# housework for dogs - your favorites?



## Riley's Mom (Jun 7, 2007)

Hi there,

My dogs need jobs. After seeing the inspirational 13wk old pup from another thread bring in the newspaper:

http://s530.photobucket.com/albums/dd348/QueenCO2/Videos/?action=view&current=0024.flv

it got me to thinking - what could I teach them to do around the house? I wouldn't mind one little bit if what they do literally helps me out as well! 

So, what are your favorite household jobs that your dog now does? Any tips you can provide on how you trained them to do your favorite job would also be appreciated. I am using clicker training but it doesn't have to be clicker oriented. I think I can adapt it if need be.


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## Mandalay (Apr 21, 2008)

Oh my gosh, that was awesome. I have been working for weeks to get Mandi to just sit calmly by the door while I answer it and let people in instead of running crazy, barking, leaping through the air like a maniac and sticking her nose in peoples butts.

I have GOT to show Mandalay this video.


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Our Bearded Collie used to bring things to people. If we handed her something and told her to bring it to one if us ("mom", "Em" or "Terry") she would. 

I would like Mandi to help pick up; take my kids toys and put them in the toybox, put her own toys in a box (right now her toybox is on top of her crate where she cant reach it so she does not empty it). I think getting her to take things out and put them in the recycle bins would be nice, but she'd also have to learn to open a door.


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## DianaM (Jan 5, 2006)

Awhile back I was working on Renji to pick up clothes I dropped on the way to the laundry. He was getting the idea, then I stopped training it on my end. I don't think I do laundry often enough to make that idea stick.









He does bring in the newspaper, though. Last night we began working with him to grab each toy by name and dropping them in a receptacle. He got that down quick, so now I need to get a toy box!


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## Keegan62 (Aug 17, 2008)

Oh well I knew Jack was retarded and Now I am sure LOL 

what a great puppy... at 13 weeks I ws just housebreaking LOL HAHAHAHHA

However in Jack's defense he does rearange his dishes all ove the house HAHHAHAH


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## BlackPuppy (Mar 29, 2007)

Ciana likes to bring me my dirty underwear after running around the backyard with it in her mouth.


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## littledmc17 (Apr 9, 2008)

Brady washes the kitchen floor
he gets water all over it and then it gets wiped up.
Floor is washed


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## skyizzy (Apr 15, 2008)

Kira likes to be a pickpocket and get stuff out of people purses.


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## kleinenHain (Sep 20, 2007)

Carole, you are to funny. LOL

There is no end to what you can teach your dog to do in the house. Max has been a awesome dog for me to learn and teach from. He has such a need to learn and help. Here is a list of things he can do. 

open doors, turn lights on and off, put clothes in the washer, brings me his leash and collar,takes off my shoes and my socks, brings me my shoes,brings me the phone, brings me the remote, picks up anything i might drop, he will even help me carry in the groceries and so much more. the list is endless to what you can teach your dog if he has a need to learn.

good luck and have fun, if I can help let me know.


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## marksteven (Aug 2, 2008)

My dog is the household taste tester. every object needs to be inspected in his mouth. upon approval he leaves his sig. tooth mark!


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## littledmc17 (Apr 9, 2008)

> Originally Posted By: markstevenMy dog is the household taste tester. every object needs to be inspected in his mouth. upon approval he leaves his sig. tooth mark!


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## rainydaygoods (Oct 13, 2008)

You guys are killing me with this thread. TOO FUNNY!

We are thinking of getting a toy box for Charlie - we want to teach him to clean up his toys.


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## Northern GSDs (Oct 30, 2008)

This thread is hilarous!

Jax has been taught to retrieve my slippers, put her toys away into the dog toy basket, help carry items from shopping into the house, and she is also laundry obsessed. She picks up things I drop on the way to the laundry room and carries them for me. She also helps with laundry by pulling clothes out of the dryer and into the laundry basket. The laundry housework I didn't have to teach her - she started doing that on her own! Some days she finds it more entertaining to bring her toys and put those into the dryer as I'm putting the wet ones from the washer into the dryer. Maybe it's her way of telling me it's tme to wash her stuffies









<span style="color: #6633FF">_Jax helping with laundry_:</span>










Brodie has never been really interested in doing any kind of housework - he likes sticking his head in the dryer to check things out but that's as far as it goes for him!


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## AnnaRiley (Feb 14, 2008)

I'm going to teach Riley to vacumn. Came home one day and he had pulled the vac out of the closet (door was open). Whenever, I say go get the vacumn, he now heads straight for the closet. A little more work on this and I'll have him vacumniing in no time.


