# Jobs for your dogs?



## LibertyME (Jan 6, 2007)

Two of mine (Lexi and Trace) have the responsibility for picking up their dishes after meals...

Liberty loves to pass me laundry to go into the washing machine or clean laundry from the basket to my hand to be folded (some may not want dog germs on their laundry, but it is ok with me;-) )

Trace passes me my clothes & shoes in the morning when I dress.
He picks up anything that I drop during he course of the day-he is usually at my feet he might as well earn his keep!

I have a bad back/hips and knees...I can get down on the floor...but have a hard time getting up... Trace stands and steadies...while I lean on him to get back up.

Liberty loves to grab paper from the printer and pass it to you.

My dear friend has a dog that carries objects like cans of food, bottles of water and baskets all over their house - bring 'this' to Dad- 'this' to daughter etc...

Her dogs also get their own leashes...

Let you imagination wander!!


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## MyMaggieGirl (Nov 12, 2008)

I want to know how you teach them to do these things.


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## Laurie (Sep 20, 2009)

MyMaggieGirl said:


> I want to know how you teach them to do these things.


Me too!! If I asked one of my younger guys to get something for me, I'm sure it would be in several pieces by the time it got there. :no:


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## LibertyME (Jan 6, 2007)

patience.... 

if you notice...most of the 'behaviors' are all related to their mouth...Tasks that is not averse to the breed....most Goldens like to hold things....if just channeled the desire to something 'helpful'

So teaching you dog to 'hold' things... and how to 'take' items...is the first step.....you can look on youtube for videos or go to dragonflyllama.com for help...

The patience part come when teaching them to put things that are foreign in their mouth (like a metal or ceramic dish or items that swing and touch them when the walk) 
Or how to position themselves so they can reach items easily...(like putting their feet on a wall or chair to hit a light switch -or put their feet on a desk to reach the printer)
How to persevere when they get frustrated....

Teaching a strong 'stay' is necessary for Trace to stand there and let me put weight on his shoulders and hips..

Naming items like 'dish' or 'shoes' or 'socks' comes later still...


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## MyMaggieGirl (Nov 12, 2008)

Thanks!! I'm going to look into this.


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## Laurie (Sep 20, 2009)

Thanks!!!! I think Austin especially, could learn these quite quickly.


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## Ranger (Nov 11, 2009)

I "taught" Ranger to deliver file folders to people in the office. The problem is when people want to take the file from him, he drops his head and turns it away as he's very reluctant to give up his prize. He'll also try to take it back when the recipient isn't looking. Out of the 20 files on a desk, he knows which one(s) he delivered and if left to his own devices, he'll take them all back and bring them to me. A customer at petstore was holding a sheet of paper when we went once and Ranger planted himself in front of her, wagging his tail. She leaned down to pat him and he very gently tried to take the piece of paper from her hand. She was very nice and let him carry it proudly around the store for a few minutes.

I also taught Ranger how to close the door behind him after he's pushed it open since he's so intent on opening doors! I figured why not close those doors you push open? Then one day I realized I hadn't seen Ranger for awhile and found him in the storage room where his food is kept. I didn't close the door all the way, he pushed his way in and, thanks to his new manners, closed it behind him. He was trapped in there for about 2 hours and "redecorated" from boredom. Needless to say, we no longer practice that trick.


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## RedDogs (Jan 30, 2010)

Hah! Great behaviors!

I dislike the term "job" though I think a lot of people use that as a way of convincing people that "teaching your dog behaviors is really good for your dog's quality of life and, by teaching tricks/tasks/etc. you can utilize every day, you will also keep up the training to some level, wiht that daily interaction being important to your dog too!" It's not that your dog has a job and feels like he has purpose in life and is earning a great paycheck...it's about the interactions with you and other people and having a wider repertoire of behaviors. *end of my sillyness*.

All the retrieve behaviors are great. Closing doors is super easy. Picking up toys and putting them in a box is fun. We do the laundry here, as well as retrieve of dropped items (...I was SO thankful of this when I was petsitting and dropped the key in a pile of leaves!). Bringing me something always pays off. 

I recently taught my dog to retrieve dollar bills, even when hidden. My family thinks I'm training my dog to be a criminal! And maybe he is... his other recently learned trick is a leg-lift (...looks like peeing but isn't!). He will offer this against objects and people. 

