A Rottweiler guard dog turned into a pussy cat after plunging down an ancient well hidden under a kennel.

Three-year-old Bow fell down the shaft when the wooden floor of the kennel gave way.

The Rottweiler hit an old pump on her way down but escaped death thanks to unusually high water levels, which had risen to within 10ft of the surface.

Firefighters wondered whether Bow's bite was worse than her bark when they arrived to mount a rescue operation.

But the stranded dog behaved like a perfect pooch as she waited for help.

Rescuers looked down the well and saw that Bow had got her front legs on to a ledge, leaving the back legs in the water.

They lowered a hose with two loops and snared the floundering Rottweiler before pulling her out.

Frantic owner Ann Blaker, who owns a livery yard in Nutley, near Uckfield, was walking to the house with Bow and her other Rottweiler, a two-year-old male, when the drama unfolded.

She said: "We've got this old well with a kennel built on top of it. It's been here for about ten years but the dogs never use it.

"I was just walking to the house and they ran off ahead.

"I don't know why Bow dashed in there. She just went through the floor, which I suppose had rotted away over the years.

"Bow was very lucky because the water level was so high. If it hadn't been for that she would have been killed. Normally, if you throw a pebble down it takes ages until you hear a splash.

"It took seven firefighters to get her out. They tried to put ladders down but it was too deep. In the end, they got hoses around her tummy and pulled her out."

Bow escaped with minor cuts to her paws and was today recovering.

Assistant Divisional Officer John Ticehurst said: "We had an assurance from her owner that she was a friendly dog and she did seem quite pleased to see us.

"She just sat there nice and quiet while we pulled her out of the hole. She was a massive great thing but as soon as we got her out, she was trotting around looking quite pleased with herself."