dog's mess? Join us later.

He'll have weed on the curtains.

There are some charity workers who are mad fer... Agh! Do it again.

Agh! Oh!

There are some charities who are mad fer... Ah!

There are some...who are mad for ferrets...

Our next animals at work are mad ferrets!

Now we're in Kent in England, looking for a ferret.

This slippery creature is busy gearing up for a day's work

at a curious kind of contest.

Blythe is a white ferret.

She is a top racing ferret.

But these aren't any old races, and Blythe isn't any old ferret.

Blythe is a champion racing ferret with an unbeaten track record.

Blythe is a really good racing ferret because she's fidgety

and she likes to run about and she's full of energy.

She's kind of the boss of everyone, and she tells everyone what to do.

But when Blythe is annoyed, she has a way of letting Jack know.

She makes, like, a little hissing noise.

I suppose it's, "Back off, this is my area."

I'm really proud of Blythe for what she does. She's my star runner.

And the pressure's on - today is race day.

If this veteran wins, she's not just winning money for charity,

she also gets to keep her title of ferret-racing champion.

When she first came in, I was the only person who could pick her up,

cos she was too scared.

When Blythe is happy, her tail goes prickly like a loo brush.

Ferrets have always been given jobs that make the most of their speed.

The Ancient Romans used them for chasing away rabbits and vermin.

But ferrets also like to snooze and can sleep for up to 20 hours a day.

Although they do wake up long enough to go racing.

Ferrets are very fast animals and once they've started they won't stop.

Racing allows ferrets to just, like, run round and be free

like they would in the wild.

How does Jack feel about Blythe's chances in today's big charity race?

She'll probably win. But if she does lose,

I'll still like her in the same way.

This last-minute warm-up is crucial

in getting Blythe's nimble feet into top gear.

Each ferret races through a separate tube in the fastest time possible.

Will she scurry to victory today?

For me, it's very important for Blythe to win this race,

because I think the charity needs a lot more money to help rescue ferrets

and give them new homes.

It's a crucial race for Blythe if she wants to retain

her all-time championship status in the ferret world.

You put the ferret in the starting box here.

You lift the slide up. The ferrets go all the way down,

over the swimming pool, over the seesaw, over the bridge

to the other end, then they come all the way down and, when they get here,

all four feet must be on the piece of wood for them to win.

But things could go pear-shaped.

Blythe has an arch rival. There's another slippery customer

who might scupper Blythe's unbeaten track record.

This is Sophie, and this is Honey.

Honey's the biggest competition here, cos she's very, very fast.

And hopefully she won't beat Blythe.

The tension mounts as Blythe tries to psyche out the competition.

Welcome to the Kent International Ferret Racing Championships!

Blythe's already at the swimming pool. She takes it in her stride.

Meanwhile, Honey is at the seesaw.

But look at Blythe. She's already zoomed to the bridge.

She even stops to check out the competition.

Jack's looking happy as Blythe gets to the halfway mark.

Look at her go!

Can she do it? Yes, she can!

She is the unbeaten champion.

And she's won again!

First to the finish line, Blythe!

It's not a pipe dream any more.

Blythe can keep her undisputed title of ferret racing champion.

From ferret victory in England, we're headed to the USA

for another kind of race in Wyoming.

How's this for a gang of workmates?

They're mixed-breed huskies, and as a team they have one tough job -

sled-racing. They're aged between three and seven years old.

Their boss is 15-year-old Rachel, and this is Johnny.

Johnny is maybe one of the best dogs that ever walked the Earth.

He won the North American three years in a row,

which is just unheard of, and he's run Wyoming four or five times now.

So he will be my main leader.

Rachel and Johnny are getting ready

to compete in an exhausting 500-mile, 12-day dog-sled race

through Wyoming.

Johnny!

Rachel is the only teenager in the competition and she's almost blind.

She can see basic shapes, but only to a distance of ten feet.

She's determined to be the first blind teenager to attempt the race.

I can handle anything that gets thrown at me just like anyone else.

It is unusual, without a doubt,

for a legally blind kid to compete against the best in the world.

They're off to the International Pedigree Stage Stop dog-sled race.

