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Video: Adorable dog thinks the TV wants to play fetch

This is why dogs love the game fetch so much

Rebekkah Adams
By

Some pups just can’t ever get enough playtime and will take every opportunity to chase a ball, even a virtual one. Videos of cats and dogs watching TV frequently catch our attention because they remind us how much more advanced our animals are than we really understand. Unlike us, though, this doggo doesn’t quite get that he can’t jump into the action on the screen, sadly for him. Watch this video of a dog playing fetch, or at least attempting to.

@kristigigglesalot

My daughters dog is not the brightest ??

♬ original sound – Kristi

The video opens with a shot of a person throwing a football in a yard on the TV. The player tosses the ball, and it goes offscreen as we pan to a beloved dog watching it excitedly. He tries to follow the football, not realizing that it exists in a completely separate time and place. He looks back and forth, seeming to question his pet parent about the laws of physics, not understanding where the chaseable football went. It ends with the sound of his delighted person laughing in the background. The caption sums it up perfectly with: Huh? Mom, where’d it go?

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The comments took the pup’s side and praised his smarts, with top poster Sam Smith saying, “Where’s the ball?” Oddwin2.0 mentions: This is actually a sign of intelligence. Even though it looks silly, this big guy definitely has a lot of brains in there.” Lastly, a few humans called out the hilarious ending with Elissa saying, “THE LOOK ?”

Dog plays fetch on the beach with a ball
Ray Bilcliff / Pexels

Why do dogs like to play fetch?

Part of what makes our canines such good companions is their love of games. Most dogs want to play with humans — in fact, it could be in their breeding. Research says that when we bred dogs to work alongside humans, we also got a beastie that wants to play with us, according to Forbes. Niclas Kolm, an evolutionary biologist researcher, posits, “It’s maybe easier to train a dog when they are very keen on playing with you.” Interestingly, that means certain breed groups play less than others — noticeably, Toy breeds play the least while Sporting dogs, like Labs, play the most. That definitely tracks.

So why is fetch the most classic human-canine pastime? We just mentioned that the retrievers seem particularly inclined toward play because of their breeding and, as the name suggests, their job is to fetch during the hunt. When there are no animals around that need grabbing, they chase balls instead. Many of the breeds have something else that they have been trained for and use these skills in various play, including fetch, puzzle treats, and performing tricks. No wonder Chihuahuas aren’t as inclined toward playtime — their favorite game is sitting around, exactly what they were bred to do. So next time your dog wants a game, but you’re too busy, perhaps you can just throw a game of football onto the TV instead.

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Rebekkah Adams
Rebekkah Adams
Contributor
Rebekkah’s been a writer and editor for more than 10 years, both in print and digital. In addition to writing about pets…
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