# chessy question..stonebroke?



## verg (Aug 21, 2006)

Stonebroke or anyone else,
Can you give exact differences between labs and chessies? It seems their history is similar. What are behavioral, personality, hunting, physical differences that you can discern? 
thanks--curious.


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## CDK (Aug 1, 2005)

The only one of those that you listed that could be given an exact difference would be the history, the rest would just have to be generalizations because every dog is different. If you want generized differences I could list you some of those but not exact differences that are going to pertain to every dog.
More on the history of the breed go to.....www.amchessieclub.org (breed history is way different from the labrador) 
If you want to learn more on the breed type Butch Goodwin Northern Flight into a search engine. He's the most well known chessie breeder in the country and his web site is very imformative. :wink: Hope this helps.


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## verg (Aug 21, 2006)

You are right...i guess i meant similar in the fact that they started out as different dogs mixed etc.
I also know it is a pretty vague question but..i would like an answer from someone who has chessies and/or labs who hunts them and has some experience with both of them. Compare/Contrast is what i'm looking for. I know all dogs are different--but there has to be some characteristics that make them different from each other or else they'd be the same. 
Do you have any general ideas or opinions? I'd rather hear it from someone who owns/hunts in the general area- with dogs than read about them in an article. I know i'm not making a ton of sense-i hope you understand.
thanks for help


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## verg (Aug 21, 2006)

CDK,
i've noticed you've posted about chessies before. Are you a breeder-do you have a site?


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## oilcan (Jan 30, 2006)

IF YOU ARE STILL LOOKING FOR MORE INFO ON CHESSIES GOTO TEAMCHESAPEAKE.COM OR SUNSHINECESAPEAKES.COM I AGREE WITH CDK THAT EVERY DOG IS GONNA HAVE HIS OWN PERSONALLITY AND THAT IS WHY WITH CHESSIES IT IS BEST TO FIND PUPS WITH PROVEN PEDIGREES FROM A GOOD BREEDER


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## CDK (Aug 1, 2005)

Hey Verg,

This might get long but I'll give you my take, Just so everyone knows my opinions are my opinions and they may be biais so please no one jump me about something I write keep in mind these are just generalizations and there are always exceptions.
Differences that I have knowticed between chessies and labs,
One thing I have seen is a number of labs that have no intrest in birds or retrieving granted these are not well bred labs but AKC labs non the less, I have only seen one chessie that did'nt show an intrest in retrieving and that dog was a very good pheasant dog. Most all chessies still have the basic instincts in them to make a good hunting dog. The thing that kept this is the fact that not to many people would buy a chessie for just a pet, but many people have purchased labs for that purpose and bred them. As far as hunting abilitie one thing that I've knowticed is that they seem to have almost a sixthed sence about were to find wounded birds, some people refer to it as bird sence, and that is a qualitiy that is hard to put in words. But its happened to me a number of time were my dogs have refused to take a cast(yes my dogs have been know to do that now and then) to a area I knew a duck was down only to have them go the wrong direction and come up with the bird. If you want a robot dog don't get a chessie, I've been working on some poison bird stuff with my male and its been frustrating. But that strong instinct of following that nose and find that bird is a great asset in the blind, it can get you in alot of trouble in test or trial. Another hunting misconception is chessies don't make good upland dogs, this may be a pretty bold statement but in the pheasant feilds I'll put my chessies up against most any lab out there and they won't get showed up. The cold water endurance is what attracted me to the breed in the first place and it is definately one of the breeds stongest points, I do alot of late season river hunting were the temps can be below zero, I've hunted with some labs that could handle it and some that could'nt, (alot of labs out there with poor coats) although a good cold weather dog has to have a good coat and high drive. The only way you will ever know for sure if a chessie is for you is to try one, my guess is after that you will always own one. Hope this is what you were looking for. As for your last post, I do breed occassionally, but mainly, train, run hunt test and hunt, I am in the process of getting a web site going. Take Care, Craig


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## CDK (Aug 1, 2005)

Hey Verg, if you go to Team Chesapeake thats my dog Bear on the home page, another good website is www.chesapeakesunlimited.com also if you have'nt looked at it yet be sure to go to Butch Goodwins site he does a better job then me at explaining the breed.


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## verg (Aug 21, 2006)

CDK,
thanks for your generalization. That is exactly what i was looking for!
I like what i hear and researched so far about the breed. 
Thanks for your time.


