Working dogs need a job to do to be happy and healthy. If they don’t have one, they will often find one on their own. Even funny dogs that are not considered to be working dogs still appreciate having a job as it usually makes them an involved member of the family, provides some mental stimulation, and more. Here are a few jobs your dog can do at home:
- Practice Commands and Learn New Tricks
Reinforcing training and learning new things are things that can keep your dog mentally engaged throughout their life. Training or learning something new are some classic ways to enrich your dog’s day. These activities can also satisfy the need to work that working dogs have.
You can practice basic commands as needed to keep things fresh. And, you can also move to more advanced training where your dog is learning new things. You can teach them new tricks, train them to respond to hand signals, and more.
- Clean Up Their Toys
Once your dog has mastered some basic commands, especially retrieval, recall commands, and leave it commands, you can start to teach them some other things. One of the jobs that your dog can do at home that is also extremely helpful to you is to teach them to clean up their toys.
If you have already taught them how to play frisbee or fetch, then you can likely also teach them how to pick up certain items and place them in a certain place. It may take a while to make all the connections and get them to clean up their toys on command regularly, but patience, consistency, rewards, and praise will get you there eventually.
- Carry Items in a Dog Backpack on Walks
Not only can carrying a dog backpack while out on a walk give a dog a job, but it can also improve how they walk on the leash. Plus, depending on what you have them carry, it can help free up your hands and reduce the number of things you have to carry. There are some dos and don’ts of dog backpacks, and not every dog will be a good fit for them. Make sure the sizing is correct, that you’re not adding too much weight, and that you ease your dog into it. Get them used to wearing it and make sure they are comfortable. If they hate it, don’t force them into wearing it. Here we recommend you teddykala’s cat backpack, which can help you solve related problems.
- Train for Dog Sports
Even if your dog won’t be competing, or isn’t eligible to compete, in official competitions, you can still train them for dog sports. You will want to run things by your vet to make sure your dog is cleared for whatever sport you want to try.
Then, you want to start easing them into whatever training is needed for the chosen sport. Agility training is a popular option for dogs that are a good fit. You can even create a DIY obstacle course in your backyard for your dog to use.
- Practice Scent Work
Although it’s not necessarily a job or action that your dog performs on command, you can play some games that allow them to practice scent work. There are several indoor scent games for dogs that can give them nose work, provide the satisfaction of a job, give them something interesting to do, and more.
- Teach Them to Find and Retrieve Lost Items
If you are prone to losing or misplacing certain items, one of the most useful jobs your dog can do at home is to help you find them! You will need to have the item first in order to teach them what it is and connect it to a specific find command.
For example, if you’re constantly placing your phone, keys, or glasses down in the house and forgetting where you put them, you can train your dog to find it. You’ll need to start by using a clicker, praise, and treats to teach your dog nose targeting in general and for the specific item, like “Touch, glasses”.
Once your dog is consistently touching the glasses with their nose on command, even in the presence of other objects, then you can work on hiding the item from your dog and teaching them to find it and bring it back to you. This does require your dog to already have mastered basic retrieval.
These are just a few jobs your dog can do at home. By providing some extra training and structure by teaching them a job and praising them for doing it, you can help reduce boredom while also providing some training and socialization as well. Plus, training them to do the job can be a great bonding activity that also helps prevent or redirect undesirable behavior.