--- title: Celebrate National Dog Day With Bellybutton the Deep-Diving Dog description: For National Dog Day on Aug. 26, check out photos of a talented German shorthaired pointer who dives deep to retrieve toys. canonical: https://time.com/4003344/national-dog-day-diving-dog/ author: Eliza Berman article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-08-26T12:00:30.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-05-11T04:47:07.214Z og:title: Celebrate National Dog Day With Bellybutton the Deep-Diving Dog og:description: For National Dog Day on Aug. 26, check out photos of a talented German shorthaired pointer who dives deep to retrieve toys. og:url: https://time.com/4003344/national-dog-day-diving-dog/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltf48b61499d107203/698860098e0601543e461f55/150818-swimming-dog-05.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1330 og:image:height: 748 og:image:alt: Bellybutton the Swimming Dog og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Celebrate National Dog Day With Bellybutton the Deep-Diving Dog twitter:description: For National Dog Day on Aug. 26, check out photos of a talented German shorthaired pointer who dives deep to retrieve toys. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltf48b61499d107203/698860098e0601543e461f55/150818-swimming-dog-05.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Bellybutton the Diving Dog Wants You to Celebrate National Dog Day  by [Eliza Berman](https://time.com/author/eliza-berman/)  ## Eliza Berman Berman is a senior editor at TIME. Aug 26, 2015 12:00 PM UTC  Bellybutton approaches the surface with his treasure. Bellybutton approaches the surface with his treasure.Ralph Crane—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  by [Eliza Berman](https://time.com/author/eliza-berman/)  ## Eliza Berman Berman is a senior editor at TIME. Aug 26, 2015 12:00 PM UTC On National Dog Day, those who cherish their slobbering, four-legged friends take a moment to offer their companions an extra chin rub. Those who lack a puppy of their own can resort to the next best option: the treasure trove of dog photos that is the Internet. Even decades-old archives have much to offer, including these images of a 3-year-old German shorthaired pointer named Bellybutton, who captured LIFE Magazine’s attention in 1966 with his underwater agility. Bellybutton was unique not for his swimming abilities, but for his willingness to dive to retrieve an object. Most dogs retrieve sticks and balls from the water’s surface, but Bellybutton would go as deep as 20 ft. and remain submerged for up to 15 seconds. He even practiced his skill on his own—one day, LIFE reported, “he dived unbidden into a lake and fetched his master a 10-inch catfish.” _Liz Ronk, who edited this gallery, is the Photo Editor for LIFE.com. Follow her on Twitter_ [_@lizabethronk_](https://twitter.com/LizabethRonk)_._  Caption from LIFE. Bellybutton began swimming as a puppy but didn't take up skin diving until last May. He now will swim underwater for distances up to 20 feet. Ralph Crane—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  German pointer Bellybutton dives for a rubber bone in a swimming pool. Ralph Crane—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Bellybutton reaches the pool's bottom to retrieve the bone. Ralph Crane—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Caption from LIFE. A submarine bone-chaser. Ralph Crane—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Bellybutton approaches the surface with his treasure. Ralph Crane—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Bellybutton races against a human swimmer to capture the bone. Ralph Crane—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Bellybutton exits the pool via the stairs. Ralph Crane—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Caption from LIFE. On his way up from the bottom he surfaces with rubber bone. Ralph Crane—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Caption from LIFE. Shakes himself dry. Ralph Crane—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Caption from LIFE. Luxuriates in a triumphal rubdown. Ralph Crane—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Bellybutton after a swim. 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