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## irish (Jan 18, 2004)

I have had many Chesapeakes and loved them all. Now all had strong points but they all have had the drive that people talk about , they never give up . That i would guess would be the big differance between them and labs that i have hunted with . Although i have seen many good labs .When you get to the late season hunts in bitter weather give me my big curly brown dog every time .But its like trucks everybody has there likes and dislikes .Right now i have a house full with the 10 pups .

Irish :lol:


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## duckcommand (Dec 19, 2006)

My last dog was a lab and she was a good dog. I now have an alomost 3 month old male Chessie. I have had many dogs in my life but this is the smartest dog I have ever trained from pup. He is already showing a strong drive to retrieve. He gets very excited when I get out his bumper. He is doing wings and bumpers and brings them back everytime. Obedience wise he is sitting and comes when told. I don't have much experience with the Chessie's as this is my first but so far I could not be happier.


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## fishless (Aug 2, 2005)

I have had several labs in the past, and in my opinion they were all good dogs. I currently have a Chessie, actually one of CDK's, Craigs litters. And Craigs post is pretty much right on. My dog is almost 1yr old now and been thru a hunting season. I pretty much just excpected to have fun this year with her, but she had other plans. All business. I could not have been anymore impressed with her natural abilities. Chessies are bred to hunt!


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## CDK (Aug 1, 2005)

Hey Paul,

How's Reba? You planning on heading to ND anytime this spring? We could get together and do some training for a day :beer: Craig


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## fishless (Aug 2, 2005)

Hi Craig, Reba is doing fine. If the stars line up I am hoping to go home for some spring snow goose hunting. Keep in touch I would like to get together for some training. Paul :beer:


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## stonebroke (Dec 16, 2004)

I see a couple of major differences between Chessies and Labs. As everyone knows, Labs are currently the most popular breed in the U.S. AKC has more Labs registered with them than any other breed. With such tremendous popularity comes indescriminate breeding.....everybody and their brother is breeding them. Consequently, anyone looking for a good Lab has to be extremely careful. The same thing happened to Cocker Spaniels many years ago. At one time the American Cocker was a wonderful little dog. They are making a comeback, but generally speaking American Cockers are a mess.

There are not a lot of "backyard" breeders indescriminately breeding Chessies. There are a few, but not many. There is also no major split in the breed between "Show" and "Field" lines. There are lines with stronger field trial backgrounds, but you will find many dogs from show lines with hunting titles. You will also find litters where people have mixed "Show" and "Field" lines with very good results.

In regards to field ability, I don't think there is much difference between a *Well bred *Chessie and a *Well Bred *Lab. Chessies have the heavier, double coat and can probably withstand colder temperatures. The general concensus is that Chessies mature more slowly than a Lab, which I think is generally true. I hunt pheasants primarily with my Chesses and they do an excellent job, but I've seen some good Labs do equally as well.

In regards to temperament/personality my experience has been that Chessies are a calmer, more layed back breed around the house. I have 4 Chessies right now which includes one 4.5 month old pup. She's a typical puppy wanting to chew a shoe if she can get hold of one, but overall she's very easy to have in the house. Most of the time she's stretched out next to my chair either sleeping or chewing on a rawhide chew. I've seen too many Labs that bounce off the walls in the house...now maybe they are the exceptions, but I have two nieces who each have a lab and they are holy terrors....I kid you not. Obviously part of this problem is lack of training, but I think dogs are born with a certain energy level. I have not had any temperament problems with any of my Chessies or any of the pups I've placed with families. I've never seen one show any aggression toward strangers at all (such as growling and other such behavior). They also get along well with each other. I kennel and exercise them together and have never had a problem

I openly admit that I'm biased.... I love Chessies, but I've seen some labs that I fell in love with also.


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## verg (Aug 21, 2006)

thanks for the info guys...good stuff.
In looking at some prices for puppies around my area (northeast, SD) which i'm mostly looking at neighboring states with chessy kennels-it seems they are somewhat higher priced than labs. I'm assuming this is kind of like supply and demand. So many labs around to chose from and not as many chessies?? I'm not trying to be cheap but then again i am..i know you get what you pay for etc. I've just noticed that many chessy pups are close to $1000. Then again i've seen many lab pups there too. If i had that money laying around it wouldn't bother me, but i don't. As i had said in another thread, i have two young labs who do great! They are well breed etc. but have had a deep interest in chessies. I plan on taking the plunge in a year or two when my youngest lab gets more experience and proves himself. Maybe i'll be contacting one of you guys.
thanks again for info.