This is one of the longest, most difficult trails in the world.

They'll climb up to 10,000 feet in the mountainous terrain

and then face dangerous descents. As the only teenager,

Rachel is up against world-class, experienced mushers

and has to rely heavily on Johnny's expertise and knowledge.

Are you ready?

Three, two, one, go!

Rachel and her team need to cover around 60 miles each day.

With the wind chill, the temperature can reach minus 30.

After a long day on the trail, the dogs can stop looking after Rachel

and it's her turn to look after them.

I am totally exhausted now!

Johnny and these guys, y'know, they'd love to do it again.

They're not the least bit tired.

This is day ten.

There's two more days.

It's going well, but the weather conditions are getting worse.

Then an even bigger problem -

Johnny spots the old track from last year, and he decides to take it.

He busted through a few volunteers

smashed me into one of those barricade things and, um,

I got dragged on my belly for about a hundred yards.

They changed the trail this year. Johnny was used to taking another one

and he decided he wanted to take last year's trail.

It was an honest mistake, and, luckily, no-one was hurt.

Rachel and her team have survived 12 gruelling days and 500 miles.

..Musher this year, we have Rachel Scdoris of Oregon!

Welcome, Rachel!

They're placed 19th out of 22 at the International Pedigree Stage Stop -

an incredible feat of endurance for Rachel and her lead dog, Johnny.

Johnny did great.

It's a huge achievement for Rachel, and all thanks to her workmates.

From the wilds of Wyoming, it's back to England.

Christian the magician is packing up his box of tricks,

and the pressure is on for Britain's newest performing pooch.

Let's get ready for the show.

At this seaside resort,

Tinker will soon be under the spotlight for the very first time.

Christian needed a new magician's assistant,

but was it the right decision to give Tinker the job?

Are you ready to see Christian tonight? Let's have a cheer!

It's Tinker's first night tonight and that is a bit of added pressure.

That is a little bit of a worry.

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls,

please welcome to the stage the magic and illusion of Christian!

Christian's opening act goes without a hitch.

For Tinker, being on stage is a doddle.

No sign of stage fright there.

But what about the tough trick that Tinker's been training for?

Would you like to see some more magic?

Touch wood, fingers crossed, I think she'll breeze through tonight.

Please welcome back to the stage

more magic and illusion from the superb, the wonderful Christian!

Thank you!

Backstage, Christian's mum Sheila has a back-up plan.

I'm setting up the old dog in case Tinker doesn't manage her trick.

We're gonna do a card trick. It's the world's greatest card trick.

Just say stop.

OK, you stopped. Take the card you stopped at.

Show it to the audience there. Excellent.

Now, go on to your daddy.

Max, take the cards. Stay there.

Take one step back.

And we need a special assistant to help with this trick.

Go and see your daddy. Go and get your daddy.

Go and get your daddy. Go to your daddy.

Ah, darling! Good girl!

This is Tinker, everybody!

Christian and Tinker have put in the hard graft,

but can she act like a pro when it comes to the crunch?

It's Tinker time!

Now, Tinker, you stay there.

Tinker, come here. Come here! Tinker!

Tinker! Come on, come on, come on. Tinker! Today!

You're getting paid for this!

She may be pleasing the punters, but Tinker doesn't do the card trick.

Luckily, a seasoned professional is waiting to finish the job.

He'll have weed on the curtains. He always does.

Well, Tinker's taken over from Pepsi.He's retiring.

Well, Pepsi's brought you that, Max.

In the envelope there should be one card.

Is it the right one?

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, give it up for Max, Tinker and Pepsi!

She got half of it right, and then Pepsi got her out of trouble,

coming on with the right card.

The audience didn't mind.

The cuteness of her coming on stage for the first time was fantastic.

Hey, guys, I've got some really good jokes to put in the script.

What do you get when you cross a sheepdog with a rose?

COLLIE-flower.

Cauliflower. Get it?

No. OK. OK, wait, wait, wait! Sit down. I got another one.

Why did the dog not talk to his foot?

Cos it's not polite to talk back to your paw! Paw - Pa! Get it?

Come on, where you goin'?

Turn your back on me, turncoats, but this show will still be fabulous!