Our dogs drive us crazy if they haven’t had enough physical and mental exercise. So this post is all about different jobs for our dogs.
The 20 jobs for dogs we’re featuring in this post do exactly that – they put dogs to work and leave them worn out out.
What does it indicate to give my pet dog a job?
When you give your pet dog a job, you put him to work by letting him do something that makes good use of his breed’s characteristics.
You’ve probably seen working dogs in action at some point or another. Those are the dogs who are doing a certain job like:
Police dogs
Border patrol dogs
Military explosive detection dogs
Protection dogs
Search and rescue dogs
Herding dogs
Service dogs
When they’re at work, these dogs are performing physical tasks along with obeying voice or hand commands.
Some of the pet dog breeds usually used for these jobs are:
German shepherds
Labrador and golden retrievers
Beagles
Bloodhounds
Rottweilers
Boxers
Doberman pinschers
But this is just a sample. lots of breeds can do different jobs, including mixed breeds.
Actually, every pet dog benefits from having a job, regardless of his breed. Yes, it’s even crucial for our pet dogs to have some sort of a job.
Why does my pet pet dog need a job?
Ja! benefits of giving a pet pet dog a job include:
Boosts confidence
Creates a strong bond between the pet dog and handler
Gets rid of pent-up energy
Fights boredom
Leaves dogs tired! We sure love it when our dogs curl up or stretch out and snooze after a job well done.
Wally
It’s actually easy to tell apart dogs who have a job from those who don’t. Those who do are normally well-behaved, balanced dogs because their handlers funnel their energy into productive work.
Dogs who are “in between jobs” display unwanted behaviors that are frequently referred to as problem behaviors.
You know, like:
excessive barking
digging
chewing on furniture
and jumping on people.
So here are some ideas to put that lazy bum sleeping on your couch to work!
What jobs can I give my pet dog – 20 examples
Ace with his backpack
1. carry a pet dog backpack.
One of the easiest jobs for my pet dog is to have him carry his dog backpack during a walk.
This puts the pet dog into a working mode. Some dogs walk at a “heel” or without pulling when they wear their pack because they’re focused on carrying rather than pulling.
It’s ok to add up to at least 10% of your dog’s weight to the backpack pockets. just do so gradually. For example, maybe the first couple of walks the pack is actually empty.
We like adding pet dog toys, first aid supplies, rolls of poop bags, water bottles and cans of beans or whatever really, as long as it adds weight. You can use whatever seems easy enough.
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2. Agility as a job for your dog.
Dog agility is a lot of fun for dogs and their owners! The sport is terrific because the pet dog and the handler get exercise.
Any breed (mutts too!) can participate. lots of dog-training facilities offer beginning agility classes to the community along with a lot more tough classes to prepare dogs for competition.
You could also build your own diy agility course in your backyard. You’ll need the following items:
Dog “teeter”
Basic tunnel
Weave poles
Jumps
If you’re interested in reading Lindsay’s takeaways from agility class with her Weimaraner Remy, see ThatMutt’s article on agility training.
3. hunting with your dog.
Most sporting breeds were originally bred to hunt. even if you don’t actually go hunting, your retriever would love to fetch a stick from water and your springer would love to help flush out birds in a field.
If you actively take your pet dog hunting, make sure he wears a bright orange vest for boosted visibility and safety.
Dogs with high energy and stamina are idea candidates for hunting. undoubtedly some of these breeds include pointers, weimaraners, vizslas, spaniels and retrievers.
Lindsay started training her pet dog Remy for hunting recently.
4. pull a cart or sled.
This is a terrific job for dogs like huskies and malamutes that were bred to pull sleds and breeds like Rottweilers and Swiss mountain dogs that were bred to pull carts.
Just make sure you introduce your pet dog to a cart or sled slowly so she is confident and doesn’t get spooked by noisy wheels following her.
Besides a cart or a sled, there are a few accessories you’ll need for carting and sledding, including a certain harness.See our post on training dogs for the Yukon Quest.
5. check out a nursing home or other therapy work.
This type of work is terrific for friendly, well-behaved dogs who take pleasure in being petted by strangers. With proper training, nearly any pet dog can check out certain schools, nursing homes, hospitals, and libraries. therapy dogs have to be at least one year old and need to be able to stay calm in distracting environments.
If you’re interested in finding out a lot more specifics about how to become a therapy team with your dog, check out TherapyDogs.com.
Also see That Mutt’s post, What Does a therapy pet dog Do?
6. pet dog obedience class.
Both Lindsay’s and Barbara’s mutts crashed when they got home from obedience class because for a full hour they were required to respond to different commands and work amongst other dogs and people.
Obedience classes are a terrific way of socializing with fellow pet dog owners and their pups in a controlled training environment.
They’re a good idea for dogs of all breeds, sizes and age groups. A basic Google search will show you which pet dog training schools in your area currently offer classes.
See our post: What to know about group pet dog training classes.
7. Games.
We both love to play games with our dogs! Lindsay likes to mess with her pet dog all the time by hiding from him and calling him or throwing a blanket over his head to see how long it takes him to get it off.
She also plays the “find it” game where she hides objects in a field or on a playground and her pups have to use their noses to find them.
Barbara is also a big fan of playing hide and seek throughout the house. She’ll put her pups in a “sit-stay” or “down-stay” while she hides behind a door or a curtain, under a blanket on the couch or in the bathtub or shower.
