J is for Jobs for Dogs

Pawing through the Alphabet

J is for Jobs for Dogs

I love the way that dogs help people in so many ways. That's why I decided that for the letter J, I would reprint this post from my column, Pawsitively Pets.

Dogs hold many jobs. Police Dog. Guide Dog. Therapy Dog. Kelly works with me in my home office. There are many ways dog help people, each and every day.
Here are five great jobs that your dog can do:

1. Alarm Clock
Just try and sleep late on a Saturday morning. Your pup won’t let you forget that it’s wake-y time! Some dogs like to jump up on the bed and lick your face. Others tug the covers. The only trouble with these models is that there are no snooze buttons.

2. Personal Trainer
Taking your dog on a walk is great for physical fitness. So is retrieving the sticks he won’t fetch…chasing her around the house to reclaim your slipper…wrestling him into the tub for a bath…Who needs a gym membership?

3. Body Guard
Your dog won’t let anything happen to you. If she hears a noise late out night, she’ll bark. Although sometimes she’ll also bark at a shadow or a buzzing housefly. Such security!  

4. Maid
What dog doesn’t make a great vacuum cleaner, scarfing up the crumbs left on the kitchen floor or under the dining room table? And, his tongue would gladly take a swipe at washing those dishes, if you’d let him.

5. Psychiatrist
You can tell your dog your worries. She will always listen and never tell anyone. She knows when you’re sad and puts her head in your lap. Just knowing she is there somehow makes you feel better. She cuddles up beside you and stays for as long as you need. This is the greatest job of all.


Which jobs does your dog hold?

*This column first appeared on Guideposts website, Pawsitively Pets, June 2010.