Playing fetch with a Golden Retriever should be easy.

Throw the ball. The dog runs after it. The ball comes back. Everyone is happy.

Unless, of course, there’s a Labrador involved.

That’s when a simple game of fetch can turn into a full-blown competition where one dog apparently believes every single ball belongs to her.

That’s exactly what happened with Piper, a Golden Retriever, and Lady, a Black Labrador.

The two dogs were enjoying some time outside when their mom decided to play fetch with them. At first, everything seemed perfectly organized.

Mom threw a ball for Lady, sending the Labrador racing away after it.

That should have been Piper’s moment.

With Lady busy retrieving the first ball, Piper had a clear opportunity. Another ball was ready, and Mom tossed it into the pool specifically for her.

Piper barely had time to react.

Because Lady was already back.

And instead of simply returning the first ball, the energetic Labrador immediately launched herself into the pool and grabbed Piper’s ball, too.

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Apparently, Lady had no interest in taking turns.

She wanted every ball.

Piper’s reaction made the whole situation even funnier. Rather than desperately fighting for her toy, the Golden Retriever seemed almost resigned to what was happening.

She knew the routine.

Lady runs after a ball.

Lady comes back.

Another ball gets thrown.

Lady somehow gets that one, too.

At this point, Piper may have decided there was absolutely no reason to participate.

Why run when Lady is going to steal the ball anyway?

Why swim when Lady is already halfway into the water?

And, most importantly, why continue believing in the concept of fairness?

The contrast between the two dogs couldn’t be more entertaining.

Piper seems to approach fetch like a polite participant waiting for her turn. Lady, meanwhile, treats the game like an extreme sport.

Every ball is hers.

Every throw is an opportunity.

Every trip into the pool is a chance to win again.

And honestly, it’s difficult to be too annoyed with Lady. Her enthusiasm is impressive.

She isn’t sitting around plotting how to ruin Piper’s afternoon. She simply seems completely obsessed with retrieving anything that gets thrown.

For Lady, fetch doesn’t appear to have rules.

@rachaelsteinle

Piper has given up #lab #golden #dogsoftiktok

♬ original sound - Rachael

It has one objective:

Get the ball.

Piper, meanwhile, has apparently accepted that her Labrador sibling is going to do whatever she wants.

The interaction is a perfect example of the hilarious dynamic that can develop between dogs living in the same household. One may be calm and patient while the other is determined to turn every activity into a competition.

It’s the canine equivalent of having one sibling who follows the rules and another who somehow manages to take over every game.

And Piper’s expression says it all.

She doesn’t look surprised.

She looks experienced.

Perhaps this has happened before.

Maybe Lady has been stealing her toys, racing past her during walks, and turning every game into a one-dog championship.

If so, Piper seems to have reached the point of peaceful surrender.

But there is an easy way for families with multiple dogs to keep games like fetch more balanced.

Giving each dog separate toys, creating some distance between them, and taking turns can help ensure that one enthusiastic pup doesn’t completely dominate the game.

Because Piper deserves some fetch time, too.

As for Lady?

She may need a few extra balls.

Or fourteen.

The funniest part of the whole encounter is that neither dog really loses.

Lady gets to chase everything.

Piper gets plenty of sympathy.

And their family gets an unforgettable example of just how different two dogs can be.

One wants a nice, peaceful game of fetch.

The other wants to win a game nobody else knew they were playing.

And somehow, that makes the whole thing even more adorable.