Chesapeake Bay Retrievers

[Threemuch]

Hey all-
I am starting to look in to my next dog, which I want to train for waterfowl hunting. Not trials and such, just a family pet that hunts.

I am very interested in Chessies, but don't know many folks with experience with them, and have never hunted over one. I would like to get your opinions of the breed.

Also, if anyone knows of a breeder of chessies in the area, I would love to hear about them.

Thanks in advance,

[98ramtough]

1st of all read these.
http://www.cbrrescue.org/WARNING.HTM

http://www.cbrrescue.org/articles/dontbuy.htm

I have a lab and a chessie. The chessie is great to hunt over. They are no better than a lab as far as hunting. That said I will probably always own a chessie. They fit my personality.

They mature slower than a lab. They are more difficult and take longer to train than a lab. They have a very very strong memory which is nice for hunting. Once you train something into them, its pretty much set in stone. They have longer hair, but don't shed like labs. They shed in big balls of hair, we call them buffalo burrs in my house. They have an oilier coat than a lab, and obviously longer curlier hair. There can be a slight musk odar on the fur.
In general they require more attention than a lab. They make a horrible kennel dog. Chessies love to be by your side as much as possible. They need to be socialized more than labs. It is very important to socialize them. Chessies can become mean if you leave them alone and don't socialize them. This is where they get the aggresive bad rap.

Sorry to run so much of this together, read those top links and it should get you started.



That is my chessie and I on the right of this one.

[Swamp Puppy]

a Chessie isn't a bad second choice to a Lab....

[EZLoader]

My neighbor has a Chesapeake that just recently attacked another neighbors small dog (unprovoked attack). The Chessie owner told me that they knew when they got their pup that it would grow up and become extremely protective of territory and family, but they never knew how much a problem it would become. They love the dog, but its natural protective instincts are now beginning to become unmanageable for them. It is a strong willed and powerful dog that demands attention and you must earn its respect to control him.

I found a good site for you to read. I think you are wise doing this upfront research before committing to this breed as a hunter and family pet. Good luck!

Chesapeake Bay Retriever Information

PS- They once had a beautiful, professionally landscaped backyard before getting their chessie...it is now a complete mudhole, void of any sign of previous vegetation (all the grass and plants are gone). This dog was bored and ran and chewed up the whole place. I wouldn't want one myself. I would get a nice lab instead.

[Spotted Owl]

Hunting machines when trained sometimes not much is needed. Strong willed with a head about as hard as your gun barrel. A very dominant animal. Hyper as all get out when young. Don't seem to make good family pets unless they are with the family and not in a run or kennel. Keep them busy or they will keep themselves busy( digging, chewing anything and everything, running a dirt track into your back yard). They need to be worked or the pent up energy will back fire on ya. Ours when she was young was rough with the kids but as she calmed down became very protective. We lost her young just when she was getting out of the puppy and starting to calm down some.

Would I do it again? I would, however my wife says not gonna happen no way.

Ya might also call some of the training places out on the island and around the area. Explain to them what your plans are and what your dog experience is. Then perhaps head out to the trainers to watch the dogs in action.

Owl

[98ramtough]

Your definately right on the money swamp. Labs are an easier dog in general. It is a lot easier to find a good all round good hunting lab than a chessie also, probably cheaper too. I suggest labs a lot more than chessies to people.

I once heard someone say that someone shouldn't choose a chessie, the breed has to chose you.

[Gooseman]

I am a Chessie owner, and have been around them most of my hunting life. I will not own another breed.
That said, "I once heard someone say that someone shouldn't choose a chessie, the breed has to choose you." is as accurate of a statement that could be made about being a chessie owner.
Like all sporting dogs, retrievers need to burn energy. The younger the dog, the more energy. Doesn't matter what breed you pick. Expect to spend a lot time with the dog helping them stay out of trouble and expend their energy in a productive way.
Also, the breeding and blood lines play a big factor in the dogs mental ability and stability. Look for a breeder that is willing to put something back into the breed. By this, I don't mean that every dog needs to be a CH, MH, or even a FC to be a good dog. Need to find someone who has done their homework before doing the breeding.
Lastly, don't let Fido sit in the backyard by themselves while you are off fishing the other 10 months of the year. Get them out and socialize them with people, dogs, and expose them to as many different settings as possible.

