Pet Fashion Week Animals at Work

This is Animals At Work, the show that brings you...animals at work.

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

When we say we've got animals at work, we're not kidding!

This is the show that brings you the most extraordinary, bizarre and unusual...

Animals at Work.

Coming up, Ernie the Australian Shepherd makes his catwalk debut.

A furry farmhand has his paws full with a runaway emu.

And Heidi the sheep is the unlikely mum to a zebra daughter.

This is my catwalk. Get out of the way. Now go, go! I'm busy.

Do I look good in this? Don't I? Yeah.

I'm actually not a male model, but...

Oh, hi there, and welcome to the show.

I was telling my friend here

that he should try his hand, hoof, paw, whatever,

he should try it at modelling because all over the world animals are strutting their stuff on catwalks.

At New York's Fashion Week, we follow a four-legged model who is about to take a bite out of the Big Apple. Ah!

And we're off to New York, New York.

In stylish New York, a stunning male model and his manager strut their stuff.

# I'm a model you know what I mean

# And I do my little turn on the catwalk... #

Meet Ernie, a four-year-old Australian shepherd, and his manager, John.

This hot dog with the head-turning two coloured eyes has a high-end contract with a pet talent agency.

They keep him in the headlines with flashy photo shoots.

Being a model isn't all glitz and glamour.

It takes a lot of hard work to be a picture-perfect poser.

Stay!

OK. Good boy.

Good boy.

Good boy.

That's right.

As a professional model, Ernie needs to be in peak physical condition.

Stay! He loves to do agility.

He loves to do obedience.

This healthy hottie works out with his personal trainer every day.

Give it.

Before the attractive world of modelling beckoned, Ernie had a successful herding career.

Come here. Show your ribbons. Sit.

Good. Stay.

These are his ribbons that he won from herding.

# We are the champions... #

Good boy. Yes, you are, aren't you?

Up, up. That's my boy.

# And we'll keep on fighting till the end

# We are the champions... #

Ernie's favourite hobby is still herding, but there aren't any sheep in Manhattan.

So instead, Ernie shepherds the beautiful people and puppies of New York City.

Mark it up, Ernie.

Oh, good. Now we're sure not to get lost.

What you doing?

Come on, Ernie.

And he's swapped the farm for a swinging New York penthouse pad

accessorized with mentor and retired star poodle...

..Starla.

She teaches him the secrets of hair-grooming and fashion.

To maintain his decadent downtown lifestyle,

Ernie holds meetings every day to plan photo-shoot bookings and to advance his career.

So, Ernie, today you have pet fashion week rehearsal.

Pet Fashion Week is an annual event for New York's most fabulous dogs,

featuring the hottest pet trends from all over the world.

Ernie's first ever runway show is tomorrow.

But the only problem is Ernie has never done catwalk.

Today, Ernie, you know what, you have to wear this very gorgeous purple outfit.

You're just gonna look so handsome.

With only one day to rehearse for his first fashion show...

This is it.

..can this photo model walk the walk or is he all talk?

And now to the countryside of South Carolina.

COCK CROWS

Welcome to Freehaven Farm, home to a strange mix of livestock.

FARMYARD SOUNDS

All managed by this furry fellow.

Canaan is a six-year-old Bouvier des Flandres.

He is responsible for helping farm owner Caron keep things running smoothly.

There's always something to do.

He's with me, whether it's feeding, hauling water, hauling hay, there's always something to do on a farm.

He's relaxed doing it and he gets excited when we chase something.

That's when he really gets happy cos he gets to get into his element then.

There are ten other dogs and 200 other animals on the farm,

but Caron selected Canaan to be her number one right-hand guy.

He's earned the position by being dominant over the other animals without being aggressive.

Bouviers are gentle herding dogs who move slowly so they don't scare the animals they are working with.

Canaan is a natural leader.

Farm Manager Canaan's duties include

watching for escapees while Caron cleans stalls.

