- Oct 16, 2025
- 121
- 123
In this post, I will review different ways to give your dog a job.
Dogs with high drive, especially dogs who are bred for specific tasks (herding, protection, service work, basically all GSDs), often become destructive and bored without a job or specific task to do.
First, we need to define what a job is. Just because your dog isn't a therapy or service dog doesn't mean they can't have a job.
A job is anything your dog does for you in a focused manner. A down stay while you work from home can be a job. Let's dive into some other examples of jobs you can give your dog.
In Malakai's most recent post, he touched on how "engagement builds understanding.". Most of the tips in this post build on that. The more you engage your dog, the more you are able to build a stronger bond with your dog, and the better their overall obedience will be.
→ Relax on a mat
Relax on a mat is a relaxation protocol to teach your dog to settle. When your dog is "relaxing on a mat" their job is to lay down on a "mat" (this could be anything from a dog bed to a towel).
The relaxation protocol is especially important because it trains your dog's "off" switch. Dogs that can relax on a mat are overall calmer in the home and are able to understand when it is appropriate to play and when it is time to settle.
→ Learning New Skills
Learning new skills is a great way to work your dog's brain and improve obedience.
Dogs with high drive, especially dogs who are bred for specific tasks (herding, protection, service work, basically all GSDs), often become destructive and bored without a job or specific task to do.
First, we need to define what a job is. Just because your dog isn't a therapy or service dog doesn't mean they can't have a job.
A job is anything your dog does for you in a focused manner. A down stay while you work from home can be a job. Let's dive into some other examples of jobs you can give your dog.
In Malakai's most recent post, he touched on how "engagement builds understanding.". Most of the tips in this post build on that. The more you engage your dog, the more you are able to build a stronger bond with your dog, and the better their overall obedience will be.
→ Relax on a mat
Relax on a mat is a relaxation protocol to teach your dog to settle. When your dog is "relaxing on a mat" their job is to lay down on a "mat" (this could be anything from a dog bed to a towel).
The relaxation protocol is especially important because it trains your dog's "off" switch. Dogs that can relax on a mat are overall calmer in the home and are able to understand when it is appropriate to play and when it is time to settle.
→ Learning New Skills
Learning new skills is a great way to work your dog's brain and improve obedience.
- Can your dog walk at a focused heel? What about while making eye contact with you?
- Can your dog preform leave it? What about while walking past treats they are supposed to leave?
- Can your dog preform a sit? What about while in the middle of running?
- Can your dog preform a down? How about for an extended period of time, like while working from home?
These are just a few examples of complex training exercises that should work your dog's brain and exhaust them by building on basic obedience.
→ Backpacking
Having your dog wear a backpack is a simple way to give them a job (just make sure the backpack weight doesn't exceed 5-15% of their total weight. And work up to higher weight amounts). While on walks, Murphy carries her poop bags. She carries the poop bags that have poop in there. Both of our water bottles and her bowls. This gives her a sense of accomplishment and something to do on top of the walk.
It is also important to occasionally have unstructured "sniffing walks", where you let the dog lead and sniff to their heart's content. As I will go into in the next point, using their nose takes up a lot more energy than any exercise could ever do, and these unstructured walks make for very happy puppies.
→ Scent Work
Just because your dog isn't a search and rescue dog doesn't mean they can't learn the skills! The dog's nose is an amazing organ, and the more they use their nose, the more tired and satisfied they will become. Personally, Murphy and I do a lot of scent work, especially outside.
When she was a puppy, we started out small. I hid all of her meals around the house and she had to use her nose to find her complete meal. This basic introduction to scent work taught her how to use her nose to find things on command.
Eventually I got more specific. I would show her a scent and then ask her to find it. Start with two identical washcloths. Rub your scent on one, and use tongs on the unscented wash cloth. Put the wash clothes in easy to find places (even right in front of them) and ask your dog to find them. Repeat until your dog reliably is able to find the correct wash cloth.
Want to take it to the next level? Put some stinky treats in the woods (while your dog doesn't watch where you go). Have your dog smell one of the treats and then release them to go find them! You would be surprised how fast your dog may be able to pick up on this game.
One last note
Giving your dog a job is often better than excessive exercise. Murphy and I used to hike 5-10 miles a day with her carrying a 10 lb backpack. The result was an extremely high energy GSD with crazy muscle mass. It was fine because our lifestyle allowed it, but when my situation changed and we were no longer able to do that, I would have been in a very bad place if we hadn't worked on the relaxation protocol since she was a puppy. Because of that protocol, Murphy has an amazing off switch and is always down to work or relax at any time.
There are so many more jobs you can give your dog that I can't possibly touch on all of them in this short post. Does your dog have a job? Let me know in the comments!
Sources:
Relax on a mat protocol
Malakai's Post
→ Backpacking
Having your dog wear a backpack is a simple way to give them a job (just make sure the backpack weight doesn't exceed 5-15% of their total weight. And work up to higher weight amounts). While on walks, Murphy carries her poop bags. She carries the poop bags that have poop in there. Both of our water bottles and her bowls. This gives her a sense of accomplishment and something to do on top of the walk.
It is also important to occasionally have unstructured "sniffing walks", where you let the dog lead and sniff to their heart's content. As I will go into in the next point, using their nose takes up a lot more energy than any exercise could ever do, and these unstructured walks make for very happy puppies.
→ Scent Work
Just because your dog isn't a search and rescue dog doesn't mean they can't learn the skills! The dog's nose is an amazing organ, and the more they use their nose, the more tired and satisfied they will become. Personally, Murphy and I do a lot of scent work, especially outside.
When she was a puppy, we started out small. I hid all of her meals around the house and she had to use her nose to find her complete meal. This basic introduction to scent work taught her how to use her nose to find things on command.
Eventually I got more specific. I would show her a scent and then ask her to find it. Start with two identical washcloths. Rub your scent on one, and use tongs on the unscented wash cloth. Put the wash clothes in easy to find places (even right in front of them) and ask your dog to find them. Repeat until your dog reliably is able to find the correct wash cloth.
Want to take it to the next level? Put some stinky treats in the woods (while your dog doesn't watch where you go). Have your dog smell one of the treats and then release them to go find them! You would be surprised how fast your dog may be able to pick up on this game.
One last note
Giving your dog a job is often better than excessive exercise. Murphy and I used to hike 5-10 miles a day with her carrying a 10 lb backpack. The result was an extremely high energy GSD with crazy muscle mass. It was fine because our lifestyle allowed it, but when my situation changed and we were no longer able to do that, I would have been in a very bad place if we hadn't worked on the relaxation protocol since she was a puppy. Because of that protocol, Murphy has an amazing off switch and is always down to work or relax at any time.
There are so many more jobs you can give your dog that I can't possibly touch on all of them in this short post. Does your dog have a job? Let me know in the comments!
Sources:
Relax on a mat protocol
Malakai's Post
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