Internet Can't Cope With Owner's Genius Way to Help Dogs Make 'New Friends'

Newsweek

01-05-2025

Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
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A woman has delighted the internet with the adorable sign she placed outside her home that is sure to keep her two pups entertained.
TikTok user Anni Cummings (@annicummings) shared the sweet video on April 18 revealing the genius sign that she's attached to her fence, which reads: "I promise I'm not mean." Alongside that is a picture of her flat-coated retriever, named Mojo, holding a tennis ball in his mouth.
Here's where it gets interesting, because directly underneath the sign is a bucket filled with a variety of tennis balls that residents can throw for Mojo.
The sign also adds: "Just throw the tennis ball and we will be friends."
A stock image of a black Labrador chasing after a tennis ball.
A stock image of a black Labrador chasing after a tennis ball.Cummings couldn't resist testing it out for herself, especially as her two pups, Mojo and her golden retriever named Lily, were waiting so eagerly by the bucket. She picked up a ball and launched it into the yard so both dogs could chase after it.
Since sharing the adorable sign and bucket of tennis balls on TikTok, internet users can't get enough of the idea. The video has gone viral with over 3.8 million views and more than 439,100 likes on TikTok at the time of writing.
Newsweek has contacted Cummings via TikTok for comment.
Given the breed's name, it should come as no surprise that golden retrievers just love to retrieve things. Whether it's a toy, a stick, or a ball, they will happily do this for hours on end. The American Kennel Club (AKC) highlights that they are built to retrieve waterfowl, so fetching and swimming are natural pastimes of theirs.
As a sporting breed, they need plenty of daily exercise to stay active and keep them stimulated. This can be achieved through long walks, running, taking them along for bike rides, and of course, long games of fetch.
Indeed, if a golden retriever doesn't get enough exercise, the AKC warns that they're more likely to engage in undesirable behavior.
@annicummings
New sign 🤝🏼 New friends flatcoatedretriever dogsoftiktok follow our page pretty please🥺🥺 20k Search GhostWritersInk on Etsy to purchase a sign!!! ♬ Why Can't We Be Friends - War
Internet users are obsessed with Mojo and Lily's garden sign, which is sure to make them plenty of "new friends" in the neighborhood.
Since the clip went viral, TikTok users have hailed the idea, leading to more than 2,800 comments on the post so far.
One comment reads: "What a fun way to interact with the neighborhood dogs."
Another person wrote: "I'd be there for hours."
Another TikTok user joked: "If I passed this on my commute, I would 100 percent be late to work."
While one commenter replied: "The outsourcing of dog exercising duties is freaking BRILLANT!!"
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