Freighter was slow to appreciate a good game of fetch.  Sure he learned at a young age to retrieve bumpers and birds, but that is not exactly the same as a game of fetch.

For the longest time I would throw a toy and he would go get it and then zoom around with it or take it to the other side of the yard and chew it.

No dude!  Fetch is the game where you are supposed to bring the toy back so that I can throw it again.

He just always seemed to think it was more fun to go the opposite direction with the toy.  As a result, our games of fetch were pretty short.

Throw toy.  Freighter gets it and runs.  OK game over.  Have fun Freighter.

But finally this past weekend.

Freighter Is Ready For Fetch
Freighter Says Throw The Toy
Pounce
Pounce
Freighter Has The Toy
Freighter Has The Toy
And He Brought It Back
And He Brought It Back

Every single time.

See Freighter isn’t that more fun than just doing your own thing?

Freighter Says It Is As Long As He Still Gets To Stop And Chew Now And Again
Freighter Says It Is As Long As He Still Gets To Stop And Chew Now And Again

16 thoughts on “Playing Fetch With Freighter

  1. Good job Freighter but you aren’t helping my cause!! BOL!! I used to always play fetch and return the ball….but now…I get a kick out of running with it and watching my Mom lumber across the yard trying to get me to bring it back! BOL! Barks and licks and love, Dakota
    DakotasDen

  2. Yep. Earl likes to just stop and enjoy the toy all to himself. Ethel actually fetches the toy less reluctantly!

  3. Bravo Freighter, you can play this game very well :o) this post gives me some hope that Easy brings the toy back once soon :o) he thinks I have to chase him as soon as he gets the toy :o)

  4. Freighter! That’s how rotties play fetch!! Or, in my case, when I go to the beach, like yesterday, I want to make sure someone will chase me for the toy!! Such fun!!

    -Otto

  5. That is Macha…but she would retrieve and give to Cullen! Erynn started the same little game, chase me!
    Finally she will return to hand, if Macha is not around. Chessies have their own ideas about play and humans.
    Sray cool through all of this!

  6. Good boy Freighter! I always said my collies and corgis were better at the game of fetch than my old Lab. She would retrieve but never did think the game of fetch was fun. So funny it was the same for you all too.

  7. Bailie is the same way. She gets it, runs around with it, then chews on it. Maybe she will get it one day too, but Katie and I never played fetch either.

  8. This gives me hope for Luke! He does just like Freighter did and it drives me crazy if I want him to get some exercise and all he does is screw off!
    Sheba would do the same thing, minus the running around part, just taking it to chew it. But lately she has been bringing it to me some of the time too.
    Did you do anything special to encourage Freighter, or did he just finally get it all on his own?

    1. I never chased him or moved to get the toy. I made sure he had a toy that he could not chew up and swallow so if he went in the opposite direction or stopped to chew it, I basically ignored him.

  9. It took years for Rodrigo to understand the concept of fetch. Zoey got it right away (smart girl) and Scout will do it sometimes, but would prefer for us to just throw something else.

  10. Good job, Freighter! Maybe this means there’s hope for Rita yet! She’ll only fetch the toy about 3 or 4 times and then she’s done!

  11. Good job Freighter! I’m still waiting for Leroy to learn fetch! Sherman’s got it down as a puppy but Leroy likes to do things his way.

  12. Way to go Freighter, you sound like Nellie. She is a bumper hog so she will grab the bumper and stand on the other side of the pond so the other dogs don’t get it so her play time is done too.

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