Australian Shepherd Named Promise Actually Helps with the Chores

An Australian Shepherd named Promise has gone viral for tackling a full household to-do list, and the footage has plenty of exhausted pet parents eyeing their own four-legged roommates. Shared by @my_aussie_gal, the video that racked up millions of views opens with Promise's human, Mary, appearing to head off for the day while the dog stays behind, and, well, check it out for yourself. You'll see the active Aussie making the bed, using her mouth and paws to pull the bedding into place. From there she moves on to feeding the household cats, carrying their food over and pouring it carefully into a bowl while her feline coworkers wait nearby. Then comes the laundry. Oh, I wish, I wish!!! Promise gathers clothes, carries them to the washing machine, and loads them inside, retiring the age-old canine excuse about a lack of opposable thumbs. The kitchen fares no better: she loads the dishwasher, takes out the trash, sweeps the floor by holding a broom in her mouth, and even runs the vacuum, gripping the machine and pushing it across the carpet rather than fleeing from it. There is, however, one detail viewers should know. According to Mary, the clip was meant to be funny because she actually works from home. Promise does not spend her days independently running the house while Mary disappears. Instead, the pair really do handle many of these tasks together, dividing up chore day between them. Even boring jobs become more enjoyable when done as a team, Mary has explained, and Promise happens to be capable of a surprisingly large share of the work. Promise continues a tradition that began with Mary's beloved previous dog, Secret, who became known online for painting, playing instruments, doing yoga, and more before dying of leukemia in 2022. Her enthusiasm fits the breed. Australian Shepherds were developed as intelligent working dogs, energetic and highly trainable, that thrive when given a job — whether that means herding sheep or, apparently, loading the dishwasher.