# Chesapeake Bay Retriever



## missmarstar (Jul 22, 2007)

i think they are gorgeous!! i love their look... don't know much else about them though


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## paula bedard (Feb 5, 2008)

They are a stockier shorter coated retriever. Usually a darker reddish/brown color, the ones that I have seen. They have a thicker oily coat. Owner's that I've met say the coat has an odor. I'm not sure if it is unpleasant. They adore the water and are good pets, too.


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## Augustus McCrae's Mom (Aug 14, 2007)

The animal shelter I adopted Charlie Brown from said he was a Lab/Chesapeake Bay Retriever mix. Here's a picture from several months ago:


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## RickGibbs (Dec 16, 2005)

I've been thinking a lot about getting one. My dad says they were always his favorite breed.


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## missmarstar (Jul 22, 2007)

RickGibbs said:


> I've been thinking a lot about getting one. My dad says they were always his favorite breed.


does your wife know about this plan? lol


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## HovawartMom (Aug 10, 2006)

Great breed!.Beautiful,atletic and loving!.they are suppose to be the best guard dogs of the retriever family(which is not much to say,lol)!.
I've met a couple and they were sweet and loved the water!.


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## paula bedard (Feb 5, 2008)

Augustus McCrae's Mom said:


> The animal shelter I adopted Charlie Brown from said he was a Lab/Chesapeake Bay Retriever mix. Here's a picture from several months ago:



Your baby is adorable. Love the splash of white on the chest!!


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## Swampcollie (Sep 6, 2007)

Chessie's are quite a bit different than a Lab or Golden in both size and temperament. Chessies have a short dense wavy coat that is extremely oily by design to repel the cold frigid waters the dog was created for. Chessies are the largest of the Retriever breeds. Their temperament is where the greatest difference lies. They tend to be "one person" dogs, extremely loyal, very territorial and overtly protective of what they believe to be theirs. 

Chessie Breeders have worked very hard over the last ten to fifteen years to improve the disposition of the breed and make them a little more family friendly. This is one breed that you want to thoroughly study "Before" you bring one home. They're not everybody's cup of tea.


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## missmarstar (Jul 22, 2007)

there are many dogs that i love the look of and love to admire.... but i'll stick to goldens for now


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## ErikaS (Oct 1, 2007)

golden&hovawart said:


> Great breed!.Beautiful,atletic and loving!.they are suppose to be the best guard dogs of the retriever family(which is not much to say,lol)!.
> I've met a couple and they were sweet and loved the water!.


yea my landlord was in my house last night, i left the door unlocked for him, and my dog was in his crate. My landlord said he didn't bark at all. not much of a watch dog!! i think if someone broke in he would be thrilled for some attention from a stranger instead of guarding us!


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## FlyingQuizini (Oct 24, 2006)

All the Chessie's I've met have been extremely high drive dogs, too. I think they have a high rate of turnover to rescue for that reason.


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## ErikaS (Oct 1, 2007)

Swampcollie said:


> Chessie's are quite a bit different than a Lab or Golden in both size and temperament. Chessies have a short dense wavy coat that is extremely oily by design to repel the cold frigid waters the dog was created for. Chessies are the largest of the Retriever breeds. Their temperament is where the greatest difference lies. They tend to be "one person" dogs, extremely loyal, very territorial and overtly protective of what they believe to be theirs.
> 
> Chessie Breeders have worked very hard over the last ten to fifteen years to improve the disposition of the breed and make them a little more family friendly. This is one breed that you want to thoroughly study "Before" you bring one home. They're not everybody's cup of tea.


I have also heard they are an extremely loyal breed. I didn't know that their coats where so oily, as everyone has said here.

Majority - Charlie Brown is a gorgeous dog! I love the coloring he has.


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## Pointgold (Jun 6, 2007)

Swampcollie said:


> Chessie's are quite a bit different than a Lab or Golden in both size and temperament. Chessies have a short dense wavy coat that is extremely oily by design to repel the cold frigid waters the dog was created for. Chessies are the largest of the Retriever breeds. Their temperament is where the greatest difference lies. They tend to be "one person" dogs, extremely loyal, very territorial and overtly protective of what they believe to be theirs.
> 
> Chessie Breeders have worked very hard over the last ten to fifteen years to improve the disposition of the breed and make them a little more family friendly. This is one breed that you want to thoroughly study "Before" you bring one home. They're not everybody's cup of tea.