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## stonebroke (Dec 16, 2004)

Price: I think you will find that a well bred Chessie pup will run between $600 and $1,000.....some lightly less, some slightly more. It depends on the bloodlines, what a breeder has invested in stud fees, and all of that as well as what he/she feels they need to make for a profit. Generally speaking, really well-bred pups go fast regardless of how much they are selling for. I paid $1,000 each for the last two pups I bought and both litters I bought them out of sold out quickly. The last I heard Butch Goodwin (Northern Flight) had a 2 year waiting list for his pups, so as you can see the good ones sell quickly. I suspect from the ads I've seen, Labs of similar quality cost about the same.

The way I look at cost is that I want to tip the odds as far in my favor as I can. If I find a pup of the right breeding, I like what I hear from the breeder and people he/she has placed pups with, etc. I don't care much whether the pup is $500 or $1,000. I'm going to get the pup. Of course there is a limit....it's pretty hard for to justify paying $1,500 or more for a pup (but I've seen pups advertised for that much). Like the old saying goes, "It costs the same to own a poor dog as it does a great one"....you'll have the same expenses (food, vet, and all of that) with a poor or mediocre pup as you do a great one. Another way to look at is if you pay $500 for a pup and it lives 14 years, that's $36/year you've paid to have the pup. If you pay $1,000 and the pup lives 14 years, it costs you $71/year to have it.......not much of a difference there. This is great information to use to convince your wife, by the way (if that's an issue .


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## verg (Aug 21, 2006)

good points stonebroke!
ok..one more question for you guys if you don't mind.
Size-athleticism. I know a chessy as well as any other retriever can vary in sizes. Is there any average for a chessy? I read in one article that on average they are the largest retreiver breed. 
I actually like a little larger dog. I hunt waterfowl a lot and like a strong swimmer and able to bring back larger birds etc. However, some dogs get real big and lose athleticism. ( don' t move well) I don't like horses!
What size does the dogs you guys have run? Are they athletic?


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## CDK (Aug 1, 2005)

I like my male chessies between 75-85 pounds and my females 65-75 pounds. I use to think I needed a big dog but time has taught me that there really is not benifit to them. The only thing is a smaller dog may not be able to run with a greater honker in there mouth. My 80 pound male can but my 65 pound female has to keep it at a trot.


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## dwshunt (Apr 26, 2003)

Had to chime in. I had a chessy as my first dog. He was very good upland and waterfowl dog with a great atitude.

The one problem I had is the smell of his coat. He would clear a room unless outside and then you didn't notice it, but if you petted him, it was all over your hands.

I tried the bath often stuff, but that didn't work well either. I talked to several breeders and they said they are just like people, some have bad bo and others don't. I looked at a couple other dogs when he passed away at 12, but they all had that smell.

Your comments welcome. Thanks


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## CDK (Aug 1, 2005)

Chessie's do have a little more oil in there coat then a lab but that is part of the reason the thrive in the cold weather the way they do. As far as a smell, some are worse then others but if it is so bad you can't have the dog in the house I would try switching foods or go to your vet. A chessie should not smell so bad that they stink up a house.


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## duckcommand (Dec 19, 2006)

What does the smell you are talking about smell like? Reason for asking I have a 12 week old Chessie and in the last few days he has smelled like rotten tuna he has not gotten into anything outside and you can only smell it some of the time. I am thinking about changing his food. I am wondering if it is some kind of sent gland or something.


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## CDK (Aug 1, 2005)

Should not smell like tuna, They should just have a stonger dog smell, "wet dog smell" Their are a number of health issues that can cause a dog to give off a stronger smell, ear infections, over active anal glands and some others.


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## duckcommand (Dec 19, 2006)

I have checked his ears and they are good. Seems to be coming from the rear end. I am going to take him to the vet. Would switching his dog food help?


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## verg (Aug 21, 2006)

My old lab used to have kind of a bad smell from his rear. And he seemed to be sore there. It turned out to be his anal glands. The vet taught me how to properly "squeeze." I would do this about once every couple weeks and he never had a problem again. Not the most dignified job but may take care of the problem.


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## mburgess (Aug 11, 2003)

After owning a couple dogs, the last thing I would be concerned with is the price. There is no sure thing when it comes to dogs, but a well run kennel/breeder can get what he is asking for his pups for a reason. I'd recommend staying away from pet stores and backyard breeders. Good pups come from these places, but odds are better from a good breeder whose goal is really to better their breed. I would never buy a dog without seeing at least one of the parents work (many times breeders use studs from far away, these people are really trying to better their line when this is done). So it may not be possible to see both parents. If they have offspring from the same breeding that is better yet to see that dog work, as odds are your pup will be more like the offspring. It can be a crapshoot but don't be afraid to put up some money for a good pup. Some people have to learn the hard way and end up with a bootlicker or a lapdog to give to grandma.


