Golden Retriever Enjoys First-Ever Beach Trip After Owner Drives 1,000 Miles

A dog enjoying her first-ever trip to the beach is warming hearts on TikTok after her owner drove 1,000 miles across the country for the experience.

In a clip posted to TikTok by owner Chris (@adventuringwithnala) on July 7, Nala the golden retriever can be seen excitedly dashing about on the sand, playing fetch with her owner, and running alongside the waves.

Users couldn't get enough of the playful pup, with the TikTok post receiving 2.7 million likes and almost 40,000 shares at the time of writing.

Considering retrievers' well-documented love of water, it's no surprise that Nala went wild for the beach. Descended from St. John's water dogs, golden retrievers and labradors were originally bred to hunt waterfowl, making them naturally strong swimmers.

The dogs would retrieve the dead or injured birds, such as geese and ducks, from the water and carry them back to their owners. With their soft mouths, the canines would not damage the bird in the process.

Retrievers are number nine on PetMD's list of the best swimmers, with their long and powerful hind legs having multiple benefits. It's not only less work for retrievers to stay afloat compared to smaller breeds, but their muscular legs make it easy for them to maneuver themselves through water and the ability to swim further distances for longer periods of time.

'Happiest Dog Alive'

The footage begins with Chris, who hails from Utah, sitting in the front of his car with an excited Nala. He introduces himself and his canine companion.

"Hey everyone, I'm Nala's dad and this is Nala," he says. "Nala's never been to the beach before, so we just arrived and we're about to head down there."

Once hitting the sand, the 4-year-old retriever starts running around in circles excitedly, before dashing into the distance the second her leash is off.

In the next scene, Nala runs back to Chris after retrieving her ball, before the pair do the "beach stomps" dance.

"Crazy little stomper, and she stomp, she stomp, she do the beachy stomps," Chris sings.

In the final scene, Nala can be seen running happily alongside the waves.

"She's probably the happiest dog alive," wrote user Lana Rhoades.

"I DIDN'T NEED TO CRY TODAY" commented user Ciara Ruby.

"No other video has made me happier," posted Jeanie.

"Thank you for letting us experience this with you," said Chewy.

Users were particularly fond of Nala's beach stomps, with ASH calling the dance "the single greatest thing I've ever seen."

"Beach stomps hit different," said Django.

And Andrew Bird commented: "The stompy stomp could probably make the worst day feel better."

Nala isn't the only dog whose aquatic adventures have gone viral. A Newfoundland named Norman recently became Newsweek's Pet of the Week thanks to his love of early morning swims, while Maui the golden retriever instantly regretted following her corgi sibling down a water slide.

Newsweek has reached out to @adventuringwithnala for comment.