I have shown and finished several Chessies. I've very much admired them, but they are _very _different in temperament for the Goldens and Labs, as SC states. They are hard headed and have a tendency to be "sharp". The ones that I have shown have been of sound temperament, but were crate agressive and very possesive of their toys or chew bones. Most Chessie breeders will tell you that they recommend that they go into homes where they will actually be hunted. "Family friendly" _has _become somewhat more common, but they are definately not what most people expect of a retriever or other sporting dog. I think that their temperament seems much more fitting of a Working Group dog.


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## Golden Miles' Dad (Dec 21, 2007)

A family that just moved out of my neighborhood had one that was born at the same time as Miles, almost to the day.
This particular one had the coat color of a chocolate lab, with slightly longer hair and was very oily. I always wanted to wash my hands after playing with him. 
He was very sweet, more "Work Oriented" mentality than Miles, and ever so slightly more dominant. But still a wonderful dog.
Another family in my neighborhood has two labs that compete in outdoor games and when I asked him about the breed he said they were great but a little more stubborn than a typical Lab. 
He said that the saying in his competition circle was: "Train a Golden with a switch, a Lab with a stick, and a Chesepeak with a 2x4!"


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## Oaklys Dad (Dec 28, 2005)

The Chesapeke my uncle owned was a very handsome dog but very territorial and had an overactive retrieve drive. I don't think I would want to own one.


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## Augustus McCrae's Mom (Aug 14, 2007)

Oaklys Dad said:


> The Chesapeke my uncle owned was a very handsome dog but very territorial and had an overactive retrieve drive. I don't think I would want to own one.


 
I like that--"overactive retrieve drive." Now I have a term to describe Charlie. I normally just call him a retrieving machine--which he is. He will play fetch forever, and when I've got the Chuck-It out, he's shaking as he's waiting for me to throw the ball. He will go get the ball and drop it right back at my feet (as opposed to Gus, who just hoards them all under the deck) when we're outside. It's most annoying inside while I'm trying to work because he'll bring the ball and drop it on me or right on my laptop, and if I don't pick it up, he'll nose it at me until I do. Eventually I have to hide the ball from him. Luckily he doesn't have that oily coat; he's really soft, but I've noticed he's a lot more water resistant and dries quicker than Gus.


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## Sunshine Goldens (Oct 31, 2005)

Swampcollie said:


> Chessie's are quite a bit different than a Lab or Golden in both size and temperament. Chessies have a short dense wavy coat that is extremely oily by design to repel the cold frigid waters the dog was created for. Chessies are the largest of the Retriever breeds. Their temperament is where the greatest difference lies. They tend to be "one person" dogs, extremely loyal, very territorial and overtly protective of what they believe to be theirs.
> 
> Chessie Breeders have worked very hard over the last ten to fifteen years to improve the disposition of the breed and make them a little more family friendly. This is one breed that you want to thoroughly study "Before" you bring one home. They're not everybody's cup of tea.


That is EXACTLY what I have always heard/read/seen. We placed a Chessie mix who had a VERY hard time acclimating to a new home. The first home he went to was not a good fit as the gentleman was really looking for a social butterfly who would do well in any situation. The poor dog was totally overloaded and snapped a couple of times at "strangers". He did not do this to the adopter. He was rehomed successfully and happily in the end.


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## missmarstar (Jul 22, 2007)

Augustus McCrae's Mom said:


> It's most annoying inside while I'm trying to work because he'll bring the ball and drop it on me or right on my laptop, and if I don't pick it up, he'll nose it at me until I do. Eventually I have to hide the ball from him.


 
ok now i am convinced that Sam is part Chessie... lmao


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## Celeigh (Nov 29, 2007)

I don't want to generalize for the whole breed, but I will say I wouldn't have one based on the one my friend has. The dog is unbelieveably protective of his home, food, toys, etc. The process they go through to introduce a visitor to their home is elaborate to say the least. He's also bitten people and they had to move houses once because of him (ultimatum of their landlord). He's definitely not like a golden in temperament. Beautiful, though (only good quality I can find in him!).


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## BeauShel (May 20, 2007)

They are beautiful dogs but I wouldnt ever want one. Years ago hubby had a part time job at the marina, and the owner had a chesapeake and that dog scared the crud out of me. He was very agressive and protective. He would pull at you like he wanted to rip your neck out. I heard they are a one person dog and it is hard if they have to re home them. I wouldnt ever own one.


