Post by bonnierin on Jun 12, 2013 0:48:26 GMT -5
Petey, this story reminded me of the description you wrote about what kind of dog you need for physical assistance!
It's from www.lemaitrekennel.com/workingdogs.html
If you scroll down to the bottom of the webpage this is taken from, you'll see pictures of the dog doing laundry...
"An on-duty accident with the RCMP has left me with permanent and degenerative spinal damage. I need help when my spine won't allow me to bend, when my hands won't pick things up. I taught my most promising working Leo to retrieve and that sparked another life long partnership. Zena helps me around the house, day in and day out. She doesn't wait for any command; she simply jumps into action as soon as I drop an article. Her favorite chore is doing the laundry, she volunteered for that duty all by herself. Zena was true to form, following me around the house, one day when she decided I was too slow pulling the heavy wet clothes out from the top-loading washer. She impatiently stuck her head in and retrieved one of the towels for me and, in turning to give the towel to me, she glanced at the dryer and cast me a questioning eye…"Yes!!!" I said and that was it…off she was pulling more and more clothes out of the washer right into the dryer!! Of course, giddy with success, she promptly galloped over to the treat container and proudly awaited her reward, but ever since that day it has been impossible for me to do laundry without Zena appearing out of nowhere, literally grabbing clothes out of the basket and throwing them into the washer! Not long after this, our dryer stopped working so we purchased a brand new washer/dryer set…this time we bought a front-loading washer…just for Zena!!! She loves it!
If there are clothes in the dryer, she'll take them out and drop them into the waiting basket. If any dry clothes drop as I carry the basket to the bedroom she's right there picking them up, depositing them on the bed for me. The running joke in the house is that you'd better have done the sorting before you drop the basket by the washer or it'll all be in there together before you can blink!! …Dogs may not be completely colour blind, but even if we got through the whole red-green issue, we'd still have to teach her to check pockets and tell the difference between cottons and synthetics…something even Pierre has trouble with!!! Laundry proved to be only the beginning for Zena. Not only does she pick up everything that I drop, but she cleans up while I vacuum and tidy the house - picking up everything that's in the way, either handing them to me or dropping them into the appropriate baskets and containers, and provides an unmoving brace for me to use to haul myself up from the floor if I fall. Zena is never far from my side, always ready to offer assistance or protection."
It's from www.lemaitrekennel.com/workingdogs.html
If you scroll down to the bottom of the webpage this is taken from, you'll see pictures of the dog doing laundry...
"An on-duty accident with the RCMP has left me with permanent and degenerative spinal damage. I need help when my spine won't allow me to bend, when my hands won't pick things up. I taught my most promising working Leo to retrieve and that sparked another life long partnership. Zena helps me around the house, day in and day out. She doesn't wait for any command; she simply jumps into action as soon as I drop an article. Her favorite chore is doing the laundry, she volunteered for that duty all by herself. Zena was true to form, following me around the house, one day when she decided I was too slow pulling the heavy wet clothes out from the top-loading washer. She impatiently stuck her head in and retrieved one of the towels for me and, in turning to give the towel to me, she glanced at the dryer and cast me a questioning eye…"Yes!!!" I said and that was it…off she was pulling more and more clothes out of the washer right into the dryer!! Of course, giddy with success, she promptly galloped over to the treat container and proudly awaited her reward, but ever since that day it has been impossible for me to do laundry without Zena appearing out of nowhere, literally grabbing clothes out of the basket and throwing them into the washer! Not long after this, our dryer stopped working so we purchased a brand new washer/dryer set…this time we bought a front-loading washer…just for Zena!!! She loves it!
If there are clothes in the dryer, she'll take them out and drop them into the waiting basket. If any dry clothes drop as I carry the basket to the bedroom she's right there picking them up, depositing them on the bed for me. The running joke in the house is that you'd better have done the sorting before you drop the basket by the washer or it'll all be in there together before you can blink!! …Dogs may not be completely colour blind, but even if we got through the whole red-green issue, we'd still have to teach her to check pockets and tell the difference between cottons and synthetics…something even Pierre has trouble with!!! Laundry proved to be only the beginning for Zena. Not only does she pick up everything that I drop, but she cleans up while I vacuum and tidy the house - picking up everything that's in the way, either handing them to me or dropping them into the appropriate baskets and containers, and provides an unmoving brace for me to use to haul myself up from the floor if I fall. Zena is never far from my side, always ready to offer assistance or protection."