A Labrador retriever named Barry has melted hearts on social media after his neighbor shared a video of him enjoying a game of fetch in the water so much that he completely forgot about the world around him.
The heart-warming video, shared on TikTok on Sunday, under the username @mainematthew, shows the black Labrador inside the water at the beach after sunset, waiting patiently for his neighbor to throw the ball at him again and play his favorite game over and over.
Meanwhile, around them, everyone is busy enjoying a party, which Barry doesn’t seem to be very interested in.
“There is an entire party going on with food and people, and look at Barry! Barry is just sitting in the water down here, look at this, waiting for somebody to throe the ball,” the poster can be heard saying.
@mainematthew
“There is like 40 people up here, there is a ton of food, and there is Barry! There is a bonfire with people dropping food and then there is Barry!”
While Barry couldn’t be bothered to join the party, the poster’s own dog, who also attended the party, Bagel, got not only all the attention but also all the food.
The poster, Matthew McDonald from Maine, told Newsweek that Barry is his next-door neighbor’s pup and he is one of those “very intense dogs” that is very ball- and fetch-focused.
“Basically, he will play fetch and retrieve the ball until he’s absolutely exhausted. I regularly play fetch with Barry and did end up throwing the ball with him that night but did not get it on camera,” McDonald said.
“He’s a very sweet dog and is best friends with my dog, Bagel, who I also mentioned in the video. They are best friends out here in the woods of Maine.”
Dogs love playing fetch because it taps into their natural hunting instincts and gives them a sense of purpose. Canine wellness experts at Wag Walking say that, for pups, retrieving a ball or stick is like bringing back food for the pack, recognizing their owner as the leader.
This activity satisfies dogs’ need to be useful and keeps them physically and mentally engaged. They thrive on the praise and attention they get for returning items, which motivates them to keep playing. Fetch also helps channel their energy and prevents undesirable behaviors such as chasing other animals.
The video quickly went viral on social media, getting viewers from across TikTok. It has so far received nearly 1 million views and almost 150,000 likes on the platform.
One user, LittleCharm, commented: “I’d be that person at the party that just hangs with Barry all night.”
Suz posted: “Barry wants everyone to leave by 9.”
Julesb320 wrote: “Barry is like come on people! There’s enough of you to play ball with!”
Elizabethann0184 added: “I’d for sure be on the beach with Barry with a plate for both of us!”
Newsweek reached out to @mainematthew for comment via TikTok comments. We could not verify the details of the case.
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