Rounding up the barnyard animals to be fed.

Come on, boys.

Keeping a keen eye on the miniature horses and llamas while Caron completes a headcount.

Canaan makes sure no-one is missing.

Turkeys, pygmy goats, llamas all present and accounted for.

Canaan also oversees security at the farm.

He makes sure the residents are safe from wild animals.

At night, Canaan guards the house.

He's on the front porch. If anybody pulls up that I don't recognize, he will definitely give a warning bark.

Anything that comes up whether it's animal or human, all the Bouvs are alert to that.

But the most important of Canaan's jobs is herding.

He herds birds. Well, emus actually.

Emu-herding is a huge responsibility, as Freehaven is the largest emu farm in South Carolina.

And Canaan has to take great care, because emus are complicated creatures to manage.

Emu necks are fragile so it's important to keep them calm.

-An out-of-control emu is clumsy and can hurt itself.

-Easy. Easy.

Emus have sharp toenails and can kick if cornered.

Canaan must watch his safety and Caron's at all times.

And Canaan certainly has his paw full with this wild bunch!

Oh, no! Emu escape! Super Canaan to the rescue!

Easy! Easy!

Easy!

Today is an important day for farmhand Canaan.

It is the end of the laying season for the emus so he must help find and collect all their eggs.

Freehaven Farm is large and leafy, so it's easy to lose an emu egg around here.

By working his whiffer, Canaan can cover a lot of possible egg areas very quickly.

Good boy! Good boy!

Find some more.

The eggs are safely collected and it's time for Canaan's favourite reward - a chicken egg!

Good.

Good stuff!

I've had this farm for 15 years.

I've had Canaan for six. He has made my life much easier on the farm.

He's the best buddy I could possibly get,

and if there's such a thing with a four-legged soulmate, I've got one in him.

Egg-cellent work today, Canaan!

We've been looking out for your home videos of what animals get up to on the weekend,

and we found a boy out for a stroll with his pet...

skunk!

Meet Gizmo from Northumberland, England.

He likes the feel of sand between his toes, all twenty of them.

# She says, hey babe take a walk on the wild side

# She said, hey honey take a walk on the wild side. #

Nothing says beach holiday like surf, sand and skunk.

And we're back to New York City.

Ernie the canine model is about to start his first contract as a catwalk model.

He's modelled for photos before, but this is the first time he has ever walked the catwalk.

Rehearsal for the Pet Fashion show begins in under an hour.

Manager John is helping Ernie select a variety of accessories to showcase his natural good looks.

OK, Ernie, let's go.

Ernie, let's go.

Outside the rehearsal, New York's fashion elite assemble and run in small circles.

OK, models, social hour is over. Time to get down to business.

First the models meet industry experts for wardrobe fittings.

Nice!

And fur stylings.

Ooh, great hair!

And make-up consultations.

Pretty!

And what does this gorgeous guy have in common with these two-legged supermodels?

Good looks.

Ernie has that in common with the supermodel.

# You're beautiful

# You're beautiful... #

Ernie's fine breeding has given him another modelling asset - his two-coloured eyes.

The blue eye lets in more light for better night or stage vision.

The amber eye lets in less light for better sunlight or spotlight vision.

Ernie has the best of both visual worlds, and can work day and night herding sheep or modelling.

It's time for a full doggy dress rehearsal.

Ernie tries on a fetching black jacket with red accents.

Let's go, Ernie. Ready to work?

This is it.

POP MUSIC PLAYS

John and Ernie work on their walk together.

I'm a little concerned because the models are inexperienced handling dogs,

things like how to hold a smaller dog so as not to hurt them,

to look more natural, so the dogs will be more comfortable in their arms.

Bigger dogs, how to walk them toward the edge of the runway

rather than down the centre of the runway so the dogs do not crash into one another.

Don't let her have a lot of leash, OK?

-Don't let her get in front of you.

-OK.

John and pet agent Nancy are teaching everyone

to work with a different type of heel.

