Waterfowling dogs

[Lee M]

We are still in a lockdown in the UK but once it lifats im going to see the guy I'm looking at getting a dog from. He has 3 chessies adn will be keeping one from this litter.
If I can train the dog to go at the brother in law and his useless wife I would be very happy. It then means they dont visit or I dont have to see them as I will be with the dog

Hopefully your wife isn’t on AH reading this. Lol

 

[HuntingGold]

As mentioned in many posts, the chessie is a hard working and hard headed dog. I have only seen one, maybe two, that I could've liked to have long enough to train. If this is your first venture into training a retriever, I highly recommend against it.

There are other breeds that are more biddable and forgiving, not to mention more pleasurable to be around. That is my unpolished opinion.

Randy

 

[Nevada Mike]

As mentioned in many posts, the chessie is a hard working and hard headed dog. I have only seen one, maybe two, that I could've liked to have long enough to train. If this is your first venture into training a retriever, I highly recommend against it.

There are other breeds that are more biddable and forgiving, not to mention more pleasurable to be around. That is my unpolished opinion.

Randy

I sorta agree, Randy. There are less challenging breeds than Chesapeakes. OTOH, I admire a dog with cajones... an independent spirit and the grit to do what others cannot. I never trialed any Chessies, but trained and trailed a couple of my labs, back in the day. As a cold weather duck dog though, Chessies are tough to beat if you can deal with the rest of the package.

 

[HuntingGold]

My only real point is that you better have skills to train and keep a Chessie. Few first time owners have that skill set.

 

[Dudders]

@GuttormG I keep getting told by UK Chessie owners that the stubbornness has been bred out of the UK dogs. What do you think?

I asked the wife does she see many chessies about at trainning and field trials here in the UK. Her first reply was no they are to hard headed.

 

[GuttormG]

Over here the chessies starting in trials do very well.

But if easy is what you want, get a lab.

 

[Dudders]

My only real point is that you better have skills to train and keep a Chessie. Few first time owners have that skill set.

So true

 

[Tucketed]

@norfolk shooter check out a Pudlepointer. I have a had 6 lovely labs but my current Pudlepointer, Tiller is an unbelievable partner at home and by far the most intelligent dog I have ever owned. They are as good in the field as they are on the water. My son and I both own one and I wish I had known this bread decades ago .
Ed

 

[norfolk shooter]

Thanks for all the input guys. What is being said is backing up what I have read. But what I have seen is different. I think I need to spend some time with a few of them.
But your right if I want easy get a lab.

 

[norfolk shooter]

Hopefully your wife isn’t on AH reading this. Lol

She knows how I feel about that oxygen thief

 

[CJW]

Thanks for all the input guys. What is being said is backing up what I have read. But what I have seen is different. I think I need to spend some time with a few of them.
But your right if I want easy get a lab.

The chessie characteristics comes down to the individual breeding the dogs. Some just accept and prefer the traditional characteristics of the dogs, like guarding of people and their birds, their sort of reclusive personalities, etc., while others have done their best to breed that out to almost loony golden retriever type personalities who love absolutely everyone but are still usually good hunters.

I've been around both extremes and all in the middle. With guys using them more as field trial dogs the traditional characteristics are bound to be squeezed out more and more. Personally I don't think that's a good thing but that's out of my control. An example would be the free thinking independent hunting nature of the dogs. Most trial guys don't want that, they want a dog that responds without question to a whistle. If that's what they want, why not stick to labs???

Another example of the changing of the breed is the size of the dogs. Some guys are breeding males that max out at 75 ish pounds and females that barely go 60-65. I've seen breeding females as small as 55. Traditionally males were easily 95-130+.

My overall point is that at least here in America, the breed tends to be all over the place but still usually not the best for the first time retriever trainer. When you read about the origination of the breed, the eccentricities become easy to understand.

 

[CJW]

I also don't care for the guys who consider them a 2x4 dog. That independent personality doesn't lend well to overbearing guys who want a dog to learn it right now. They might take longer to learn it on their own or at their own speed. Most good chessie people consider them a soft dog. You can't force them too much or else they can shut down and hold grudges. Again, if people don't like that then they should stick to labs IMO.

 

[norfolk shooter]

I also don't care for the guys who consider them a 2x4 dog. That independent personality doesn't lend well to overbearing guys who want a dog to learn it right now. They might take longer to learn it on their own or at their own speed. Most good chessie people consider them a soft dog. You can't force them too much or else they can shut down and hold grudges. Again, if people don't like that then they should stick to labs IMO.

The fact that they can hold a grudge and are soft makes me like them more. Im starting to feel they are a lot like me

 

[WAB]

@norfolk shooter check out a Pudlepointer. I have a had 6 lovely labs but my current Pudlepointer, Tiller is an unbelievable partner at home and by far the most intelligent dog I have ever owned. They are as good in the field as they are on the water. My son and I both own one and I wish I had known this bread decades ago .
Ed

View attachment 392914

Ed, how big do they run on upland birds and how do they handle tough cover and heat?

