Ok...my chocolate lab is either REALLY wierd - or VERY unusually smart -

[transparant]

My lab was swimming in my neighbors pool yesterday and I was throwing a frisbee in for him to fetch. Well...the frisbee started to capsize and go under water.

I thought Gunner would have thought "the heck with it" and swim back over to the side of the pool. NOPE! He took a deep breath - focused on the frisbee on the bottom of the pool - and dove under water to get it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

He kept missing it - so he'd come back up for another deep breath - and dove under again, and again, and again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I kept calling him to come over to me - but he'd give me this look like "I can't let you down...I HAVE TO GET THAT FRISBEE" I think this dog would have taken his last breath and died trying to get that thing!

SO....I had to jump into the pool with my clothes on (didn't have a bathing suit on) and get him!

Does anyone else have a dog that can literally dive and swim UNDER water????!!!! He was freaking me out!

 

[olena]

WOW!

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Very cool or how scary ! We are getting a pool anyday now....

My collie mix already likes to "dive for ice cubes" in her water bowl, so I am wondering what I am going to see with her.

 

[tkd lisa]

Some of that's a "lab" thing. Remember that they are bred for hunting. Sometimes ducks go under water. So he's genetically inclined to bring that thing back!

We had a lab for several years (DS turned out to be allergic, so he was adopted by a nice lady who lived on a lake). I remember one time when my then husband was duck hunting, he missed the duck. The dog immediately dove in to retrieve and we had the hardest time getting him to come back in without a duck. He was sure that there was something out there to retrieve.

 

[Jpgirl]

My lab won't dive but he will tread water over the thing that's gone under-he'll stay there till he drowns or we call him out. Labs are retrievers especially water and they are extremely motivated to do it. I love Labs!!

 

[hiwaygal]

Your dog is very determined!

I have seen labs do some silly things when it comes to water!

 

[chyam]

That characteristic is quite common in labs, as others have stated "the duck thing" and their love for water. Our neighbor in Wisconsin had one that would dive after rocks!

 

[BriarfoxinWA]

Our lab is a duck hunting dog and diving after a duck (or anything) to retrieve it awesome! Something that a hunter LOVES to see.

 

[TEENEE]

My sister-in-law used to have springer spaniels that would do the same thing.

 

[WebmasterMaryJo]

Your story reminded me of a lab we once had. We had gone up to Lake Tahoe, and when we parked the car she shot out of there before we could stop her - she jumped in the lake, and swam for three hours - would not come in. When she did come in, she went straight to the two guys throwing the frisbee on the beach and grabbed it out of the air.

 

[crazee4mickey]

I am a "mom" of a chocolate lab and he does the same thing in our lake! He doesn't give up and keeps diving until he gets it!
He also climbs trees and gets stuck up in the kids' treehouse...he absolutely amazes me the things he does and by the things he doesn't do!!

 

[minkydog]

I am a "mom" of a chocolate lab and he does the same thing in our lake! He doesn't give up and keeps diving until he gets it!
He also climbs trees and gets stuck up in the kids' treehouse...he absolutely amazes me the things he does and by the things he doesn't do!!

Minky climbs up in our treehouse and it's so funny to see his big black Poodle head bobbing around, looking for a way out.

 

[goodeats]

My friend's lab had to be saved when it tried to bring a bouy back in! He thought the bouy was the tennis ball, and didn't understand why the bouy wouldn't come with him!