[Quaka Wacka]

I've heard all that info from people before, and must have gotten lucky with mine. Annie (my chessy) did have a lot of room to run and other dogs to play with as she grew up. She never chewed a thing, until she started to get into the garbage at age 9. Out of all the guys I've hunted with who owned labs, my chessy would be the only one still going at the end of a long day. Definatly a tougher dog. And able to handle the cold better. Ice, snow, briars, nothing will stop them. Mine has climbed Mt St Helens several times in the snow, and spent many a nights in a snow cave. And backpacked all over the NW. My three year old neice plays with mine all the time. Poking her in the eye, pulling, her tail and all the dog has done is get excited knock her over a time or two. She stays right at my side while I dig razor clams on a crowded beach. She has never attacked another dog, but won't back down either. And the only agression she has shown towards people is when I'm not around. And she's tied into the back of my truck or in my back yard. Which is exactly what I want.

In my opinion, she is the perfect dog (for me). I take her everywhere I go, except deer/elk hunting(would if I could). Definatly more work than a lab, but worth it for what you get back out. A fantastic hunting dog that will not quit, under any condition. A great family dog and gaurd dog all in one. And a great companion for all your outdoor activities. This is a "year round" dog not just for hunting season. You can't leave it in the backyard in the off season like you would a lab. If you have the extra time to spend with them, than this is your dog. I might have just gotten lucky with this one, but I will always own a chessy from here on out. PM me if you are interested in the breeder and I'll try and find the info. When I retire Annie in the next year or two, I will definatly be going back.

[Tilla]

As a rule, a breed that doesn't meet the easy button.
Special people own this special breed, although not as special as American Water Spaniel owners.
Chessies owners, while everyone is driving Fords, the Chessie owner is driving Toyota. If everyone has a Alumaweld the Chessie owner has an Edwing. If everyone is using best foods mayonaise,the Chessie owner is using Kraft.
I'm not saying that's bad. Just an observation.
Nordom kennels in Wa has a good handle on great dogs, they understand the breed.

A most famous Chessie trainer has a mountain named after him in Oregon.
Three fingered Jack!

[Quack Attack]

I have owned several chessies, and as a retrieving dog I don't think I would choose anything else, though maybe to be different a flat coat... Anyway, back on topic I think if there is any adivice that I could give you it is to choose the demeanor of the pup that you want. I frequently hear people say chessies are stubborn and hard headed, but I think that is by far a misconception. In fact, it took me many years to find people to hunt with that had labs that were less stubborn and difficult. Why, they always chose the dominant pup in the litter, as everybody seems to want the first one to run up and show interest in retrieving. BAD IDEA, unless you want a dog that will fight you your whole life. I always have picked about the third most dominant male in a litter and the ones to be more interested in thee environment around them, and have had all very doscile dogs. The only stubbornness that I see is in little things, like the one I have right now likes to sleep on patio furniture. But when it comes to training and hunting, when I tell him to go through a blackberry bush for a pheasant he hates it, but he'll do it. So..Choose your pup for personality!

Second, they are oily and stinky if you plan to keep them in the house. They are also pretty big and don't mind running into things, so not necessarily a good house dog. They are very loyal, and can be protective, though I have not seen it come out any way except keeping other dogs away from family members. I am not sure about the maturing earlier thing, as I have had all of my dogs except one almost fully trained by one year, i actually think they mature quicker, they just stay playfull longer, untill maybe two years old, again this may just be because I pick dogs that aren't dominant, rather they are inquisitive. I even had one almost fully trained by 7 months, not because I pushed him, he was just ready for blind doubles early...

They are absolutely awesome retrieving dogs, and near impossible to get cold or worn out. I have seen one actually cold twice in my life, and by the time it got to that I was hurting myself. I have only had one in salt water, and he loves it, he'll swim for 45 min stretches in the hardest waves he can find.

What can I say they just fit me so well. I had to go to northern CA for the one I have right now, my others all came out of ID. I have never really bought into the professional breeder thing, I just like to get dogs from people who hunt them, it's easy to see the potential of a good dog from watching it work, I never saw the need to pay twice the price for someone to say their great grandparents could do field trials.

And lastly..... Go For It! You'll be happy you did

[Threemuch]

If I were to do a chessie, my intent would be to get a female, and get her fixed. I don't want a hard headed dog.

I have gotten very mixed reviews on the hard headedness of chessies. And I have seen plenty of hard headed labs.

I have made the mistake once of picking the bully of the litter once, in a brittany of all things, and although he was a great upland hunter, he hated feathers in his mouth, and I was not able to force fetch him. Of course he pointed beautifully, and backed naturually, and at about 10 years old we came to an understanding, but mostly, he did his thing, and I did mine, and sometimes what his thing was benefited me, and that was good. I still love the guy, but I won't ever pick a dog again because he seems to be in charge of his litter mates.