Brittni the golden retriever
She then calls for the pups to come find her and rewards them with lots of praise and/or some high value treats. It’s a incredibly fun game, especially on crappy days when its’s pouring, snowing or blistering hot outside.
Little things like this throughout the day make a pet dog think, and they make training a lot more fun.
See our post: how to exercise your pet dog indoors.
8. mentally stimulating toys.
These are a terrific option for all size dogs because mentally stimulating toys come in different shapes, sizes and sturdiness levels created to make a pet dog think.
We like to fill hollow toys like Kongs with peanut butter and treats so our dogs have to work on how to get the food out.
Occasionally we’ll freeze them for a longer enduring chewing session.
This is another terrific activity for days when outside time is limited and also for a pet dog who’s left home alone. interesting toys will make her less likely to get bored and find her own job.
See our post: a lot of long lasting pet dog toys.
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9. Herding.
Sheep herding schools are set up so dogs like Shelties can come and do what they were bred to do. So lots of of these high-energy breeds like border Collies end up with behavioral issues because they are so bored with the suburban lifestyle.
Many dogs start trying to herd anything such as other pets, bikes or the kids they live with. teaching your pet dog to actually herd sheep is a terrific way for her to use her instincts.
See our articles on training livestock guardian dogs and teaching my pet dog to herd.
10. A long walk
It is very mentally challenging for a pet dog to stay in heel position during a long, controlled walk upwards of 60 minutes.
Keeping her at your side will tire her out much quicker than letting her run ahead and pulling you all over because it will require her to focus.
That being said, it’s also ok to mix it up and let your pet dog sniff and explore. That can also be a good mental workout. So, mix it up from walk to walk.
We both also like to incorporate certain obedience commands such as “sit”, “down”, and “stay” on our walks. It breaks them up and makes our pups burn even a lot more mental energy.
If your pet dog is too hyped up to walk at your side, try giving him time to run and play before the walk.
If a walk is not enough for your dog, try running, rollerblading or biking with your dog. You may want to try out a bike leash for dogs so you can have two hands on the bike.
11. Canicross, skijoring & bikejoring.
In canicross, you’re cross country running with your pet dog ahead of you. Bikejoring is a sport where one or several dogs are pulling you on a mountain bike.
Hvornåryou’re skijoring, you’re skiing with your pet dog pulling you. It’s a combination of sled-dog racing (also known as mushing) and cross-country skiing.
Here is a photo of Lindsay doing canicross with her weimaraner, Remy:
For these sports, you’ll need a harness for your pet dog that allows comfortable and safe pulling. You’ll also need a waist harness for yourself, a bungee leash and tug-line.
You can also show your pet dog certain commands like left, right, woah and go!
12. search & rescue.
Breeds usually involved in search and rescue work are German shepherds, rottweilers, dobermans, golden retrievers and bloodhounds.
Search and rescue dogs help locate missing, lost or injured people after natural disasters and man made catastrophes, at crime scenes, and whenever someone needs to be rescued or located in general.
The pet dog needs to be friendly, have stamina and be physically strong to cover different sorts of terrain while searching for someone.
Games like hide and seek are a good starting point for training search and rescue dogs, but dogs will ideally need to begin training while they’re still puppies.
If you’re thinking about enrolling yourself and your pup in search and rescue work, start with a local pet dog training facility that uses search and rescue classes. In the meantime, you can find out a little a lot more about the topic in that Mutt’s article.
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13. Flyball.
This is a terrific sport for dogs of all sizes, ranging from Jack Russel terriers to border collies. Flyball is a team sport consisting of two teams with four dogs in each team.
It’s a doggie relay race where the dogs run down an obstacle course with hurdles and retrieve a ball.
This is a sport for well-socialized, fast dogs who can jump and who aren’t pet dog aggressive. Dogs who practice Flyball need to know basic obedience commands like “sit”, “down”, “stay” and be able to retrieve a ball.
You can find out a lot more about the sport in our intro to flyball article.
14. Nosework.
Nosework is also known as scent work. compared to other sports like Agility or Flyball, it’s a slow activity that asks dogs to locate different odors using their nose in return for a treat or verbal praise.
The sport is geared towards dogs of all sizes and breeds as long as they like to follow their nose, and which pet dog doesn’t, right?! Scent work can be particularly useful for older dogs and those who are moving at a slower pace due to physical limitations.
Many pet dog training schools offer Nosework classes, and there’s probably one close to you! You can read a lot more about nosework on our friend’s blog here.
15. trick training.
Trick training is a terrific activity for all dogs regardless of age, size and breed.
The saying You can’t show an old pet dog new tricks is simply not true, so that excuse doesn’t count. It may take older dogs a little longer to learn a new trick than it does younger dogs, but they’ll welcome a little mental challenge.
Cute tricks to show could be:
ryste
sit pretty
Rul rundt
spin
spil død
or fetch my keys.
You can either take a pet dog trick training class at a training facility or show your pet dog on your own.
We recommend you use high value treats and a treat bag to hold them around your wait.
16. check out dog-friendly patios.
Visiting dog-friendly patios with our pups is one of our favorites! It keeps our pups’ socialization skills up to date and it’s just amazing to be able to bring our furries along.
If you’re still working on socializing your dog, try going during the week when the brewery, winery or coffee shop is less busy.
It’s a good idea to choose a longer walk first to make su