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## RickGibbs (Dec 16, 2005)

missmarstar said:


> does your wife know about this plan? lol


lol...she knows I'm thinking about it. But she says I have to wait until we buy our own house....


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## Ardeagold (Feb 26, 2007)

Chessies were "made" here.....in Maryland, to be able to withstand the harsh, rough waters of the Chesapeake Bay.

There are a good number of them here. Jacques' son has one.....Belle. She is hunted/worked, not in field trials, but purely a duck/goose water retrieving dog.....in the Chesapeake Bay all season long.

She's very determined, very "birdy", very strong, and very strong willed. Not at all fluffy and sweet. But very very smart and easy to train, for the job she was intended to do. I think they had some problems early on, however, training her to be a pet as well. Stubborn as a mule.

In general, they tend to be stand-offish, and will guard and protect their family and home. 

When we go to visit, Belle will stand and stare at us - watch our every move. She does not respond to any overtures at all until she's comfortable that we belong there. She's not aggressive, but not receptive either. 

She's never behaved aggressively to any other animal or human, but I do know others that are extremely protective and possessive. So you have to be very careful of the lines.


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## Deborah (Jul 3, 2005)

Check this out

http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/chesapeakebay.htm


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## kalkid (Feb 22, 2007)

Deborah said:


> Check this out
> 
> http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/chesapeakebay.htm


You read my mind. I was just going to post that. I had one from the time I was in 8th grade all the way through college. His name was Orion after the constellation that's "the Hunter". He was a great hunter. I went to school in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and he lived with me and 3 other young guys that were hunters. He was an okay bird dog but I never could break him of running deer and he would often be gone for hours which was obviously frustrating. Where he shined naturally was duck and goose season in the frigid waters of Lake Superior and other lakes up there. That dang dog would sit still in the water and have icicles on him by the end of the day and he wouldn't move a muscle until it was time to retrieve. Water I've seen labs shiver in and not be able to handle real well. He was beautiful but was a roamer. I agree it would need to be a "dog" person that gets one as at least mine anyway was very stubborn. I also agree that you are in there circle or not. That dog with the yellowish eyes combined with about 110 pounds of muscle could scare the you know what out of strangers. I was wrestling around with my mom one time on a college break and he jump on her and bit her arm. Not to hard but it happened nonetheless. Ironically he stayed the last four years of his life with her after I graduated and started traveling. He became "her" dog and then they got real close. She lives alone and really felt a lot better with good old Orion around. He was a senior citizen by then but still was something not to be messed with. We had other dogs before him but he was truly my first dog. I sure loved that dog. Sorry for the long post it obviously just brought back some memories.


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## monomer (Apr 21, 2005)

FlyingQuizini said:


> All the Chessie's I've met have been extremely high drive dogs, too. I think they have a high rate of turnover to rescue for that reason.


Exactly the same impression/experiences here. Every one I've ever met so far (like about 30 or so) have been very high energy, very highly focused/driven retrievers... they have all been excellent water retrievers from what I could tell and impossible to satisfy.... they appear to be able to water retrieve forever. I think these dogs are for the serious sporting type people or at least highly active owners. I've watched them work and decided they are more retriever than I'd ever want to deal with. Though they appear to be friendly enough I guess, they pretty much seem to ignore everything but the ball, chuckit, dummy, lure, whatever you've got in your hand to throw... they seem so 'toy oriented' that's its hard to decipher just how much they actually adore people. These are just my perceptions by observation and some contact with the dogs and their owners over the last 3 years... mostly these encounters take place either at a dog park or at a dog beach.


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## Viking Golden Lab (Aug 1, 2012)

I have a 1+ Year Old Male Yellow Lab. My Wifes Father (a Lifelong Veterinarian-retired) confirmed my suspicion of Him having Chesapeake Bloodlines though. He IS AKC Certified, However, He told me that he's seen it before where Labs and Chessies were Bred for preference. 
Ripken is a Darker Yellow Lab with slightly coarser, longer wavy hair along the back of his neck, and back and tail. Extremely Muscular and Solid Chiseled Physique and Huge Paws, Square head and jawline.
I agree with what most of Swampcollie and Old Guy Monomer said. One Master Dog, extremely intense worker and always sharp and mindful of surroundings. We have a 2 year Golden, and the similarities are few.
For Me, he is the Perfect Dog. I'd Kill for Him and He'd Kill for Me. He has the Perfect Balance of cautiousness and Friendliness. He will listen to my wife if I'm not there most of the time, but if I'm there he basically checks to look for my facial affirmation before obeying.
Willing to Retrieve, Swim, Run anytime and the Bond is Nothing Short of Incredible. He will jump in the pool at 1 am if NOT told not to. Then will sleep right beside or ontop(lol) of Master.
Definitely the Best All Around Dog if You're Athletic and Don't have too many new people around constantly. Intense as they Come when it comes to Performing and Pleasing their Master.
And I'll add that they have the potential to be IF given the Right Environment, Lifestyle, Training and Master. Otherwise, I could understand them not being very Desireable.


