From chasing a stick to chasing their tail, few things are as quintessentially "dog" as playtime. But have you ever wondered why your dog prefers certain types of play over others?
Vets and behaviorists have several theories about why dogs do what they do. Here are a few reasons why your dog might enjoy their favorite forms of play.
Some dogs just aren't interested in fetch - and that's OK! The behavior of picking things up and bringing them back is so common it often seems embedded in a dog's DNA.
Perhaps retrieving a thrown toy mimics a wolf's impulse to bring food back to their pack. Some young wolf pups have even shown a seemingly innate ability to play fetch, suggesting it may be more of an inherited wolf trait than a learned dog trait!
Why Does My Dog Like Balls and Squeaky Toys?
After fetch, chasing a squeaky ball or chew toy is probably the next most common form of play among dogs. A ball is fast and unpredictable, but easily tracked and chased, making it a good simulation of hunting small prey.
And the squeak? A nice reward for your dog, perhaps - until they learn how to use it to get your attention ...
Some behaviorists suggest a dog's tugging instinct could come from hunting small prey that they would pull from a burrow or tunnel. Others say it might have evolved as a way for pack members to communicate and establish hierarchy among one another.
No matter where it comes from, it's clear that tug of war is one way your dog builds trust with you and other pups. Just be sure to steer clear of fragile furniture - this kind of play can get intense!
Why Does My Dog Chase Their Tail?
Tail-chasing offers a few unique ways to play: It doesn't take up much space, require a toy or demand a playmate. It might mean your dog could use more physical activity, but it's often just a way to burn off excess energy, get your attention or entertain themselves.
With a sense of smell like theirs, a windows-down ride around town is an all-you-can-sniff buffet. And because your dog sees you as their "alpha," a car ride may also invoke feelings of being "on a hunt" with the pack.
Just don't forget to buckle up in the back seat with a safety harness or crate for safety!
Every Dog Is Different
Since every breed was domesticated differently, dogs have a variety of play preferences. Even their age, size, environment and upbringing can influence what they enjoy.
Ultimately, the time you spend together matters more than the form it takes. Yes, play is a shared language that builds understanding and trust - but most importantly, it's fun!
If your dog is hurt or not feeling well, it will often affect the way they play. If you notice abrupt changes in behavior or anything else that concerns you during playtime (or other times), reach out to your vet.
Updated on Jul 29, 2022 11:45 AM IST
Dogs love to play different kinds of games with their humans. One of their favourite games often turns out to be fetch. That is what this dog wanted to play with his tiny human not realising that it would take the kid a few more years to throw the ball to entertain the pooch. The result that the dog’s effort yielded was also captured and shared online. Expectedly, the video has now left people chuckling.
Originally posted on TikTok, the video captured people’s attention after being re-posted on Reddit. “Dog tries to play fetch with tiny human,” reads the caption posted along with the video. The clip opens to show the tiny human lying on the floor with the dog standing in front of them. Within moments, the dog nudges a ball towards the baby expecting them to throw back the ball.
We won’t spoil the fun by giving away everything the video shows, so take a look:
The video has been posted a day ago. Since being shared, the clip has accumulated nearly 7,900 upvotes and the numbers are only increasing. The share has also prompted people to post various comments.
“It's the waiting that kills me, he has full expectation this little thing will eventually through him the ball hahah,” posted a Reddit user. ‘I’m so excited to play with the baby human! Why no throw?” shared another imagining the dog’s thoughts. “Hooman, if you're going to live here, we need to establish rules. Ball, throw. Ok?” joined a third. “To be fair, the kid gave it his best shot,” wrote a fourth.
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Close StoryIt can sometimes take a little while for the family dogs to adjust to a new baby and vice versa, but once everyone settles in, they often wind up being the best of friends! This seems to be the case with a pair of pups who taught their human baby sibling how to play fetch with a small ball.
The video of the fetch training session was uploaded to Reddit by @u/westcoastcdn19, and it already has over 450 comments from users who are delighted with the interaction between the baby and dogs. In the clip, you'll see the tiny tot trying to figure out what to do with the ball while one of the pups encourages the infant.
Aww! The Sheltie was so patient with the baby, almost as if to say, "You've got it, little one!" Granted, the other dog in the video had a little more of a "let's get this show on the road" attitude, but still seemed to be having fun with the baby, nonetheless.
Reddit users are equally as impressed with the Sheltie's patience. When @dokjreko commented, "The dog is so patient with the little one," @ImGrumps responded with, "When the baby had a little fall down and the dog brought it closer. My heart!" And @SamAreAye had an idea of what was going through the pup's head, saying, "I can almost hear the dog, 'C'mon little guy, just a little more reach and you'll get it.'"
Another Reddit user, @Heartless_Tom, commented on the dog's breed: "Shetland Sheepdogs, or Shelties, are a very smart dogs and absolutely love children."
The ending of the video was the best, when the other dog came in and took the ball and walked away and the Sheltie tried to get it back for the baby. These pups have already proved themselves to be dedicated teachers and perfect playmates for this child. Their bond will only get stronger as the little one grows up, which must be so heartwarming for the parents!
One dog's love of playing fetch extended a little far, and has been captured in a viral video leaving the internet in stitches.
Posted on Wednesday on Reddit, user Bill_Jack226 shared the video, which can be seen here, with the caption: "This is Maggie. See that piece of fluff she gave me? She wants me to throw it for her."
With more than 35,000 likes and hundreds of comments, users were delighted by the pup's strange request.
In the video, Border Collie Maggie spends some time on the floor picking up a tiny bit of fluff before placing it in front of her owner and jumping up and down in anticipation.
One Reddit user commented: "I love her so much. Does she have toys she can use? I bet she does but prefers this particular piece of fluff right at this moment," and the poster replied: "Oh yeah yeah, she has toys but she likes rocks, fluff, and her blankie."
Dogs' love of fetch is thought to link back to their very basic instincts, with many enjoying mental stimulation and one-on-one time with their owners. But in a study funded by Stockholm University, Sweden, researchers found that dogs aren't the only ones who enjoy a game of fetch when they threw a ball for 13 wolf puppies.
Three of the eight-week-old wolf pups not only ran after the ball but—with encouragement—returned it too.
"When I saw the first wolf puppy retrieving the ball I literally got goosebumps," said Christina Hansen Wheat of the research team. "It was so unexpected, and I immediately knew that this meant that if variation in human-directed play behavior exists in wolves, this behavior could have been a potential target for early selective pressures exerted during dog domestication."
It had previously been hypothesized that the cognitive abilities needed to understand human cues arose in docs after humans domesticated them, but the results of this study show that those abilities are apparent in non-domesticated animals too.
A little further evolved from her wolf ancestors, Maggie the dog's love of fetch is much more apparent.
"What a sweet bouncy girl," said one commenter on the viral Reddit post. While another user wrote: "What are you waiting for? Throw it human."
Another Redditor joked: "She likes to play fetch on expert mode," and poster Bill_Jack226 replied: "Sometimes, the fluff she brings is so small, when it's thrown she doesn't realize it's gone."
In January, the internet was delighted by a dog waiting for a statue to play fetch. The adorable pup was branded "insanely optimistic" when the statue in the woods did not throw the stick.
Newsweek has reached out to Bill_Jack226 for comment.