Golden Retriever’s Commitment To Seaweed Removal on Beach Takes Fetch to a New Level

Some dogs love a day at the beach where they can romp and play to their heart's content. For a Golden Retriever named Oatmeal, it's important to give back to the community and make the beach a better, cleaner place. So, he volunteered to clear the area of anything that shouldn't be there. In this case, it's seaweed, and he's going to get every last piece out of that water!

A September 15, 2024, Instagram video shared by @adriaandoatmeal shows the very good boy doing his best trash clean-up alongside his mom and, well, he tried his best! Check out his stellar skills!

"It’s the thought that counts… right?" the caption says as Oatmeal begins his busy day of collecting seaweed from the ocean water.

"Unfortunately, I did not have the heart to tell him that's not what beach cleanup is," she said, noting the funny way the pup walked backwards pulling more seaweed up onto the sand.

"I think Oatmeal's retrieving skills kicked in at the ripe age of 5 years old because I throw a tennis ball for him and he cannot be bothered to bring it back," she continued. "But seaweed in the ocean, he is happy to retrieve."

The Golden boy doesn't stop at fetching seaweed. He also has to roll around on top of it to "show it who's boss," because the "stink" is his "favorite perfume."

After 20 minutes, the hard-working pup realized the water washed seaweed up to him so he didn't have to chase after it.

"Work smarter not harder, am I right?" Oatmeal's mom concluded.

This cool dog has more than 164,000 followers hanging on his every move and they're here for his seaweed habit.

"Seaweed seems to be the key to Oatmeal's heart," one person said. "He really IS in his Baywatch energy," another said. "He's having the best time," another added.

Related: Golden Retriever's Cries of Joy Over Dad Coming Home Are Everything

Do All Retrievers Know How To Fetch?

Oatmeal seems to have found his calling retrieving seaweed at 5 years old, but not all Retrievers naturally know how to fetch. Preventative Vet says the key is to teach your dog to fetch as a game in order to get it to stick. Keep it light and fun by introducing a toy, tossing it, and rewarding them with high value treats and lots of praise to help them connect the actions.

First throw the toy a short distance and toss farther each time they complete the fetch (again, with lots of treats and praise). You can add a verbal cue but it's not necessary if they understand the game. It takes patience, practice, and repetition but eventually, they'll fetch toys—and seaweed!—like a pro.