Helping with the washing

One of Tilly's favourite past times has always been to steal socks etc.. but I've actually managed to teach her to help! When I gather the washing to bring down, I let her help herself to a sock. I bring the basket down & she brings her chosen sock, so instead of running off with it, I've trained her to drop it in front of the washing machine & I'll leave another sock on the landing & send her back up for it which also gets dropped in front of the washing machine.
It's so lovely to watch!! & she's so keen to help When it was suggested she needed jobs to do to channel her collie behaviour such as helping I thought "no chance" she steals everything - how I under estimated her!!
I haven't managed to get her to put the socks inside the machine yet as she's a bit unsure - but on the floor in front of it is fine.
Next step will be to bring me my slippers without chewing them up!! Then I'll be teaching her to do the ironing & cook dinner

Poppy is the worlds best sock stealer. She does it right under my nose and most of the time I don't see her doing it. I have tried this with her, but up to now...no luck Although she does help me take the washing out of the dryer..she puts her head right in and finds the wayward socks



Clever Tilly

xx

I'd love to teach Loki this, but we're still having trouble with 'drop'!

Any hints would be good!

Fantastic well done to you and Tilly.

(for encouraging her to put her head in the machine you could start by getting her to take a sock out of it) And/or you can teach her to gather up the socks upstairs and put them in the basket for you

oh i love things like this i would so love to teach jake that! how did you teach her 'drop'? i have been trying that one with jake but he doesnt do it lol... the only time he gives things to me, is when it is a toy that he wants thrown

Yes I've always had trouble with the "drop" too but usually when she takes something & I want it back which she thinks could be a game of chase! So this one day I just thought sod it & let her take the sock & stood by the washing machine with a treat, called her to me, she dropped the sock & I gave her the treat. Then I just kept giving her the sock back, telling her to drop & giving her a treat. We did this about 5 times. Then every day. Now she just takes it straight to the washing machine without being asked, drops it & looks at me or waits for me if she gets there first. Sometimes I give her a treat & sometimes just praise. Then I started taking her upstairs for the other sock & after a few attempts I was able to send her without going with her

Good idea thanks - I'm sure she will lovely gathering stinky socks, there's plenty of them in this house!!

Swapping what she's got for something better like a treat usually works for me & then just repeating it lots & phasing out the treats for praise