# Very Large Chessie PUP



## duckcommand (Dec 19, 2006)

My Chessie Duke is going to be 6 months in a few days. I took him into the vet yesterday and the pup weighs 76 lbs. I think he is going to be a monster. His training is going real well and he is great in the water. Anyone else with a Chessie remember what weight theirs was at 6 months? I will get some pics up in the next day or two. What do you think he will top out at??


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## stonebroke (Dec 16, 2004)

How large were his parents and grandparents? They will be the best indication of his size at maturity. Dogs are a lot like people.....some reach full maturity at a younger age than others. Hopefully he will not get too much larger....overly large dogs tend to have joint problems and age much faster than smaller dogs.


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## Gamefinder (Jan 11, 2007)

If a Chessie pup at 6 months weighs 76 Lbs I am wondering how much fat is this animal carrying. Having a normal framed Chessie pup at that age weighing that much puts tremendous strain on the deeveloping skeletal system and joint integrity. Find a dog fancier in the area(some one with experience raising dogs) and let them help you determin if the pup is overweight. Years ago I had a 10 month old ***** brought to me that was a solid mass of 110Lbs., and very active. In fact with her mass the owner could not control her enthusiastic behavior. I gradually brought her weight down as she continued to grow and when a 3 year old and totally fit she weighed about 72Lbs.


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## hunter9494 (Jan 21, 2007)

agreed, it is common knowledge among most people, that it is very unhealthy for a pup to gain a prodigious amount of weight in its youth and this alone can have a detrimental affect on correct skeletal development, causing primarily improper hip development. sounds like an overweight juvenile pup.


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## Gamefinder (Jan 11, 2007)

The extra weight damages all of the skeletal system. 65% of a standing dogs weight is on the front end and over 90% of concussion is absorbed by the front end when a dog runs. Most working dogs become arthritic in the front end and the spine before hips ever bother them. The emphasis on hips alone is very harmful to all breeds. Sadly the OFA scheme has totally over emphasized selection for hips at the detriment of many other more critical features. Hips are certainly part of the picture but not the end all total selection priority.

Proper nutrition of a growing dog is essential for skeletal developement but conformation is equally important in maintaining soundness in a working animal. Excess nutrition or poorly balanced nutrition can certainly leave lasting problems.


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## stonebroke (Dec 16, 2004)

Gamefinder said:


> The extra weight damages all of the skeletal system. 65% of a standing dogs weight is on the front end and over 90% of concussion is absorbed by the front end when a dog runs. Most working dogs become arthritic in the front end and the spine before hips ever bother them. The emphasis on hips alone is very harmful to all breeds. Sadly the OFA scheme has totally over emphasized selection for hips at the detriment of many other more critical features. Hips are certainly part of the picture but not the end all total selection priority.
> 
> Proper nutrition of a growing dog is essential for skeletal developement but conformation is equally important in maintaining soundness in a working animal. Excess nutrition or poorly balanced nutrition can certainly leave lasting problems.


I agree totally.......the first thing I'm asked when people contact me about my pups is if the hips and eyes are certified. Those are but two aspects of what a person needs to consider when looking at a pup, but the hip and eye thing has been pounded into people so hard that it has reached the point where a lot of people think that if a dog has sound hips and eyes it automatically is of breeding quality. Nothing could be further from the truth. Without sound hips and eyes, a dog is automatically eliminated as a breeding prospect of course, but that's just the first step. After that you have to look at the total dog.....overall conformation, temperament, brains, biddability, hunting and retrieving instincts, etc. The hips and eyes are just the first hurdle.


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## Gamefinder (Jan 11, 2007)

The title says Chessie but really its any breed. Hip and eye clearances are really just a marketing tool and irrelevent except in the extreem. Breed wide about 30% of Chessies have minor anomalies in the hip but less than 5% percent of these will ever be unsound in hips; that means less than 98-99% will never suffer unsound hips. OFA is a hugh money cow that has not changed any pass-fail percentages in any breeds in a positive manner. More than 10% of all retrievers will become unsound in shoulders and spine but these are ignored.

If we can't xray until a animal is 2 years how do you figure it is primary to temperament, talent and breed type? By two years I know if I want to keep on any individual. Selection here starts at birth (normal health, shoulders and coats) after 6-7 weeks I am selecting strongly for desire to bond with human and between 11 and 13 weeks I make decisions for trainability and focus. I can only guess that you are referring to the average inquirer who reads the BS from the animal rights forces that all breeders are crooked and dumping blind dysplastic pups on them. 15 years ago I walked away from OFA and went to a system of full body scans between 22 and 24 months and repeat this after 5 shooting seasons for *****es and 7 shooting seasons for dogs. Since I only breed for my use and sell only excess pups this is an eye opening approach for me. etween watching the animals at work year after year it really separates out the really sound and durable. For eyes I am still doing the actual annual exams with a certified opthamologist. My team of dogs see between 3 & 4,000 head of game each year and are averaging 12 shooting seasons for work. Yes, an occassional city person who wants a couch potato and casual hunting dog has not wanted one of mine because they didn't have the OFA/CERF papers but for the most part real hunters understand what I am doing and I usually have a waiting list.


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## duckcommand (Dec 19, 2006)

I do agree with your concerns on skeletal issues. The pup is not overweight at all. He is actually on the lean side and he is tall. He is on a training program with field an water work every other day. His dad and mom were very large. I will post a picture up of him in the water and field retrieving.


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## cut'em (Oct 23, 2004)

I've got a very active female that's 1 1/2 years old. She's a great looking dog in my eyes, but everyone around here has Labs so they think what a Lab should look like, and tell me my dog is too small. She's 22" high and weighs in at 66 lbs. solid!! I'll run my dog against their FAT dogs any day! Give me a Small (if you like to call it) 66 lb. Chessie anyday. I'm proud of my dog even if she looks small next to the "NEW" average lab.


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## Gamefinder (Jan 11, 2007)

Learned a long time ago to enjoy my Chessies and flatcoats and let the Lab nuts enjoy theirs if they ca, Have had very good dogs weighing up to 93 Lbs and some very small *****es that can work as well as any. Have a 9 year old Chessie ***** sleeping at my feet that never weighed over 55 Lbs. but is absolutely sound and can handle any goose or quarter as fast and as long as any on upland. Bred to a larger dog she produced several lovely workers and one sold for work but used only in shows has been among the breeds top winners for the last two years. Have often referred to the wee one as Polly the giant killer. In truth she has to work very hard to buck a strong current but as a super little athlete she manages. Her two sons that I have that weigh about 80 Lbs. are stronger but not as agile.


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## hunter9494 (Jan 21, 2007)

good things come in many different sizes, size does not ALWAYS matter.


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