The seven-year-old, called Storm, disappeared from its owner's house in Hastings, East Sussex, on Sunday after crashing through a hole in the garden fence and racing towards the seafront.
Owner Helen Sygrave launched a search for her beloved pet but had been unable to track it down.
However, workmen today reported seeing a German shepherd diving into the crashing waves off Hastings' seafront, and the RNLI lifeboat crew were scrambled to search the choppy waters.
They managed to pull the exhausted dog from the water and onto the lifeboat before wrapping it in blankets and lying the animal on a heat mat to bring its temperature back up.
Mrs Sygrave, 32, has now said she is 'over the moon' to be reunited with her pet, but said she was shocked the animal was found at sea because she has 'never seen him swim before.'
The mother-of-three, who uses a wheelchair, has owned Storm since June last year and lives with the dog, her three children and her partner Craig Lazar, 46, at their home in Hastings.
She said: 'I'm absolutely ecstatic that he's been found and that he's been found alive. I'm over the moon, I've been in panic ever since he went missing. My heart has been in my throat since he went missing on Sunday.
'Our fence unfortunately took some damage after it was kicked in, and Storm went through it. We had loads of people out looking for him and putting posters up, everyone really helped us which was amazing .Craig was out until the early hours of the morning looking for him, he camped out.
'Ever since we've had him in June, he's never ever ran off. I can't believe he ran off into the sea - all for a seagull. I've never seen him swim before. I've seen him paddle before and he doesn't really mind being in the rain but I've never seen him swim like that. I'm relieved to have him back, he's my rock. He's loyal and always by my side, I use a wheelchair and crutches at home because of an accident and if I fall he always sits by me.'
Storm has since been taken to Senlac Veterinary Centre in Battle, East Sussex, and is said to be recovering well.
Ms Sygrave added: 'We nearly lost him when he went out to sea. I'm still shaking. We can't explain how grateful we are that he was saved. Storm is such a big part of the family. The children have all been our looking for him - we've just been desperate to find him.'
She added that her children, Penny Sue, two, Billy, ten and Terry, 13, can't wait to have Storm home.
Vet Lucas Zelaskiewicz, who is currently looking after the exhausted animal, said he is 'doing very well'.
He added: 'His temperature has been brought back to normal - it was 34.3C to start with and it's up to 38.6C now. He has been under a heat blanket with some dryers blowing hot air onto him, and he's been given lots of vitamins. It is working well. He has had his first meal and I think he will make a full recovery.'
Mr Lazar, from Hastings, thanked all of those who helped with the Storm's rescue in an emotional post on Facebook. 'A big, big and emotional thank you to you all,' he wrote. 'We can't tell you how much we appreciate that you risked your own lives for our Storm.'
He added: 'Storm is at the fantastic Senlac vets, where he's now being warmed up and is doing well with a drip - hopefully he'll be home by tomorrow.'
Nick Drury, senior coastal operations officer, said the Hastings inshore lifeboat was on the scene within minutes of being contacted by the Dover coastguard.
'He was so far out, we could only just see him - it was a little black dot. By the time the boat had launched we had lost him but I managed to direct them into the general area and after a few minutes they found him. He wasn't going to survive much longer - he was on his last legs. He was very lucky. Luckily, the people on the beach knew what to do and no one followed him into the sea.'
(Daily mail - Feb 4, 2016)
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