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## OnMyWay2MyDreams (Feb 13, 2011)

Of all the ones I have met, and it's been quite a few, only 1 was "friendly" towards numerous people. The others ..not so much. They are quite protective and nothing like a golden. They are the watchdog of the retrievers. My hubby had one when he was a kid, his mom had bought him from show lines intending to show him. Well, that didn't pan out because he bonded with him and if he wasn't around no one else could touch him. His mother got bit I believe and ended up rehoming him because my hubby ended up living with his dad and she couldn't touch the dog. They are definetly not a first time dog or even second and you must have a job for them. You must be willing to work with their possessiveness and minimize the situations where something could happen.. I would never own one with having kids. I do hope they improve the tempermant but I think it will be quite awhile before they can because it is so deep inside of them. They are a lovely dog, such a shame they didn't focus more on tempermant when they started creating this breed.


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## Willow52 (Aug 14, 2009)

DH's cousin had one, her name was Chessie  She was huge and loveable. They live on a farm and she, along with several other dogs, stayed outdoors 24/7. 

That's my only experience with the breed.


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## DBrothers (Jul 6, 2009)

I've known several and for the most part they are loyal almost to a fault and tend to be somewhat hardheaded and need a very firm hand to train. They have a very high work ethic and are more protective than most goldens and labs. In my opinion they are without peer as a working gun dog. They have a very interesting history and you might check out their website. I much prefer goldens but would not turn one down if given to me as a rescue.


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## Rainheart (Nov 28, 2010)

Every single Chessie I have ever met has been nuts. Very unpredictable and crazy.


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## Goldens&Friesians (May 31, 2014)

Back when I was in 4-H, there was a boy who had a Chessie. They have very thick wavy to curly hair. He was a lazy, stubborn dog (partly due to the fact he was over-weight, perhaps?) I've heard the saying "train a Golden with sweet talk, and a Lab with a rope, but you must use a 2x4 on a Chessie." I've also heard the temperament is not the greatest. But then, where I work anyway, I've started putting labs in my list of "breeds to always use caution with" because of how many I've had come in with very aggressive dispositions. (I work as a groomer at a vet clinic, so I've seen quite a few). They also have boarding where I work and about a month ago a lab came in to board who was so aggressive kennel staff couldn't get near him to take care of him, so the owner had to be called to come get the dog. I'm a golden person, so I don't know what exactly breed standard for Chessie or Lab temperament is supposed to be, but I tend to not trust either breed now. I know labs are supposed to be friendly, though I've heard even well-bred ones are more high energy and stubborn then goldens. I can admit also, that I've had some clearly BADLY breed goldens in who are also aggressive, its just more rare to have an aggressive golden-so far....but if labs used to be friendly and due to popularity have been irresponsibly over-bred badly enough to be like this, are goldens far behind?:uhoh:


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## goldlover68 (Jun 17, 2013)

These dogs are very popular with waterfowl hunters that hunt geese and in the ocean for sea ducks. As their name suggests they have been used for years hunting in the Chesapeake bay. They are the largest of the Retrievers in the Sporting Breeds. The are like Labs in temperament make good pets also, if you do not mind their size. They more oil on there fur which protects them from cold ocean waters when retrieving. They are also very strong swimmers as you would expect. You can find breeders and more information on the RTF forum (retriever training forum) or on Entryexpress.com...

Good Luck


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## AlanK (Jun 28, 2008)

I have a friend who had a Chesapeake Bay Retriever and was one of the best trained dogs I have ever met. I would dog-sit for "Babe" when he had business out of town. She would obey me just as if I was her master. It was a hoot to have her come stay with us. I dropped a dime on the ground once and she picked it up and handed it to me. 

She was an excellent waterfowl dog also.


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## CAROLINA MOM (May 12, 2009)

There are quite a few Chessies in m area, the ones I have met are really great. 
I would love to have one.


