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What a good boy (Picture: Grant\u2019s Whisky)This is Rocco, the one-year-old cocker spaniel who works at Grant\u2019s Whisky distillery in Girvan, Scotland.
\nHis job? To sniff out the quality of the wooden casks at the cooperage.
\nHe also has the run of the distillery, so he can pick up the scent of anything else that needs tending to regarding the whisky.
\nIf something smells wrong to Rocco, it gets reported to Grant\u2019s associate global brand director Chris Wooff (great name, we know).
\nChris said: \u2018Wood is a natural material, and the distilling of whisky is an organic process, so our job for Grant\u2019s Whisky is to make sure that everything is perfect as the whisky ages in the oak casks.
\n\u2018The sense of smell of a dog like Rocco is 40 times stronger than a human\u2019s, and we\u2019ve specially selected and trained Rocco to pick up the scent of anything that\u2019s not quite right as the whisky matures.<\/p>\n
Rocco is one year old (Picture: Grant\u2019s Whisky)<\/p>\n
He underwent training for six months (Picture: Grant\u2019s Whisky)\u2018Mechanical \u2018noses\u2019 are widely used in the wine-making industry, but we wanted to maintain the tradition of our craft skills by using a dog\u2019s natural super-sense of smell in our quality control process.
\n\u2018Rocco\u2019s ability to \u201cnose\u201d a very large number of casks in a short space of time means he is a fantastic addition to our team of craftsmen.\u2019 <\/p>\n
Lianne said: \u2018The atmosphere lifts wherever Rocco is working\u2019 (Picture: Grant\u2019s Whisky)<\/p>\n
Someone deserves a raise (Picture: Grant\u2019s Whisky)Before he could take the job, Rocco underwent six months of intensive training with expert Stuart Phillips in Pembrokeshire, Wales.
\nStuart used cask samples from the Grant\u2019s distillery to build a training ground for Rocco. <\/p>\n
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He said: \u2018A dog like Rocco has such a powerful natural sense of smell that my job was to help him focus on identifying specific scents in the wood, and then communicating what he\u2019s found to the Grant\u2019s team.\u2019
\nThe staff at Grant\u2019s built Rocco a kennel outside the distillery, where he can be on call night and day.
\nHis needs are seen to by team leader Lianne Noble, who gets his daily work schedule ready and keeps him fed and exercised.<\/p>\n
Chris said: \u2018He is a fantastic addition to our team of craftsmen\u2019 (Picture: Grant\u2019s Whisky)<\/p>\n
Playtime is his reward for working hard (Picture: Grant\u2019s Whisky)Lianne said:\u00a0\u2018Word spread very quickly around the distillery about Rocco\u2019s arrival in the team and it has been amazing to see the impact he has on everyone around him.
\n\u2018The atmosphere lifts wherever Rocco is working, and people can\u2019t help but smile in his presence.\u00a0
\n\u2018He\u2019s a working dog rather than a workplace pet, so we have guidelines in place to make sure he doesn\u2019t get disturbed when he\u2019s taking a break between shifts, but the boost in morale has been a joy to see.\u2019
\nMore: UK<\/p>\n
When asked whether Rocco has any favourites, Lianne tells Metro.co.uk no, but \u2018he gets plenty of attention from almost everyone\u2019
\nShe adds: \u2018He has such a kind and gentle temperament, which brings so much joy to our whole team.
\n\u2018When he\u2019s finished his sniffer dog duties, Rocco gets to play with his favourite ball as a reward for all of his hard work, which he just loves.\u2019
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\nGet in touch by emailing\u00a0MetroLifestyleTeam@Metro.co.uk<\/p>\n
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