[Acuta]

I love my Chessie, so does my son (10) and my wife. She's bull-headed as all-get-out and equally birdy. She's now 16 months old and starting to calm down and take training. I'm sure she'd have done better sooner if she weren't my first. She has never been "hyper" like I've seen in labs, just always busy. Usually nose to ground and brain shut off. They ARE big, strong, and don't really care what they run into. That includes furniture and knees. I see a lot of posts saying they stink. Mine is certainly oily, but she don't stink. I suspect male vs female here. Males tend to not be so clean when it comes time to water a hydrant. I've been bummed through the last year thinking she wouldn't hunt, but now she's coming around (HAS to be mostly my fault). Like all older breeds, they can be aggressive to those outside their "pack". I have had some minor (thank God) issues with this. Particularly when roughhousing with my son. She thinks I, or my father are hurting her brother, she don't like it much. She's never gotten to the point of attacking, or even growling. But her body language is *this* close to aggresive. She's loyal to a fault. IF you get one, when it's a pup SOCIALIZE, SOCIALIZE, SOCIALIZE. Show that pup to every person/dog/motor vehicle (don't laugh) you can.

These dogs will walk through a barbwire fence and not even acknowledge it. It's imperitave that they learn their place in the "pack".

Get a Chessie. Labs are chuck steak, Chessies are prime rib! It takes care to make that ribroast taste good, but the end product is SOOOO much better. Besides, EVERYONE has a lab, not everyone has a Chessie (though, more than I thought.........)

I'll post a current pic of Acuta. She's a "deadgrass" color, rather than the traditional red. I liked the idea of a "camo" dog.



Eric

[The_Duck_Master]

they are oily and stinky if you plan to keep them in the house.

Had one as a kid that could make you ! STINKY Dog.

The oil is one of the trade offs for being able to handle the cold. He was an awesome retriever with no quit in him. Never saw him cold once, even in Montana ice water.

That said, I have labs now, just fits my style a little better.

Regarding whether or not chessies fit a particular stereotype... Some do, some don't. But, there is a reason those reputations develop. If there wasn't at least a little bit of a tendency in the breed toward stubbornness they wouldn't have that reputation. If there wasn't a little bit of a tendency in the breed toward agressiveness they wouldn't have that reputation. Kind of like the reputation of pitbulls, there's a reason the reputation develops.

[Acuta]

The second link that 98ramtough posted says it all! My dog to a "T". Read it, live it!






Eric

[5 for Fighting]

I went with a Chesapeake to have something a little different. I spend so much time with Labs in the blind and I wanted to break the mold a little. In doing my research on breeders and blood lines I was able to locate a large male that fit the personality I wanted to a T.

I was really shocked how quickly Moose bonded to me. The force fetching went well and picked up blinds after a few sessions. He was 6 months when I brought him home and the first few nights he spent in the kennel was tough but now he can’t seem to sleep anywhere else now.

My plan was to not use a collar unless absolutely needed. He lives outside in a 18’x 6’ dog run that has a 3’x 5’x 3’ dog house outside of the run.

I feel the key to my success with Moose was the daily training sessions. I’m lucky to have a large park across the street from my house so it’s not like I have to bring him anywhere for the most part. Before and during the season I do 2-3 watre work outs a week. I spent 15 mins a day following a training plan I had laid out. I would get him from the kennel, run him for a bit, then get the whistle on and start working. No matter how well it was going I would always stop and not do too much. And then we would spend time in the park doing dog things with everyone else.

I do have a few other rules for him that you might want to think about. Now I live with my girlfriend so we don’t have any kids. These are easy for me but I’m sure will be hard for others:

Bumpers and dummies are not toys. I never let him chew or play with them.

No sticks or balls. This makes it easy for him to know everything that goes into his mouth is mine and needs to come back to me. By letting him have pull toys it’s hard for him to understand what is a game and what is work.

Always use and make him follow commands. They will test your limits and if Moose found out I would let him heal and not sit at my side he would start doing it in the field.

I feed him the same time every morning and make sure he has some kind of rawhide chew thing and only let him have those in his kennel. I also don’t give him commands while he is in his kennel.

Some of these may sound strange but Moose is the most upbeat and positive dog around. I think by having these guidelines I rarely have to say no and scold him which in turn makes our bond stronger.

Here he is last fall, 110lbs.

[5 for Fighting]

And Moose is one of the stinky ones...

The once a months baths at PetCo for $23 takes care of it.

[bassin]

I could not agree with you more. I too have both now and had both before, The Chesapeakes are a great dog. But very different than the labs.
Read lots, and check with kennels before buying. And don't compare there training with that of a lab, They are a stronger willed dog than the labs,
There are some great one out there. And there are some REALLY bad ones.
Best of luck with you new friend.