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## NewfieMom (Sep 8, 2013)

*Did The Chessie Start With The Newfoundland?*



Deborah said:


> Check this out
> 
> Chesapeake Bay Retriever Information and Pictures, Chessies, Chessy Dog, Chessy Dogs


As I was reading this thread, for pure enjoyment, I noted the similarities between the Chessie and my dog, a Newfoundland. My dog, like the Chessie, does well in icy water, was bred for icy waters. (My dog was bred for far colder waters than the Chessie, actually.) I was waiting to read about whether the Chessie had webbed feet and did the breast stroke like the Newfie and the Portuguese Water Dog, when I saw this link. I went to read what the link had to say and saw this:

'*In the winter of 1807, an English ship with two Newfoundlands on board wrecked off the coast of Maryland. Everyone was saved, and the two dogs were given to a family of dog lovers. They were later mated with local retrievers including English Otter Hounds, Flat-Coated Retrievers and Curly-Coated Retrievers. Careful breeding over the years has created an outstanding retriever with incredible enthusiasm and endurance". *

If this is correct, the Chessie started from the Newfoundland.

NewfieMom


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## NewfieMom (Sep 8, 2013)

I realized I had not said anything about temperament. Newfies are the opposite of Chessies in temperament, from what I have read. Newfies love everyone, but not the way Goldens do. They are not usually as "social" as Goldens. They do not *need* to greet everyone on the street. But if anyone wants to greet *them*, they are gentle and receptive. They never bite; are not territorial; are on both the list of the ten worst watch dogs and the ten worst guard dogs. The only thing they are good for, if you want someone watching your property, is a possible deterrent because of their size. If you don't know the breed the may scare you. Ours actually terrifies some UPS men and other delivery people who leave packages outside our fence. And he doesn't even bark.


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## Sirfoulhook (Dec 2, 2011)

I owned both Chessies and Goldens. I would probably be more of an authority on Chessies than Goldens. They are at opposite ends of the retriever spectrum. Chessies are bred to be supremely athletic water retrievers and they are. They can break ice, plunge into freezing water and take on wounded geese. They can deal with strong currents. Their coats are extremely dense and basically waterproof. They are very loyal to their family, extremely intelligent, can be very aggressive at times. My last chessie was the machine in the goose pits. He would be sent in to retrieve the geese after the other retrievers failed. But as soon as we finished and came home he was my infant daughters stuffed animal. He would take the fur pulling, eye poking and was very pleasant in the home. She was his baby and he was the guardian and took his role seriously. He never bit anyone but if someone unknown approached he would growl. Very different from my golden who was everyone's friend. Even though their personalities were night and day, training them was very similar. Both needed a soft approach to training. My chessies, even though they were the toughest dogs, would turn off and shut down with heavy training methods like ecollars and force fetching. My golden was so sweet you couldn't push him. I think an experienced Golden owner would be surprised with the Chessie. They have a reputation as being stubborn aggressive animals. I think that reputation is somewhat undeserved. That being said I have only had non alpha males, so I've only had the nicest of the breed. My breeder told me that most of the time the true alpha pup is a female. Males are kinda big lovable lugs in comparison. But a lovable Chessie is way different than a Golden. I guess the main thing is to remember Chessies are way different than either a Lab or a Golden. Don't get one unless you clearly understand that.


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## Altairss (Sep 7, 2012)

My good friend bred Chessies and they were extremely hard working dogs. They have a bit more edge then many goldens as far as personality but I found them very similar to goldens in many ways. Now she was an old school breeder as far as she did not go into the current trends in the ring in any way. She bred more of a field dog with a really strict requirement on great temperament that made excellent companion dogs with strong off switches and fantastic bodies that conformational made me drool 

My daughter competed with several in 4-H and they were also extremely smart and easily trained provided you had their respect they really like you to be as smart as they are. I did not find them to be any more stubborn then a golden just really smart and clever. I would love to own one some day. I will also add I never ran across one like many of you describe as being over protective or aggressive most have been extremely friendly but they were all really well socialized. Peg's male would meet us at the door of the car always carrying a giant log in his mouth happy as can be that someone was coming to visit.


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## Megora (Jun 7, 2010)

The one I knew of personally scared the heck out of me growing up... unfriendly and somewhat aggressive towards kids. The owners were weekend hunters, so probably they bought a dog out of the newspaper. Talking to people, it sounds like there's some tendency in the breed if poorly handled, trained, or socialized. And they are bigger dogs than goldens so it's a bit more intimidating.

