CHESAPEAKE BAY RETRIEVERS

How are they different?

Many people have a belief that all the retriever breeds are alike in temperament, differing only in coat type and colour. This type of thinking will only lead to disappointment at best and disaster in a worse case senario. This is why Chesapeake breeders spend much of their time persuading callers to look at another breed.

Why are you looking for a Chesapeake?

The first tipoff is often one of these lines. "I really like the looks of chocolate Labs but everyone has them. I want something different"- "I thought about a Golden retriever but don't like long hair. "How much do Chesapeakes shed?"- "I heard that Chesapeakes are bigger than Labradors, do they come in black?"

Do you really understand the difference?

These callers might have read that Chesapeakes are more protective, are hard headed, one man dogs, etc. They may understand the words but still think that these are very minor differences. They are not. Chesapeake traits make these dogs quite unlike most Goldens & Labradors.

Protectiveness- the pros

Has a natural tendency to guard family & property.
Territorial so usually remains at home.
Loyal and won't work for others. You won't wind up in the marsh alone with your dog off retrieving for a group of hunters three blinds away! (Almost any hunter can tell a story about a Labrador that has done that.)
Not easily stolen, suspicious of strangers.

Protectiveness- the cons

Sometimes shows lack of judgement in guarding. Must be very well socialized to avoid problems.
Territorial tendencies can lead to aggression with other animals & unknown people.
Does not react well to being tied out. Can become very aggressive trying to defend the area. Kennels runs are a much better idea.
Does not adapt as well as most Labradors to professional training. It may take several weeks before a Chesapeake is really settled and working with someone new.

Other Chesapeake traits.

The Chesapeake is often described as hard-headed, stubborn and difficult to train. Whatever the trait is called, (we prefer single-minded, capable of independent work, etc.) the result is a dog that is less "biddable" than Goldens or Labs. Tell a Chesapeake to jump and s/he doesn't ask "how high" but "why". If you have the dog's respect and can provide a good explanation, then s/he will obey. People who want instant obedience with little or no training should look at a different breed.

One man dog?

The Chessie has a reputation for being a "one man dog". They certainly are less willing to obey or work for people they don't know than many other breeds. Our dogs are all taught to be polite with strangers as we have many people coming and going around the kennel. Many visitors are disappointed when we let these friendly, tail-wagging dogs out of their kennels. Most of the dogs ignore or give a half-hearted greeting to the strangers, then run over to see one of us.

Overcoming this trait.

This "one person" type loyalty can cause problems in a family situation. The dog will obey the person they have bonded with and totally ignore others in the family. This tendency can be overcome by having everyone work with the dog. Some hunters want the dog to be bonded only to them. A much better idea for keeping peace in the family is to have the spouse/children do obedience work with the dog while hunting training is done by the hunter. The dog gets more practice, realizes that all family members are higher status and gets to enjoy more social contact.