[suckerfish]

Yup, good and bad. Both of minre have great manners. However, i have seen some reAL TUTRDS TOO.

suckerfish

[Crashin' Bait]

I used to own one of those turds (hehehe). He was all business and you had better stay away from his ducks.
My current pup was the runt of the litter and she's a 70 lb. sweetheart. You just never know about dem chessies.

[Chesapeake]

I have 3 of them and have always had them. My family is several generations deep into chesapeakes. They are great dogs but not for everyone. I would not consider them a house dog at all but many people do. They are a bit hard headed, especialy the males. They are the type of dog that you either love or hate. They range in personality from hyper to sluggish and everywhere in between.

My best advice would be to get one from a hunting breeder who introduces them to birds, guns, and water early. Dont get one from a show breeder.

From experience I have seen that the mild mannered ones tend toward being gun and other loud noise shy. I would much prefer a dominant dog over a mellow one.

The males are more agressive when young and the females tend to get crotchety and agressive with age.

Most importantly you must play the role of boss or the dog will. You dont want the dog to be boss, trust me.

There are Lab owners and then there are Chesapeake owners. You'll know witch one you are pretty quick if you get one.

[Tilla]

There are Lab owners and then there are Chesapeake owners. You'll know witch one you are pretty quick if you get one.

A lot of those Lab owners are ex-Chessie owners!

I'm kidding! :grin:

[Quaka Wacka]

I'm an X-lab owner myself.

[HazMatt]

There is a nationally known breeder of Chessies in Troutdale. www.cantonchesapeakes.com
Her name is Shannon Rollins - she has helped me with ours when we were have some issues. VERY good with the breed and I am sure would be more than willing to have you come out to talk to her about them.
Also - go to www.cbrs4me.com - their message board is outstanding with responses to questions like yours. Of course they are somewhat biased, but very truthful as there are a lot of chessies in rescues right now.
Ours is a great dog! She smiles when we get home at night, she "Roos" or talks all the time when she wants something. She is five years old and is protective as the breed leans. Ignores everything when outside of the house, but she's inside - watch out! We have a 3 year old son with another on the way, and I couldn't ask for a better dog...She will put herself between our son and whatever/whoever she perceives as a threat. When we go the coast, she will be between him and ocean. We have trained her to "Go find the baby!" and she tears off looking for our son. When she gets to him, she won't leave his side. Amazingly smart dogs that MUST have a job to do. Ours is definitely a one person dog-she listens to me and has selective hearing with everyone else. Ours doesn't smell very much - we only have to give her a bath about 4 times a year. She does, however, shed like a machine. It is a nonstop thing for us. They have the wooly undercoat that they blow twice a year - ours seems to continuously do this. As all the others have said - they are not a good kennel dog, and can be very loving with the family. Socializing and training are essential as with any breed, but these really need it and need to be excercised a lot. This dogs aren't one to lay around all day.
I highly recommend the cbrs4me website as they many links and information with history of the breed, and a great article of "Why NOT to get a Chessie."
Here it is below...
DON'T GET A CHESAPEAKE BAY RETRIEVER IF YOU...
-are attracted to the breed chiefly by its appearance
-don't intend to educate (train) your dog
-lack leadership (self-assertive) personality
-want a totally unaggressive and unprotective dog
-are unwilling to share your house and your life with your dog
-don't value laid-back companionship and calm affection
-are fastidious about the neatness of your home
-dislike daily physical exercise
-believe that dogs should run "free"
-can't afford to buy, feed, and provide health care for one
-want the "latest, greatest ferocious killer attack dog"
-are not willing to commit yourself for the dog's entire lifetime
There are paragraphs under each one of these points at the following link...
http://www.cbrrescue.org/articles/dontbuy.htm
Anyway, go to the Media Resources and click on the Newbie Board - you can post questions and look through questions people new to the breed ask. Do your homework on it. It took me almost 6 months before we decided on Luci.
http://www.amchessieclub.org/

Have fun - They are an outstanding breed!

Matt & Luci - I'll post a photo of our "baby"

Sorry for the long response, but there is a ton of info on these wonderful dogs...

[stilly bum]

When my lab passed away I couldn't decide if I wanted another one or if I wanted to get a chesapeake. I found a lab/chessie cross and she's perfect. I can see some chesapeake in her personality, mostly in how protective she is of her home. She doesn't want strangers at her house. I don't think I've every heard such a deep sounding growl. Away from home she has her nose to the ground and ignores everyone but me. My lab wanted to say hello to everyone, everywhere, and never growled.
She's incredibly smart, very loyal, follows me around the house, and loves to ride in the truck. Those traits can come from either breed.