 

[Firebird]

Dogs are very much like humans-there are stereotypes and some are smarter, some dumber, bigger,smaller, better hunters, better snugglers bla bla bla- pick a breed of dog and there are good ones and bad ones. Chessies are made and built to handle cold and wet. I’ve never seen one that would sit and guard my boat while I was gone but then I’ve never tried to get one to do it. Several of my chessies were much better with kids than my current lab is-but that isn’t the stereotype of either breed-it is what I have allowed and steered them to become. Stubborn and hard headed is why they will keep after a down bird after other breeds get bored and bigger off-not always a bad thing. —and yes they will beat brush-if they believe there is game in there-any good dog would. Ask my kids and they will tell you that Riggs, or Bulwyfe, or Saxon or judge is the best dog they’ve ever had-because it is what they grew up with and the dogs Loved the kids and the kids loved the dogs. And you’ve seen that my dogs will hunt!

 

[Firebird]

Steve wanted a hooded merganser more than any other species of duck. They are rare here but we see them and maybe once a year we kill one. We hunt a stretch of a river broad enough that you can’t hit ducks flying on the opposite edge. Late in the day I bumped some ducks and as they went up river past Steve he hit a drake hooded. It sputtered across the river which at that part flowed deep between rock cliff walls about twenty feet high.
I got up to the Steve and he explained the issue. I sent Buflwufe (bolvai or as Steve always called him bullseye) on a blind retrieve across the river. The current took him down river and when he got out he was well below the bird. He stood on the edge and looked at me and I sent him back-which was a cliff wall, steep but conquerable for a careful person amd certainly for a dog. But the dog was a bit fuddled by the cliff. FinAlly in anger I threw a rock past him onto the hill above the cliff. He turned and worked up the rocks, wet from the water coming off his body. At the top I gave him a direction and he found the bird without much ado. Then he worked back down the cliff and I to the water, fighting current all the way back and one more time up the cliff to me. Steve had his trophy hooded and the dog had his victory. It remains one of my fondest memories. That dog was never quite 100 pounds but retrieved geese and ducks and even a swan or two. My current chessie is Judge and he was 110 pounds last fall and I’m pretty sure finished growing.

 

[Firebird]

And for the lab lovers-my current lab is a smallish female named Rossi. Same river, and with Steve and my brother. It was the last day of the season and Steve again hoping for hoodies while I am seeking a big late season redhead. As the day progressed the dam far up river increased the water flow and thus the current. We had a good day-I had my big red and we were near limits. The spot we were hunting is a deep canyon-cliffs again on either side and often we shoot down at the birds or at eye level as they pass. Then I must run downriver, to where the cliff ends and myself and the dogs can make our way to the river. A small flock of birds came by and i shot the final duck of my limit-a pretty wigeon drake. Then standing with an open gun, had a pair of hoodeds buzz past. I yelled for Steve “kill those ducks!” Steve did kill the drake although it required some finishers on the rivers surface far below. My brother had finished his limit as well and I think we had four or five dead on the water. Myself and the two dogs beat feet downriver and to the waters edge. Both dogs went in and started bringing back ducks. Steve caught up and told me the hooded was the farthest one. The dogs were young and it was cold and the day had been long. I sent them both back in and while they were working the prized merganser floated by. The first dog out was Rossi, so she and I headed at a jog down the shoreline. The river was high and fast by now so I got well past the bird and sent her in. She got past the bird as the current took her down quickly and she stood on the opposite shore watching. The duck went by and I yelled for her to “get it!” Which is a command I use for dead birds-as opposed to “find it” for crippled birds. She either saw or smelled it and back into the gloomy river and using the current, picked up the duck. We were in a shallower part now and the current really drive her down amd away. Finally out of breath and leg weary I quit running to keep up and just walked, whistling and calling her. Presently trotting up the shoreline, partially obscured by cattails and willows was my little black lab with a pristine hooded merganser drake in her mouth. It was a long walk back to the truck. Steve had his trophy and I had new respect for my little buddy. She wouldn’t let me scratch her ears or belly or anything, gave me the bird and ran and stared at the river looking for just one more. . . !

 

[norfolk shooter]

@Firebird I loved reading about those experiences you had with your dogs. Glad to know it all worked out for you with your Chessie. There something about them you can almost tell they they are indeed thinking

 

[CJW]

The fact that they can hold a grudge and are soft makes me like them more. Im starting to feel they are a lot like me

I hope that if you decide to get one you absolutely love it. They are a special dog.

In case my posts seemed at all negative towards the breed I should tell you that about 4 months ago I was a phone call away from putting down a deposit on a Chesapeake pup from a very prominent breeder here in the US. She breeds nothing but the best hunters and health checked dogs that can be found. I also went and visited another breeder to check out a couple retired from breeding females but just didn't feel like either one was the right fit. They were also older and she still wanted a considerable amount for them. Other personal reasons made me decide to not take on another long term commitment at the moment. It sucks thinking that about now I would be the new owner of an 8ish week old puppy.

A neat story I had relayed to me was about a DNR warden who was checking a father and son while out duck hunting. The warden made some snide comment about the chesapeakes abilities and stubbornness to the dad while outside the blind. Meanwhile inside the blind the pre teen knocked down a duck and sent out the chessie male on a fairly long retrieve. The dog came back with the duck without a hiccup and presented the bird to hand to the 12 yr old and the warden had to eat crow. Of course this comes as no surprise to most of us but they still have their critics.

 

[CJW]

@Firebird how do the mergansers out west taste? The ones in these parts are almost unpalatable by most including me.