This is the adorable moment a hardworking pet dog helped a farmer carry a bucket through a field in northeastern Thailand.

The five-year-old male pooch named Joy was adopted by owner Pratuang Konyai, 66, when he was still a baby in Khon Kaen province.

After a year of taking care of the pooch and training it, Pratuang noticed that Joy was more intelligent than other pets and could follow instructions.

She said: ‘Unlike other dogs at home, Joy learned how to do things fast. Whatever I ask him to do he seems to understand.’

The pet dog understood simple orders when he was only a puppy. Whenever Pratuang asked her pooch to fetch firewood, he returned with what was asked for.

In farming season the dog even follows the old farmer down to the fields and refuses to let her carry the tools on her own.

The farmer added: ‘When I have too many to carry, Joy jumps on me and sometimes even scratches my legs, asking for something to carry. I think he cares for me a lot.’

The now five-year-old pooch helps Pratuang carry a basket when she visits the vegetable garden that is 1km away from her home.

Pratuang said that the cars that drove past her home would sometimes stop and take pictures of her dog helping her because they were amazed.

She said: ‘Other people would be amazed at Joy because he is such a smart pooch. Joy also takes what is being ordered to him very seriously.

‘When I ask him to watch over our house, I would d return in the evening to see my dog guarding in the same spot when I left.

‘When I first got Joy home I thought he was going to die because he was so skinny but he turned out to be smart and helpful.’