The dog should be on the outside. That'll make it a little easier. Use this to control her.

It's just like that. It's just like little short... It's not a tug-of-war.

It's Ernie's turn to try the walk without John.

POP MUSIC PLAYS

We were a little bit concerned about Ernie in the fashion show,

because he is so exuberant and he thinks for himself.

Being a herding dog he does think for himself.

'I guess the biggest challenge for Ernie on the runway,

'he might be tempted to herd all the models into his side of the runway.'

On the other side.

'That's what they do. They're herding dogs and they like to get everything nice and neat in a pile.'

-Go.

-Go!

We think that he'll be just fine, but we have to wait and see.

Later, it's this herder's first ever live runway show.

Will Ernie make a fabulous debut as a catwalk model,

or should he stick to sheep-herding?

Mum's the word for our next animal at work,

because she is a surrogate sheep.

What? You think I've gone baaaarmy?

SHEEP: Baaaaa!

Well, it's true. Keep watching, because we've travelled to Africa

to take a look at this woolly worker.

And now to meet an unusual family in South Africa.

The Hoedspruit Endangered Species Centre

is home to some pretty wild animals.

Rhinos,

elephants,

zebras,

warthogs,

and one sheep.

Heidi is a young ewe.

She's just three years old, but she is very mature for her age.

She has to be. She's a mum to this zebra, called Zetta.

Yes, that's right.

Heidi the sheep

is mother to Zetta the Zebra.

Parenting comes naturally to sheep, and isn't new to Heidi.

That's good news for Zetta. She has one accepting mom.

Heidi adopted Zetta when the zebra was just three months old.

Zetta had been abandoned by her real mum

and the rest of the herd at the wildlife centre.

Zebras are sociable animals,

so Zetta would have struggled to survive on her own.

Zetta needed to have company,

so Heidi was brought in to keep her calm.

YAWNING

Heidi became Zetta's surrogate mum two years ago,

and the pair have been inseparable ever since.

They play together.

They eat together.

And entertain visitors together.

This odd couple are popular with the tourists,

and their double act is always a tour highlight.

But today, Zetta and Heidi have to be separated.

Heidi is being given her anti-tick medication.

Come Zetta.

When it's time to get Heidi on her own for her doctor's appointment,

it takes one...

two...

three...four...

..five...

six... seven...

eight! Whew!

Eight people to break up this mother-daughter duo!

This doesn't hurt Heidi,

but she doesn't like being away from her zebra

any longer than necessary.

OK, I think we're done.

Yeah!

As soon as the doctor's deed is done,

Zetta races for a reunion with her sheepy-momma.

The zebra is always protecting the sheep

so we had little problems keeping them separate,

but actually we got the sheep and did our job very well.

This mother and daughter pair can now happily go on living together

in perfect harmony.

Oooh! Or until they make a run for it!

We've been looking out for your home videos

on what animals get up to in their spare time.

Take this baby African elephant.

He just can't wait to unpack his new trunk!

It might be time for this little elephant

to go back to trunk training school Ha-ha!

And now to meet a nurse in San Antonio, Texas.

This is Joshua.

He's a Labrador Retriever AND nurse to Corey.

Corey has muscular dystrophy, which means his muscles are weakening...

OK, are they on right?

..and he finds it hard to cope with physical activity.

Gentle giant Josh was hired two months ago to be his full-time nurse.

He gets stuff for me.

And he's always with me.

The pair go everywhere together, and Corey is always Josh's top priority.

To do his job properly,

Joshua can't be distracted by anyone or anything else.

Joshua loves people, but isn't a family pet.

He has to bond with Corey only.

He's sitting there and he's like, "Can you pet me?

"Please? Please, pet me!" He's so irresistible.

I mean, it's hard not to.

Today is a big test for Corey and Joshua.

It's Halloween, so Corey's school is having a party,

and then at night they are going trick-or-treating.