A lot of the ones I see at shows - I'm not 100% comfortable with my dog around simply because I remember that dog growing up. Probably unfair.


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## CAROLINA MOM (May 12, 2009)

There are a lot of Chessies in my area, I've met several. 
Some of them were very light in color, a few in between, to the darker shade. 

I really like them, wouldn't mind having one myself.


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## Sirfoulhook (Dec 2, 2011)

Rainheart said:


> Every single Chessie I have ever met has been nuts. Very unpredictable and crazy.


I'm wondering how many you've met. I know you've never met one of mine. They were all smart, stable and sweet. I did have a vet once treat my Chessie like he was a criminal. Needless to say I told him to let go of my dog and I walked out, never to return. I'm disappointed that a stereotype like that would prevail today. I would get one tomorrow if I could


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## NewfieMom (Sep 8, 2013)

Sirfoulhook said:


> I owned both Chessies and Goldens. I would probably be more of an authority on Chessies than Goldens. They are at opposite ends of the retriever spectrum. Chessies are bred to be supremely athletic water retrievers and they are. They can break ice, plunge into freezing water and take on wounded geese. They can deal with strong currents. Their coats are extremely dense and basically waterproof. They are very loyal to their family, extremely intelligent, can be very aggressive at times. My last chessie was the machine in the goose pits. He would be sent in to retrieve the geese after the other retrievers failed. But as soon as we finished and came home he was my infant daughters stuffed animal. He would take the fur pulling, eye poking and was very pleasant in the home. She was his baby and he was the guardian and took his role seriously. He never bit anyone but if someone unknown approached he would growl. Very different from my golden who was everyone's friend. Even though their personalities were night and day, training them was very similar. Both needed a soft approach to training. My chessies, even though they were the toughest dogs, would turn off and shut down with heavy training methods like ecollars and force fetching. My golden was so sweet you couldn't push him. I think an experienced Golden owner would be surprised with the Chessie. They have a reputation as being stubborn aggressive animals. I think that reputation is somewhat undeserved. That being said I have only had non alpha males, so I've only had the nicest of the breed. My breeder told me that most of the time the true alpha pup is a female. Males are kinda big lovable lugs in comparison. But a lovable Chessie is way different than a Golden. I guess the main thing is to remember Chessies are way different than either a Lab or a Golden. Don't get one unless you clearly understand that.


I found this extremely helpful and informative; thank you for posting it.

Deb
(NewfieMom)


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## SteveRuffin (Sep 21, 2021)

I have owned two generations of Chessies for 26 years plus. Our first Chessie, Nellie, raised our two children. She tolerated having bows put in her hair, and all of the loving torment our two kids gave her. She lived to be 13 1/2. Our second Chessie, Chaucer is in this picture. He is currently 13 years old. They are sweet dogs. I really think they have gotten a bad wrap from many in this thread simply because they either don’t know them or came into contact with bad breeding. I’ve known and come into contact with MANY Chessies at many Chessie events and every one of them were gentile, kind dogs. I think the key is ALL were from responsible, knowledgeable breeders, not BYB. Chessies are incredibly smart. They make incredible gun dogs and lousy field trial dogs. The reason is their breeding. They were bred as market gunner dogs. They were bread to retrieve ducks and geese….all of the ducks and geese. A market gunner would shoot a punt gun (cannon) and take out an entire flock. The Chessie had to mentally mark the wounded and retrieve those first. Then retrieve the others. The dog would make hundreds of retrieves. He/she would take the shortest line and distance. Today’s field trials do not do this and the Chessie gets the stigma of being “stubborn” when he ignores the signals and takes a smarter line. A Chessie also had to stay with the market gunners boat and equipment while he went to market. He guarded the equipment. When the gunner returned the Chessie then became the home dog and played with the kids. They are fiercely loyal. They are magnificently strong. They will out think you. Their chest was bred for crashing through ice. They are waterproof because of their double coat which is slightly oily. The do NOT smell. They require minimal brushing. They do blow their winter coat. They are easily trained. Potty training Chaucer was non existent: he had 1 accident in his life. They require an even and fair hand but you must have their respect as their ALPHA. If the Chessie believes he/she is Alpha, you have 80 to 90 lbs of trouble. I established this by feeding both Our Chessies by hand for several weeks. That way they learned I was their Alpha. We are getting a Golden in a few months. We also have an 17 week old Golden we rescued from a bad breeder. Both dogs get along famously. Chessies are very different than Goldens. When I’m gone I’m not worried about my wife with a Chessie. He will die protecting her. Our Golden would probably help pack the silver and lick the intruder. For a confident person, capable of establishing themselves as the Alpha packleader to a Chessie, you will have no greater companion and I assure you: no one in your life will be as loyal as a Chessie. I deeply love and respect the capability of this magnificent breed.


