Golden Retriever Brothers Have Strong Feelings About Tennis Ball Prank in Pool
It is a truth universally acknowledged that Golden Retrievers like tennis balls. My retriever (a Duck Tolling one, but close enough) used to squirrel them away in her toy bin and methodically pile them up around our feet to show us that she wanted to play. It was like she would bring us a ball, and if we didn’t immediately throw it to her, she’d bring us another, as if to say, “Okay, well, what about this one?”
Golden Retrievers have been bred for generations to be particularly good at the task of fetching game for their people, and in the modern era, that mostly translates to small, round, green furry balls that no one intends to eat. (Well, maybe the Golden Retriever.) They are so intent on this task that it can lead to some pretty funny pranks, as this pair of Golden Retriever brothers demonstrate here.
In a series of videos on their social media page, Golden Retriever brothers Mr. Tub and Blue reveal how easy it is to prank a dog with an obsession for tennis balls. Their human keeps sinking tennis balls a few steps down in their backyard pool to see how they will respond, and it’s always goofy and entertaining. In most of these videos, you see them just standing there, staring down at the ball with an intensity that makes you wonder if they are about to invent doggie telekinesis and lift the ball up with the sheer force of their mind.
In other videos, they’ve been outfitted with diving equipment like goggles, or they dare to make a watery go at the sunken ball. In some, the small ball has been replaced with one the size of a basketball.
The videos have an odd, amusing sort of zen, and have quickly attracted the attention of a massive number of viewers who tune in for the unlikely pleasure of watching two dogs stand perfectly still and stare at a sunken tennis ball.
Why do we like this so much? No idea, but tens of million of people can’t get enough.
The Simple Pleasures of a Dog
Maybe it’s the stillness, or the innocence, or perhaps the unbearable tension of wondering if this, at last, will be the time that the dogs finally pick up the ball.
One of the benefits many animal lovers get out of keeping a pet is watching their animal and the small, repetitive pleasures that make up their day. My dog was happy every single time she retrieved a ball. She’d do it until she fell asleep with exhaustion. My cats are thrilled every single time they watch a bird through the window. It’s simple—and it reminds us that maybe life should be, too.
How to Teach a Dog to Fetch or Retrieve
If you have a dog breed with “retriever” in the name, this might seem like a silly prospect. The real trick is getting them to stop retrieving—sticks in the yard, tennis balls from the toy bin. All they want is to bring you thing for you to throw. But other dogs are more into playing “keep away” than “fetch.”
For those, it can be valuable to start training them how to fetch in a small enclosed space like a hallway or a small room where they won’t be distracted. Take the toy and throw it a short distance, which should attract them to chase it. If they pick it up, call them back to you. Encourage them to drop the toy near you and give them a treat for doing so. Then try again.
If they won’t even pick up the toy to start with, you can try handing them the toy, then telling them to drop it and give them a treat. Then hand it to them again and repeat. Then you can start throwing it, and proceed from there.
It may take a few repeats, but most dogs get a handle on the task pretty quickly—even if they aren’t retrievers.
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