As a child, Pet Star on Animal Planet was one of my favorite shows. I was always so impressed to see what people trained their pets to do. One of my favorite talents on the show were the animals who could be told, “Go pick up [object name]” and then would quickly find and pick up said object among a pile of other things spread out on the floor. It was inspiring; it made me want to train my own pets.
Although Pet Star has been discontinued, there are still many animal prodigies and talents out there that deserve our recognition. Six-year-old Finley the golden retriever is one of those animals. Like many dogs, tennis balls are one of his favorite toys. But unlike any other canine out there thus far, he’s the only one we know who can fit a whopping six tennis balls in his mouth!
And the dog does all of this without help.
According to the canine’s owners, Finley can quickly pick up three or four balls no problem. However, as he gets to the fifth and sixth balls, he has to use his paws to keep the balls in his mouth in place as he puts another one in. But once his paws are removed, the dog can hold all six balls with ease with his widely stretched-out mouth!
His owner, Cheri Molloy, has a little something to say about her canine’s not-so-hidden talent:
“The joy he brings to us is one thing, but he brings joy to people all over the world. It’s a stellar — and sometimes anxiety-inducing — thing to watch…”
According to her, sometimes Finley will hold a tennis ball in place with just one single tooth!
But for Finley, popping six balls into his mouth isn’t an anxious task. Molloy says that he wags his tail in delight when he knows he successfully has all six in place. If anything, he knows he has talent, and he definitely isn’t afraid to show it off.
In fact, Finley’s talent allowed him to break a Guinness World Record for the dog who can fit the most tennis balls in their mouth at once. The previous record for the most tennis ball-holding in a dog’s mouth was five. (Do I smell a little competition?!)
Congratulations on beating the record, Finley! (Just please don’t lose a tooth.)
Need to see it to believe it? Check out the video below.
