The video was posted on Instagram page @annie_loves_sticks, which documents the adventures of Annie the dog and her new puppy friend Lucy the yellow Labrador.
In the video, Lucy can be seen frolicking on the beach, dunking her head under the water and rolling around in the sand with pure joy on the Venice dog beach in Florida.
It is well documented that Labradors have a particular affinity with water, whether that be the ocean, or a muddy puddle, but why is it that this breed of dog appears to be happiest when wet?
According to The Labrador Site, a love of water is in their DNA. The site reports that Labradors are actually descended from an earlier dog breed called the St. John’s water dog, which originated from Newfoundland, Canada, and were bred to help their owners fish. They retrieved fishing gear, and caught escaping fish that eluded the nets.
The Labrador Site continues: “English nobility began developing the new Labrador breed specifically to work as a hunting (gun) dog. Labradors were prized canine companions among the aristocracy, chiefly for their ability to track and retrieve downed waterfowl and other small prey.”
Labradors even have double-layered coats which are water repellent to keep them warm and dry, another reason Labradors are so at home in the water.
The Labrador Site also advises people to not be discouraged if their Labrador seems less than enthusiastic about the prospect of playing in the water.
It says: “The most common reason why a Lab might not love the water is simply because it is something different and new. Today’s Labrador retrievers have been the most popular pet dog in America for the last 26 years straight.
“But many modern Labs have never worked a day in their lives at anything more than fetching a Frisbee or begging for table scraps. So they may not ’take to the water’ like a natural, but only because they have no idea they are supposed to.”
In other posts on their page, Lucy and Annie can be seen sharing sticks, taking a nap, and playfighting.
Users in the comments were delighted by the uplifting video, with one user saying: “How awesome is this, having the best day ever [heart emoji],” while another user agreed: “Loves the beach in an understatement for this pup.”
One user commented: “She’s just practicing to be a seal,” while another wrote: “The rolling around in the waves! [face with tears emoji] so sweet.”
Newsweek has reached out to @annie_loves_sticks for comment.