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## CAROLINA MOM (May 12, 2009)

SteveRuffin said:


> View attachment 885868
> 
> I have owned two generations of Chessies for 26 years plus. Our first Chessie, Nellie, raised our two children. She tolerated, having bows put in her hair, and all of the loving torment two kids gave her. She lived to be 13 1/2. Our second Chessie, Chaucer is in this picture. He is currently 13 years old. They are sweet dogs. I really think they have gotten a bad wrap from many in this thread simply because they either don’t know them or came into contact with bad breeding. I’ve known and come into contact with MANY Chessies at many Chessie events and every one of them were gentile, kind dogs. I think the key is ALL were from responsible, knowledgeable breeders, not BYB. Chessies are incredibly smart. They make incredible gun dogs and lousy field trial dogs. The reason is their breeding. They were bred as market gunner dogs. They were bread to retrieve ducks and geese….all of the ducks and geese. A market gunner would shoot a punt gun (cannon) and take out an entire flock. The Chessie had to mentally mark the wounded and retrieve those first. Then retrieve the others. The dog would make hundreds of retrieves. He/she would take the shortest line and distance. Today’s field trials do not do this and the Chessie get the stigma of being “stubborn” when he ignores the signals and takes a smarter line. A Chessie also had to stay with the market gunners boat and equipment while he went to market. He guarded the equipment. When the gunner returned the Chessie then became the home dog and played with the kids. They are fiercely loyal. They are magnificently strong. They will out think you. Their chest was bred for crashing through ice. They are waterproof because of their double coat which is slightly oily. The do NOT smell. They require minimal brushing. They do blow their winter coat. They are easily trained. Potty training Chaucer was non existent: he had 1 accident in his life. They require an even and fair hand but you must have their respect as their ALPHA. If the Chessie believes he/she is Alpha, you have 80 to 90 lbs of trouble. I established this by feeding both Our Chessies by hand for several weeks. That way they learned I was their Alpha. We are getting a Golden in a few months. We have an 17 week old Golden we rescued from a bad breeder. Both dogs get along famously. Chessies are very different than Goldens. When I’m gone I’m not worried about my wife with a Chessie. He will die protecting her. Our Golden would probably help pack the silver and lick the intruder. For a confident person, arable of establishing themselves as the Alpha packleader to a Chessie, you will have no greater companion and I assure you: no one in your life will be as loyal as a Chessie. I deeply love and respect the capability of this magnificent breed.


Your Chaucer is a good looking Chessie, there are more Chessies in my area than Goldens. 
I've met some really nice ones.


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## 3goldens2keep (Feb 13, 2019)

ErikaS said:


> yea my landlord was in my house last night, i left the door unlocked for him, and my dog was in his crate. My landlord said he didn't bark at all. not much of a watch dog!! i think *if someone broke in* he would be thrilled for some attention from a stranger instead of guarding us!


Yep, my Golden's would 'lick them to death' for sure.....how much slobber can on robber stand...?


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## SteveRuffin (Sep 21, 2021)

One more of Chaucer training in agility. He literally can’t swim but he loved agility. He is 9 years old in this photo.


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## Prism Goldens (May 27, 2011)

SteveRuffin said:


