trying to play fetch
We never thought Oliver would ever want to play fetch. Poodles generally don’t go for those kinds of shenanigans. So we were pleasantly surprised when he started to fetch with his kosher bone in the house. We figured that maybe his terrier half wants to fetch. But we were also encouraged by another poodle (miniature) who lives down the street who loves fetch. His dad told us that he just learned by watching other dogs do it at the park. This was exciting news, and lo and behold one day on returning from the dog park The Little Red Haired Girl reported to me that Oliver had played fetch with a tennis ball.
Now we have been trying it in our own backyard for a couple weeks now. This is the general pattern of “fetch” that I’ve encountered today:
- Oliver goes and picks up the ball, brings it over, and drops it just far away enough from where I’m sitting that I have to get out of my chair to pick it up. Then he sits and stares at me until I agree to play “fetch” with him.
- I pick up the ball and throw it.
- Oliver looks at me, looks at the ball, and considers going to get it.
- After a few minutes, he saunters over to the ball.
- Oliver lies down next to the ball.
- After a while, Oliver picks up the ball, and after walking around the yard some, eventually brings it to the front right corner of the yard about 5 feet away from where I’m standing. This seems to be the area where he has decided the ball lives.
- Oliver goes about his business of gnawing on sticks.
- Oliver goes and picks up the ball, brings it over, and drops it just far away enough from where I’m sitting that I have to get out of my chair to pick it up. Then he sits and stares at me until I agree to play “fetch” with him.
We’ve played at least 4 times in the past 2 hours. That’s how long it takes.
