Chesapeakes are "a kind of Lab".Chesapeakes are not "Labs" but a totally seperate breed of "Retriever". The officially recognized retriever group consists of Chesapeake Bay Retrievers, Curly Coated Retrievers, Flat Coated Retrievers, Golden Retrievers, Labrador Retrievers and , in Canada, Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retrievers. For field events, the Irish Water Spaniel is also included in the retriever group. At certain retriever events, Standard Poodles may compete. Each breed has its own physical and personality traits and are not "interchangeable".
Chessies are a new breed.
The Chesapeake Bay Retriever was developed from two Newfoundland pups rescued, along with captain & crew, in 1807 from a sinking ship. The vessel had been bound for England where the carefully selected pups were to be sold. The pups, male & female were purchased by one of the rescuers and wound up on opposite sides of the Chesapeake Bay. These two developed into outstanding water dogs and were bred to other types of "ducking dogs" already used in the Chesapeake Bay area. The first Chesapeake was registered with the National American Kennel Club in 1878. The American Kennel Club was founded in 1884 and the studbook was open to Chesapeakes from the beginning. The first standard was written in 1890.
Chesapeakes are only for duck & goose hunting.
The Chesapeake breed has always been known as waterfowl specialists. However, with more breeding for field trials and hunt tests, the breed has become more of an all-round dog. Some Chessies regard flushing work as beneath their dignity but many are excellent upland hunters. Some even point!
Chesapeakes are very people and dog aggressive.
There still are some Chesapeakes that are aggressive. For a number of years, concerned breeders such as ourselves, have been working to produce a milder mannered dog better suited to today's society, while keeping those traits that make the Chesapeake different. Dog aggression can still be a problem in the breed, especially if the owner's personal space and/or possessions are encroached upon by another dog. A typical hunt scene shows each Chesapeake keeping watch over their owner's bag limit. This tendancy can be controlled by obedience training and proper socialization. Many Chesapeakes live harmoniously in multi-dog, multi-animal families. However, they are not Golden Retrievers. Adult male and females have to be supervised around strange dogs.
A Chesapeake will only work for one person.
Most Chesapeakes will only deliver birds to the person they are hunting with. If they are trained and handled only by one member of the family, they will be "one person dogs". If all members participate in activities & obedience training, all of them will be able to handle the dog. The dog may still have a favourite family member but will obey others. Chesapeakes tend to be rather aloof with strangers.
Chesapeakes need heavy handed training methods.
Chesapeakes are usually physically tough but cannot take the stress of the very structured methods that many Labradors thrive on. Especially when young, Chessies will tend to shut down and quit retrieving or even get snappy when pushed too far. Not all Chesapeakes are like this and field trial lines usually can take more pressure type training. Most Chesapeakes respond well to fair but firm training and lots of opportunities to learn "on the job".
A Chesapeake has to live outdoors.
The more time spent in close contact with their families the better. Chesapeakes will adapt as kennel dogs and are often kept outside or in a cooler area of the home during hunting season to allow better coat growth. They need to spend time with their owners each day to develop the best bonding and desire to please.
Chessies have terrible hip problems.
According to OFA statistics, Chesapeakes have a higher rate of hip dysplasia than Labradors or Goldens. Of course, this is the rate in x-rays submitted to OFA, by breeders who care about their breed. What is the rate of HD in breedings where no care is taken? In real life, we see just as many obviously dysplastic Labradors & Goldens, more than the statistics would lead us to expect. The best way of getting a sound dog, in any of the retriever breeds, is to deal with a breeder that is really trying to improve hips in their breeding. By careful selection, we have seen a significant decrease in the number of dysplastic dogs and a much higher percentage of OFA Excellent hips in Beartown breeding stock. The rate for elbow dysplasia is much lower in Chesapeakes than Labradors or Goldens.
All Chesapeakes weigh 90-100 lbs or more.
There are many large Chesapeakes around, however, the standard calls for a male 23"-26" at the highest point of the shoulder blade and 21-24" for females. Weights are given as 65-80 lbs for males and 55-70 for females. [This is the AKC standard, there are slight difference in the CKC version] There are many oversized dogs, very few undersized. It is possible to find the type of Chesapeake you want, from 55 lb "canoe dogs" to 100 lb, massive bodied dogs for late season sea duck hunting. Oversized dogs often do not have as good hip structure and can be prone to elbow and shoulder problems but, with careful research, some very sound large dogs can be found.
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