Lady adores going to the beach. She loves running in the sand, napping in the shade of an umbrella and digging lots of holes.

Luckily, she doesn’t have to feel left out during games of fetch in the water — her friend, Maui, is happy to help grab the stick from the waves and bring it back to her.

“Maui is like an older brother to Lady, and Lady is like a sassy little sister always taking the credit for what he does,” Lady’s mom, Erika Ekman, told The Dodo. “It’s so cute and funny!”

Watch Maui assist Lady in her game of ocean fetch here:

Ekman often takes Lady to dog-friendly beaches around their home in Orange County, California. Lady has never liked swimming. In fact, it took the cautious golden a long time to feel comfortable just going in up to her ankles.

“She is not a confident dog, but she has come a long way to even be standing that far in the ocean,” Ekman said. “She loves water now, but she won’t swim without a lot of encouragement, and she is still afraid of big waves.”

Maui and Lady met at a local dog park and have been friends ever since. They’re a perfect pair, as Maui is a strong swimmer and Lady is not. They often hang out and play together, sometimes around water.

“Maui always fetches the toys in the pool for Lady,” Ekman said. “Lady likes to sit and wait at the stairs and grab the toy from his mouth and bring the toy to a secure place.”

Ekman is so grateful to Lady for encouraging her to be outside — and for helping both of them make new friends like Maui and his parents.

“[Lady] changed our lifestyle completely and let us explore the beautiful nature California has to offer,” Ekman said. “We are so much healthier mentally and physically than before. She’s also the reason why we’ve met so many amazing friends too!”

For Lady, every day presents a new opportunity to play in the fresh air. And if she ever gets scared? There’s almost always a friend like Maui nearby to help.