Joshua must stay very focused and not get distracted.

It will be tough work.

The pair haven't spent a lot of time together in busy public places.

-Tell him, so he'll do it.

-Sit.

-You've got to tell him like you mean it.

-Joshua, sit!

Good boy! Give him some praise.

Good boy.

First, the Halloween party at Corey's school.

Joshua stays close, to support Corey and help him balance.

This focused friend doesn't pay attention to any other students.

Up, up, up, up, up!

And what's the report on nurse Joshua's first assignment of the day?

He did good.

He did awesome.

But the big test is how Joshua handles Halloween night.

It smells nasty!

Will he be able to stay focused in the dark

with lots of strangers in costumes?

The biker buddies start their treat-collecting adventure.

-Trick or treat?!

-Trick or treat?!

Hello! Oh, my God!

And the dog has one too?! Oh, my!

I like your outfit.

Joshua is a giant success and he is even given some treats of his own.

-Thank you.

-You're welcome.

And by the end of the night,

they've both worked really well together.

Having Joshua as a companion

has really given Corey a lot better outlook on life.

He's been a lot more positive.

We hear a lot more about, "I can do this and I can do that"

because he has someone there for him.

Great work, nurse Joshua!

Back to the New York City catwalk.

Ernie the Australian sheepdog is about to try his first catwalk show

at Pet Fashion Week.

OK, the other side, the other side.

Rehearsals have gone to plan, but can Ernie fight his herding instincts

AND stay on the runway?

Nervous models and stage mums arrive

to get into wardrobe for the career-making finale

of Pet Fashion Week.

It's almost showtime.

The who's who of high society get seated...

..while the models...

OK, Sushi on... No, she's right here!

..get glam.

Ernie receives some special backstage grooming

and a pup-talk from manager John.

Look at you! You're so pretty, yes, you are.

His fur is shining and his tail is bushy,

but is this tall, dark and handsome model

ready to walk, play or herd?

Ernie waits for his turn on the catwalk.

Lights...

camera...

action!

The fashion show springs to a glamorous start.

Backstage, the anxious models wait for their cues.

Onstage, the models work their matching designer outfits.

Things appear to be moving smoothly...

STUNNED GASPS

..until - ooh! - an uncertain strutter is hounded

by an embarrassing wardrobe malfunction!

Will all this chaos on the catwalk affect Ernie?

Next up, the glamazon Doberman has a mini-meltdown

and wanders off the runway!

The big moment is finally here.

# All eyes on me in the centre of the ring

# Just like a circus... #

It's Ernie's turn to strut his stuff.

Will this shapely shepherd remain cool, professional,

or be frazzled by the spotlight?

# I'm bringin' sexy back

# Them other boys don't know how to act... #

Calm and collected Ernie rocks the catwalk until...

STUNNED GASPS

Oh, no! A catwalk catastrophe!

The show must go on. The other models keep moving

but this show is starting to feel like a dog mess.

Backstage, Ernie tries to recover from his public stumble.

Is he just too humiliated to go on?

Rider the Butterscotch Retriever is up next,

but suddenly the supermodel suffers an attack of stage fright!

-ANNOUNCER:

-This is clearly a model that does not wanna walk.

The show needs a replacement, and fast!

APPLAUSE

Ernie is in the wings!

He recovers his canine confidence and conquers the catwalk.

The show is a stylish success,

and this hardworking model has won the walk-off.

There were "ooh"s and "aah"s when he walked out on the stage,

and that's what I like to hear.

He did a really good job. I was pleased with his performance.

Good job! Good job!

This is one chic canine with a future in fashion.

Hey, Pepper, I got some more jokes, listen.

A guy takes his dog to the vet and says, "Doctor, I don't know what's wrong with my dog.

"Every time it hears a bell it goes into a corner."

The vet says, "That's cos your dog's a boxer." Ha!

A boxer! Ha-ha!

Hey, come back here! Pepper?

Pfft!

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd

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