Scuba Dog. Could someone please pass the snorkle!

Cause this dog is stressing me out! I dont know if this is a sign of intelligence at work here, or just plain stupidity on the dogs part, but Chris started diving about a year ago and it is driving me bonkers!
I wouldnt mind it as much, if she just dunked her head and then came up, Ive had dogs that did that.

But she has now learned how to hold her breath!

And can and will litterally dive under the water in one place, and resurface in a completly new spot, 5 or 6 feet from where she started!

She loves the water,and keeping her out of it would be like a death sentence, of course continuing to allow her accsess could result in the same! How she deduced that there were sticks (and she loooooves her some sticks!) under the water, is beyond me.(Course Chris isnt happy with just a little stick to carry around, she has greater aspirations.)



So what does one do with a diving dog? Time out only works for so long.

Do I take video and send it to Americas funniest videos? Send it to Letterman for an episode of Stupid Pet Tricks? The worst part is, that Hank has been watching her, and ever so slowly but surely, he is now starting to dunk is head and face under the water searching for the divine prize too! (and once he has located his prize, it is clear no one will be stealing it from him)

Eventually, I can just see the two of them together performing some weird under water doggie duet ballet of sorts. Grrrrrr.
Her under water follies have gotten me several times in a state of panic to the point of me standing at the waters edge shucking off my shoes and getting ready to dive into the muddy depths after her. Already Ive been to the point of wading in and slapping the water repeatedly calling frantically for her, only for her to resurface with a mouthful of weeds that she proudly prances back to shore with to sort through. Always with that "Whats your problem??" look on her face.

Ive yet to see her push her limits and come up gulping, but really, how long can she hold her breath? Maybe she isnt holding her breath so long, as it is the sight of my dog dissapprearing under the water that makes me feel as if it takes forever for her to come back up, but its definitly not some thing I appreciate her doing.
Oh, we have stopped throwing things in the water for her to retrieve, but she seems to perfer to find her own stuff anyway, and any opportunity to dive she will take, so just being near the water is enough for her. No encouragemnet is needed. Goofy girl!

So we are now heading back into the spring and eventually summer, where playing in the pond to cool off will soon be an absolute must, and Im thinking Chris needs a set of water wings or a life vest, or at least one of those blow up butt donuts hanging around her neck, to discourage her from continuing her communte with the fishes before she becomes just another soul in Davey Jone's locker! Watching her over the last year perfect her diving skills and breath holding techniques, still gives me pause to wonder, does she really have a sense of self preservation? Does she know her limitations? (cause to me it seems she stays under there longer and longer each time) Do other dogs do this kind of thing? Or is Chris just some weird freak of nature, (it wouldnt be the first time Ive accused her of that one!) And how weird would it be trying to explain to folks the next time I took her on a swimming date with her friends and their owners, "No, Chris is an excellent swimmer, she doesnt need the donut to save her from drowning, she needs it to save her from Drowning Herself!"