Redditors Debate Whether Pets Actually Like To Fetch, Hilarity Ensues

This week on Reddit, dog-lovers hit the ballot box to answer the age-old question: are our dogs playing fetch because they enjoy it, or because they think we do? The answers ran the gamut from love, to hate, to indifference. Some dogs won't even chase the ball once, some dogs will give you one throw and then quit, and some others will play fetch till the cows come home!

Redditors aren't the only ones curious about this. Doggy Psychology is an interesting branch of science that attempts to ethically study our best-friend's behaviors in order to learn more about their brain chemistry and biology. This study from 2020 is one example where scientists examined a group of dogs playing fetch and cataloged the dog's responses as the game went on.

I'll be honest: I tried to read the study… It took a while. There's a lot of very scientific language and abstract ideas to parse through. The data collected points to the possibility that dogs who enjoy playing fetch will play fetch, but they also respond strongly to their owner's attentiveness, interest level, and engagement. Think of it as peer pressure in humans: if the dogs have their owners' attention, these scientists found that they would continue playing fetch for longer.

It's just too bad that those scientists couldn't study the dogs from this Reddit thread! The post featured stories of dogs refusing to fetch, making their humans fetch– one dog would even rather be smacked with a paper towel roll than go chase a ball! Don't believe us? Have a look below!

01
It’s Not You, It’s Me

via SabrinaSpellman

When Redditor u/SabrinaSpellman asked the community whether their dogs enjoyed fetch or not, she had her yorkshire terrier in mind. The dog apparently loves to hand over her ball, and waits anxiously for her human to throw it, but then… I guess the game is over. My dogs have always loved fetch, so this surprised me, but other commenters chimed in to say that their dogs do the exact same thing! It seems like some animals just prefer to relax– remind you of any people you know?
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02
Man’s Best Friend

via blahdee-blah

It's no secret that dogs are incredibly intuitive, and can sense when their humans are in distress. Service animals go through months of training to hone this skill, but our household pets have the same tools at their disposal. That's why Redditor u/blahdee-blah thinks their dog enjoys the emotional side of fetch most of all. The dog loves playing with her ball– alone or with the family– but when she senses that someone is in trouble, she'll drop everything and bring that ball to them. What a sweet, sweet girl!
03
A Tragedy In Four Parts

via donsavastano
04
I Do Not Like To Fetch, And I Do Not Like To Share

via ThatThingInTheWoods
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05
We Want A Pitcher, Not A Belly-Itcher

via yorcharturoqro
06
The Not-So-Automatic Ball Thrower

via Nrs3Libby
07
Different Strokes For Different Folks

via Joseycatnv
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08
Would You Rather Play Fetch or Whack-A-Dog?

via lasgsd
09
Keeping Things Fair and Square

via daisyyellow21
10
For The Love Of The Game

via Responsible_Push_355

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