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## gonehuntin' (Jul 27, 2006)

Give Sunshine Chesapeakes also. Steve and sharon have been doing it breeding these dogs for nearly 30 years now.


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## 8x56mn (Mar 14, 2007)

Hello, I'm brand new to this site, but have been lurking for some time now. The replies here are all pretty good. We've had bred, shown, tested and hunted Chessy's for about 18 years now, before that labs for around 20. They are amazing critters, very smart, can be protective, single minded, and most have the natural instinct. We run a non profit Chessy rescue here in NY and my wife is the East coat coordinator for ACC Rescue. Check out our site at nycbrrescue.net to see her site. As you can read Chessy are not for everyone and we get a lot of very well breed dogs that have not been properly raised, trained and socialized. Good luck. :beer:


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## not2muchxperience (Dec 14, 2006)

I'm squeezed for time right now and could only read half the thread, im sorry if im restating something. This is only a raw opinion based on personal experience. My uncle had a chessie and she was a great dog but they are very protective of their family and may be prone to biting strangers that make any sudden moves. They were bred to guard the market hunter's catch as he went to get the truck to load them up back in the day when 4 gauges were legal and people still market hunted legally. I never saw her hunt so I can't contribute any reliable information there.


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## Gamefinder (Jan 11, 2007)

I have owned and bred Chesapeakes since 1953 for my own hunting. Currently am having a great deal of fun doing early puppy training with two 3 month old pups that are 11th generation that I have bred or owned. I hope they will grow on and develope well and be good additions to my retriever team.

Chesapeake differ from Labs in that they are one family oriented and see no reason to interact with any other person. They are thinking dogs and are not programed to regimentation like a Lab; nor do they tolerate abusaive training like Labs do.

A Chessie pup because of the one family orientation require quite a bit of interaction and socializing with other people to reach their use potential. In more than 50 years of continuously owning multiple members of this wonderful breed not one dog of mine has attacked or biten anyone. I hunt very heavily with other folks and not one of my dogs has ever attacked another dog at my home or in the field. However, several of my dogs minding their own business have been attacked by Lab, European pointers and goldens.

The first reply in this question points out the danger of generalizing as each dog is more individual than breed different. In temperament Cheessies take serving their master very seriously and if a good bond is built between human and a Chessie that very honest dog will do almost anything the master asks him to do as long as he understands the direction. If they don't understand they tend to freeze up rather than doing something incorrectly. Some misunderstand this trait and say they are stubborn, but in truth it is more of an owner communications problem than a dog refusal problem. This said, I must certainly admit that in these sort of situations I have never learned to "speak Chesapeake" and while a few hairs from my own head have been pulled out in frustration, sooner of later the dog did understand what I wanted and will be more than happy to oblidge.

The Chessie is definitely not the dog for everyone. It definitely requires someone that actively works to build the owner dog bonding and appreciates an animal that thinks and solves its own problems. It also requires an owner who takes control with a very light but firm hand. If someone wants a dog that can be relatively quickly programed with an electric collar and responds without question then they will never be able to enjoy working with the Chessie. However, if they enjoy an animal that is dead honest, will lay his life on the line to serve and protect owner and family and can find birds by working out its own solutions then the Chessie is a breed that will make the owner very proud.

I currently have 19 Chessies ranging in age from 3 mos to 11 years. I take all for walks across the farm fields several times a day and they are very happy and get along. In the shooting field when groups of my friends walk up on pheasants or partridge I often have 5 or 6 at a time working and they all respect each others space and retrieves. They really are awsome retrievers but they are just that retrievers; lovely dogs that if properly bred, reared, trained and have a stable home get along with man and other dog easily and with friendly demeanors.


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## Gamefinder (Jan 11, 2007)

Almost forgot but I am planning a weekend get together and hunt in the Ashley-Zeeland area of southern North Dakota for Chessie owners and their dogs this coming October. Any Chessie owners who would be interested to participate, particularly those living in the Dakotas and south central Canada please contact me by private message. The seasons for both waterfowl and upland should be open at that time. This area has very large populations of pheasants, partridge, snow and Canada geese at that time. Ducks have become spotty because of the massive invasion of this area of hugh flocks of snows. Additionall there are some sharptailed grouse.


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