Useful

(This post is part of the April A to Z blogging challenge.)

While there are a great many things my dogs know, the most useful things are generally based on tug and fetch. The permutations on those two things are nearly endless. It could be argued they're a similar idea and action. Touch (or targeting) rounds out most the non-weight-bearing skills I need that can easily be taught.

The parts of tug are the grasping, the pull, and the release. The parts of the fetch are to go to pick up, carry, and release. But there's thousands of variations- how far away the dog travels, how big the item they grab is, how much force they apply, how far they move, when and how they release it.

A solid fetch means more than just dropped items and things on the other side of the room become easier. Duncan can help with laundry. He can pick up clothes from the floor, though he prefers to return them to hand, he will drop them in the hamper. He can grab the handle or the side of the hamper and drag it from my room to the laundry room. He can pick clothes out of the hamper and hand them to me to put in the machine. When the load is done, he'll pull things out and hand them to me again. I chuck them in the dryer, and once they're dry they can go back in the hamper and be dragged back into my room. It saves me a fair bit of bending and pulling. If we really worked on it, he might even be able to put the clothes in the machines, but I'm happy with what we have.

A strong tug means doors get opened, clothing can be pulled off, objects moved, and if I need help up off the floor before the dog's growth plates have closed, they can help me get going without unduly stressing their skeleton. Doors, drawers, cabinets and more can be tugged open. Shirts can be grasped by the back of the neck and pulled off, or jackets gripped by the sleeve can be removed. Socks and shoes can, too. For people who have trouble moving their legs, a dog can tug their legs into position.

A dog that will nose target (touch) or paw target an object can hit buttons and switches, alert to sounds and medical conditions, shut those doors, drawers and cabinets they tugged open (maybe after fetching something). They can turn on a touch lamp or touch light, nose a rocker switch or paw a toggle. They can indicate when they find a scent, or when they need to go out. They can comfort and pester. They can hit buttons on phones and call for help.

The things a service can do based on such simple concepts is astounding. Things that are started as basic tricks or playtime can, with careful training and encouragement, become a nearly endless list of useful things.