Dog Owner Shares Stark Warning Over Beach Trip: 'Respect Mother Nature'

This Great Pyrenees might love the water, but his owner has shared the importance of being safe in the sea, after he learned the hard way just how powerful the ocean waves can be, even for a big dog like him.

As Benji. 8, approached the shallow water with his owner, Kristy Mclarnan, he looked eager to keep going further and test out his swimming skills. But that excitement quickly dissipated when a small wave took hold and wiped Benji out, despite him only being "in ankle deep."

As Mclarnan regularly takes trips to Daytona Beach, Florida, with Benji, and they hadn't previously had any negative experiences, she was left in shock by the strength of the ocean on this occasion. Thankfully, she told Newsweek that "he was completely OK after, and he wanted to go back in."

While she was able to laugh about it at the time, Mclarnan shared the video on Benji's dedicated TikTok account (@micaandbenji) to show her followers how strong the water can be, and that even a big dog like a Great Pyrenees is no match for the sea.

She continued: "Me and Benji were walking towards the water when an ankle-deep wave came up to the shore. I didn't think anything of it because we do it all the time, and nothing has ever happened before. But the small wave took out Benji and almost did the same to me.

"The point of the post was to show how unpredictable the ocean is, and to respect it. We spent the rest of the day farther up on shore to stay away from the waves, as the seas were too rough."

A beach trip can be fun for any dog (as long as they like the water), but it's vital for owners to monitor their pup and ensure their safety at all times. As explained by the American Kennel Club (AKC), dogs love to splash about, but they should stay near the shore.

Dogs can easily overtire at the beach as there's so much for them to do, so owners should monitor them throughout. The AKC also points out that even the most experienced dogs need constant supervision at the beach, regardless of how many times they've gone swimming or played fetch on the sand. As Mclarnan showed, you never know what could happen, which is why she urges people to "respect mother nature."

Despite Benji's unexpected fall in the shallow water, Mclarnan said that he absolutely loves the sea usually, and that it's normally "hard to get him out of the water."

Since posting the clip on TikTok, it has been viewed over 2,500 times and received hundreds of likes. Mclarnan continued: "The social media reaction has been positive with lots of comments agreeing to respect the ocean and thanking me for sharing the video."

Among those commenting on the video, one person responded: "It's important to know!"

Another social media user wrote: "I grew up in the ocean. Taught to respect but not fear, by 3-4 years old."

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