some useful things a dog can be trained to do around the house?

[Appytaz]

Our girl is a "Mote Queen" She will get the remote and bring it too you. She will look and look until she finds it. She loves deliver the mail to each person- definately knows everyones names! She will pretty much carry anything to anyone - but we have to "pay" her when she does something - we have treats all over the place for her payment.

 

[Iowa Roo Mom]

 

[welsummerchicks]

Going and getting people by name is very good, especially with kids. I have him pick up things I drop, and carrying things into the house from the car is always good. Being able to point at something and have them pick it up is good.

The one I'm working on now is having him find my cell phone and keys. That is going to be the best thing ever.

 

[patandchickens]

Thanks for all the great ideas!

A couple people asked what he already does. A good bit, for our only having had him two months. (As you may infer from the following list, I have a lot of 3-minute-at-a-time bits of spare time during the day

) Largely because he is THE most food-motivated dog in the world.

He is very reliable (around the house - still working on doing it with major distractions elsewhere, like when people are coming up to pet him in the park) at all the basic obedience-class stuff, come sit down stand stay leave-it drop-it heel up get-off kennel go-to-your-mat. Automatically sits before and after doors and gates. Also great at down-stay while I walk across big backyard to put down treats and then release him to "find it". He really likes playing "find" with the kids also, although thus far he does it mainly by visual hunting. Trick-wise he is solid on roll over, paw (shake), and high five. Wave, walk backwards, weave (agility-wise), and "find <DH, DS#1 or DS#2 by name>" are works in progress but coming along well. Also knows "nuh-uh", "wait", and "whoa" as corrections.

Oddly, he is not a great fetch-er despite being a lab. (He would rather chew things than transport them). I keep thinking I should systematically work on it but frankly I am not big into playing fetch myself. I *should*, though. DH would like it.

I love the idea of having him find the remote, that would be super useful around here! Also picking up kleenexes and such to bring to me to dispose of. Actually if I could get him to put DS#1's laundry in the hamper instead of it being scattered all over the floor, now THAT would really be something... and quite possibly easier to train the dog than the son LOL

Really I like *all* the ideas people are suggesting, gives me much food for thought and hopefully lots of ways to keep Russ busy while I lounge on the sofa clicking and chucking treats at him

Thanks so much,

Pat

 

[schmije]

We have two labs that have been trained to go places like nursing homes and hospitals to visit people. We like teaching useful tricks rather than regular tricks. We avoid things like speak and shake, because they encourage barking and pawing. It's always good to have a dog that's trained to do things like sit, stay, lay down, and come.

We've also found it useful to teach them to:
'go on' means to go away
'leave it' means to stop or drop whatever you're doing
'up' means to jump into the car or onto a chair
'wait' is used to stop them from eating or going through a doorway until given an 'ok'.

One of our dogs knows 'where's the chicken?' This was very useful on several occasions that we had predator attacks, and our girls were scattered and hiding around the yard. When we lived in the city, we taught them not to cross a curb without an 'ok'. They'll run right up to the curb and stop. We have backpacks that they wear, and I've had them carry things for me in the yard. It's usually more of a hassle than a help, though. They'll gladly come into the kitchen to clean up something that was spilled on the floor.

Another thing that has been nice is that we trained them to be touched. We handle their paws, tail, ears, stomach, mouth, etc. This keeps them from panicking if we need to do something with them. DH holds them in his lap and uses a Dremel to grind their nails. Did I mention that they're each about 75 lbs?

They also make great doggie blankets when they share the recliner with us.