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## LedZep (May 4, 2008)

> Originally Posted By: Nicole LThis thread is hilarous!
> 
> Jax has been taught to retrieve my slippers, put her toys away into the dog toy basket, help carry items from shopping into the house, and she is also laundry obsessed. She picks up things I drop on the way to the laundry room and carries them for me. She also helps with laundry by pulling clothes out of the dryer and into the laundry basket.
> 
> ...



When our pup was a little tyke, I was emptying the dryer one day and he sat there watching me take clothes from the dryer and put into the basket. Then he reached in and took out a sock and dropped it into the basket. It was cute. But I can't get him to fold sheets worth a darn.

His primary job is keeping the kitchen table clean. He is very good about removing napkins, papers, etc. from the table and letting us chase him around to get them back. Even the placemats are not safe.


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## AbbyK9 (Oct 11, 2005)

Abby gets to pick up laundry and put it into the hamper, and follow me and pick up and carry dropped laundry items when I take the clean laundry upstairs.

She also knows how to open and close the refrigerator door if I put a rope or towel around the handle for her to tug on to open it, but she's not quite gentle with opening it yet, so that's something we need to work on.

Picking up and bringing me stuff I drop.

We did work on turning lights on and off, but she tends to scratch the wall, so we stopped working on that. I may go back to it with one of those tap lights (the kind you hang in your closet) and work up to having it up on the wall.


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## Peanut (Jan 11, 2009)

I never really tought Barron any chores around the house when he stayed inside, but my lil sister tought him how to get his own ice from the freezer. sometimes he would forget which lever made ice and hit the water by mistake. Every now and then he would decide to get some on his own, but most of the time he would wait until you told him to get some ice.


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## DianaM (Jan 5, 2006)

Awhile back I also worked on getting Renji to turn on and off lights but we stopped due to accidental damage.







I won't teach him opening the fridge but I do want to teach him to close it because sometimes it does not close if I don't push it hard enough.


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## lcht2 (Jan 8, 2008)

tyson makes sure that there is no food on the floor and that my daughters high chair is spottless.


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## rjvamp (Aug 23, 2008)

What are some good activities for those living up north in the cold? Inside, I play tug of war, throw his kong, tire and bones and he brings them to me....but he loves to go outside in the snow and move the sticks from one pile to another or just in the middle of the yeard. I don't like to leave him outside too long. We do some walking as long as it isn't too cold for him - don't want his paws to freeze. Any ideas? Looking at his eyes some days I can tell I'm missing something with him - he is wanting to do something. He is slowly learning to not herd the cats in the house.


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## lcht2 (Jan 8, 2008)

> Originally Posted By: AngelesVonLobosWhat are some good activities for those living up north in the cold? Inside, I play tug of war, throw his kong, tire and bones and he brings them to me....but he loves to go outside in the snow and move the sticks from one pile to another or just in the middle of the yeard. I don't like to leave him outside too long. We do some walking as long as it isn't too cold for him - don't want his paws to freeze. Any ideas? Looking at his eyes some days I can tell I'm missing something with him - he is wanting to do something. He is slowly learning to not herd the cats in the house.


well i dont know how hardy u are or how your dog is off leash but i take tyson to the park where he gets to run off lead (if nobody is around) that usually means MY walk is shorter and he can run all he wants. i know it really is hard to stay active, especially when there is snow on the ground, but he needs exercise.

maybe for your pup u get get a long lead, 30' footer, then he can get exercise and u could practice recalls.


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## rjvamp (Aug 23, 2008)

> Originally Posted By: lcht2
> 
> 
> > Originally Posted By: AngelesVonLobosWhat are some good activities for those living up north in the cold? Inside, I play tug of war, throw his kong, tire and bones and he brings them to me....but he loves to go outside in the snow and move the sticks from one pile to another or just in the middle of the yeard. I don't like to leave him outside too long. We do some walking as long as it isn't too cold for him - don't want his paws to freeze. Any ideas? Looking at his eyes some days I can tell I'm missing something with him - he is wanting to do something. He is slowly learning to not herd the cats in the house.
> ...


Thats a good idea - I need to get a better lead....mine is kind of not so nice...cheap. It is -18 F today so he wasn't all too keen to stay outside too long. Hopefully the temp will rise more this week and we can get out there. I do spend about 5 minutes at a time with weather like this chasing him and him chasing me..... I just wish I had an indoor play room. I have a downstairs area I could turn into a play area - not a bad idea - just need to move some things around! Thanks for getting the ideas flowing....


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## BrennasMom (Mar 2, 2008)

Warning!! Don't expect them to do something without teaching them first. Duh I had my camera (in the case) at work today (Brenna goes with me to work). Brenna mouthed gently at it. My smart thinking: Wouldn't it be cute if she carried my camera back to my table for me!









As soon as I handed it to her, she swung her head as hard as she could and let it go flying.


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