I second the recommendations for the dragonflyllama.com site and youtube...if you search any type of trick and "clicker training" you will end up with some great (and not so great!) training videos, with quite a few step-by-step ones too. 

A "job" of eating all the food possible is not appropriate. Your dog will try to apply for it and claim he is highly qualified. Don't let him fool you.


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## Hoover's Momma (Jan 11, 2008)

Hoover get the newspaper every morning. I clean houses,so when I get home from work and he is outside he runs to the car to get my bag of dirty rags and brings them to the house.If I am in one room and DH is in another i will give him things and tell him to take them to daddy and he does.Also if we are watching TV we will pass the remote via Hoover!I tell him he has to earn his keep!!


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## CarolinaCasey (Jun 1, 2007)

Great ideas! I'd like to try some of these.


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## GoldenJoy (Jul 30, 2009)

Please don't slam me if you don't like this book or this trainier or whatever, but I recently read a book by Kyra Sundance (I think that's her name) about "Trick-Training." It was great! Joy and I have started to work "Curtsy," and we're having fun. We work a lot of basic obedience, sitstandheelstaywaitleaveitdropit etc. but this just feels more fun to me! It's a nice addition to our regular training. She details the process of working with your dog to turn off/on lights, fetch a particular item, take a particular item to a particular person, etc.


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## Loisiana (Jul 29, 2009)

I think a lot of goldens feel very important when asked to carry something around. Conner always carries his rosettes out of the ring when he wins one. If the training bag isn't too heavy I'll get him to carry that.


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## jimla (Oct 9, 2008)

Elliot taught himself to bring me his bowl to put away. I want to train Elliot and Roxy to put their toys in the toy box when we clean the house.


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## tennisball (Oct 14, 2009)

I give Rocky an item and say "Bring this to so and so!" and he will, but then he doesn't want to give it up. He is _very_ stubborn when it comes to the "drop it" command. His previous family had 3 kids and they must have taken his toys from him all the time or something, because he's so focused on keeping the item in his mouth or else he'll lose it!

I really like the idea about closing doors. Rocky did that once when I was taking a nap and the poor boy had to wait in the bathroom for hours until I finally woke up. 

If I buy a lot of groceries at the store, I'll give him a lighter bag or two to carry for me. Now if I could only teach him to carry his 40 lb bag of dog food! :


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## C's Mom (Dec 7, 2009)

Thanks for the great ideas everyone. I'm going to try some of these and look into more training exercises that we can do in the home.


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## Elisabeth Kazup (Aug 23, 2008)

I love that there are so many ambitious goldens who are responsible and want to work. I think Our Penny is more the Paris Hilton type. No job, doesn't want a job, she has staff, just wants to gad about being cute. In fact, we often tease her that she needs a purse with a chi in it to complete 'her look'.

Is reminding me that it's biscuit time a job??? :no:


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## SylviaB (Jul 5, 2008)

Tundra likes to bring in the morning paper. Unfortunately, we moved our gate so that now the paper is outside it so we have to go out the gate, get the paper and give it to Tundra who carries it in (then he has to go back out and tend to his "business"). He impressed the AT&T guy recently when he got a small box off his truck to bring in the house and Tundra kept trying to get it. I told him to give it to Tundra and he'd bring it in....and he did. Apparently he talked about Tundra at work because the next day there was another AT&T guy by my house and he asked if that was the dog that carried in the box!LOL And Tundra likes to carry something in from the car when I buy groceries. He can manage a 9 pack of toilet paper...if you don't mind a few puncture holes! We didn't teach him any of this, he just does it....but giving him a piece of junk mail to carry in didn't work.....he took off with it and started shredding it...well, maybe he did know something!LOL


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## lillysmum (Oct 6, 2008)

what a great idea i love reading these stories any more out there..


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## Hoover's Momma (Jan 11, 2008)

wishihad2goldens said:


> I love that there are so many ambitious goldens who are responsible and want to work. I think Our Penny is more the Paris Hilton type. No job, doesn't want a job, she has staff, just wants to gad about being cute. In fact, we often tease her that she needs a purse with a chi in it to complete 'her look'.
> 
> Is reminding me that it's biscuit time a job??? :no:


LOL Tha is to funny!


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