> View attachment 885868
> 
> I have owned two generations of Chessies for 26 years plus. Our first Chessie, Nellie, raised our two children. She tolerated having bows put in her hair, and all of the loving torment our two kids gave her. She lived to be 13 1/2. Our second Chessie, Chaucer is in this picture. He is currently 13 years old. They are sweet dogs. I really think they have gotten a bad wrap from many in this thread simply because they either don’t know them or came into contact with bad breeding. I’ve known and come into contact with MANY Chessies at many Chessie events and every one of them were gentile, kind dogs. I think the key is ALL were from responsible, knowledgeable breeders, not BYB. Chessies are incredibly smart. They make incredible gun dogs and lousy field trial dogs. The reason is their breeding. They were bred as market gunner dogs. They were bread to retrieve ducks and geese….all of the ducks and geese. A market gunner would shoot a punt gun (cannon) and take out an entire flock. The Chessie had to mentally mark the wounded and retrieve those first. Then retrieve the others. The dog would make hundreds of retrieves. He/she would take the shortest line and distance. Today’s field trials do not do this and the Chessie gets the stigma of being “stubborn” when he ignores the signals and takes a smarter line. A Chessie also had to stay with the market gunners boat and equipment while he went to market. He guarded the equipment. When the gunner returned the Chessie then became the home dog and played with the kids. They are fiercely loyal. They are magnificently strong. They will out think you. Their chest was bred for crashing through ice. They are waterproof because of their double coat which is slightly oily. The do NOT smell. They require minimal brushing. They do blow their winter coat. They are easily trained. Potty training Chaucer was non existent: he had 1 accident in his life. They require an even and fair hand but you must have their respect as their ALPHA. If the Chessie believes he/she is Alpha, you have 80 to 90 lbs of trouble. I established this by feeding both Our Chessies by hand for several weeks. That way they learned I was their Alpha. We are getting a Golden in a few months. We also have an 17 week old Golden we rescued from a bad breeder. Both dogs get along famously. Chessies are very different than Goldens. When I’m gone I’m not worried about my wife with a Chessie. He will die protecting her. Our Golden would probably help pack the silver and lick the intruder. For a confident person, capable of establishing themselves as the Alpha packleader to a Chessie, you will have no greater companion and I assure you: no one in your life will be as loyal as a Chessie. I deeply love and respect the capability of this magnificent breed.


Your recommendation on this oh, so magnificent breed is a wonderful one. I'd suspect, though , that YOU and your wife -and even your kids since you raised them, are not a typical pet home. You give your dogs a job to do, you understand how your dogs think, you use appropriate training. ( I had a Chessie neighbor who was your polar opposite- that dog was a holy terror to the neighborhood he was allowed to roam and I feared for my very dog savvy children when they weighed less than he did. I was truly glad when he finally got old and died, not because I wish death on any living thing but because I got up almost every morning thinking about how I might have to pull a child from the wired wrong/trained wrong/cared for wrong Chessie and get hurt myself ) And any breeder would be lucky to have you as a client. You are the epitome of what we all want for our puppies!


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## SteveRuffin (Sep 21, 2021)

Prism Goldens said:


> Your recommendation on this oh, so magnificent breed is a wonderful one. I'd suspect, though , that YOU and your wife -and even your kids since you raised them, are not a typical pet home. You give your dogs a job to do, you understand how your dogs think, you use appropriate training. ( I had a Chessie neighbor who was your polar opposite- that dog was a holy terror to the neighborhood he was allowed to roam and I feared for my very dog savvy children when they weighed less than he did. I was truly glad when he finally got old and died, not because I wish death on any living thing but because I got up almost every morning thinking about how I might have to pull a child from the wired wrong/trained wrong/cared for wrong Chessie and get hurt myself ) And any breeder would be lucky to have you as a client. You are the epitome of what we all want for our puppies!


When I hear stories like your neighbor it makes me so sad. It’s a wasted life for a wonderful animal. In my breed recommendation I forgot to mention the other variable; the owner. A Chessie should only be owned ( some could argue who owns who lol) by someone caring enough to understand the breed. An untrained Chessie is a nuisance at best and a dangerous animal at worst. The abandonment rate for Chessies is high because of people not educating themselves beforehand. It’s a shame because they are such a handsome breed and that works to their detriment because some people go on looks and don’t do their homework. I also believe any breed if ignored, untrained and allowed to languish is going to develop into a bad citizen. The Chessie is a powerful dog; MUCH stronger than a Lab or Golden. They NEED a job. Karen ran three miles with Chaucer EVERY day. When I got home we would take him on his walk EVERY day. We live yards from the Cumberland trail and the stimulus of the woods was exactly what he needed on his walks. I don’t blame you and totally understand your feelings about your neighbors Chessie. I would feel the same way. Thank you for your kind words. I teared up a little. That’s one of the highest compliments a breeder can give. Chaucer is in the December of his life but oh what a life he has had so far! The walks are much shorter now and he cannot run anymore but he is still my magnificent baby boy. We are looking forward to opening our home, hearts and family up to a Golden. Any owner would be lucky to receive one of your babies. You epitomize what I look for in a breeder.


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