Four dogs hoping for a game of fetch have melted hearts on the internet after trying to recruit the youngest member of their family as their new playmate.
In a clip posted on TikTok by Kenneth Ray Prince (@kennyprince1), his Australian shepherd trots up to his 4-month-old granddaughter and drops a ball into her baby bouncer before barking expectantly. The on-screen text reads: “See if the new hooman will throw it!”
“They actually did it again,” Prince told Newsweek. “I had to distract them to leave her alone.”
Prince, 60, explained the lineup of furry hopefuls: Arlo the Australian shepherd; Archer the corgi; Beat the Border collie; and Murphy the Maltipoo. “My Australian shepherd kept dropping the ball in front of my granddaughter,” Prince added.
While the dogs’ persistence is cute, it is also instinctive. Australian shepherds, corgis and Border collies are all herding breeds, historically bred to work closely with humans and respond to movement, making them especially motivated by games such as fetch.
Dogs are also surprisingly socially aware. Evidence suggests they can tell the difference between adults and children, often adjusting their behavior, though their natural drive to play can still override any hesitation.
Dropping a ball repeatedly in front of someone—even a baby—is a form of social teaching, a way for canines to encourage a playmate to join in.
Maltipoos, while not a herding breed, are famously social and affectionate, making them equally eager to be part of the action.
Prince’s clip has received over 1.4 million views and almost 190,000 likes. Hundreds of TikTok users commented on the clip.
“Did they have a group meeting before walking over?” one user wrote.
“The corgi giving orders and the aussie carrying out the tasks is so accurate,” another commented.
A third user posted: “This is amazing. People under estimate the intelligence of dogs. The corgi is clearly the boss!”
Many other users agreed that Archer was the mastermind behind the plan.
“People love it; a lot of funny comments,” Kenny said.
While the baby girl isn’t quite ready to throw a ball yet, judging by her four-legged fan club, she will have no shortage of eager playmates when she does.
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