Chesapeake Bay Reyriever

[Asa Bear]

Hi all

I'm new to PW. I have a CBR almost 12 months old & I'm just looking for some tips really on handling his "adolescent" years. I've had Flatcoats before who were playful but eager to please whereas my Chessie seems to want to challenge me all the time. I like the challenge but it's good to have other's experiences to draw on in times of frustration.

Thanks in anticipation

Logo.

[WGD]

I've never had one mate, but I understand that's part of the package.

 

How good are his basics, i.e. I say, you do?

[Asa Bear]

Really good when he wants to be. He'll sit & stay for 50 metres plus. Come when called & generally good basics but if he doesn't fancy it no amount of treats or encouragement will sway him. If he sees another dog he's off! I know it's his playful stage. I do work with him on his own in an enclosed space I just suppose it's a matter of time.

[mudpatten]

Don`t give him an inch in training and make sure that he complies instantly with your every wish. Be very firm with him and remember that he won`t love you less if you tell him off severely when appropriate and assuming that your training methods themselves are not at fault. You can ease off later when he fully understands his place.

 

I most certainly do not advocate beating him but you should be aware that a 12 month old Chessie who behaves as you describe is effectively ignoring you and challenging you for the position of alpha male.

 

Like you, I`ve had flatcoats for many years but their outlook on life is totally different from that of a Chessie.

 

Chessies have a great sense of humour but they can also detect weakness or lack of consistency and will exploit it ruthlessly.

 

I`m very aware that I`m sounding like some sort of doggy control freak into "alpha rolling" and the whole dominance thing. I`m not.

 

I subconsciously tailor my training to the requirements of the pupil, irrespective of the breed and happily agree that some Chessies respond well to a very light training touch, as have my last three.

 

A 12 month old male Chessie with the issues you describe is a canine yob in the making and needs to be firmly put back in his place.

 

Your time with him, which could be the next 14 years, will be much more pleasant if you do.

Edited April 3, 2011 by mudpatten

[Asa Bear]

Thanks for the advice. I'm still in touch with the breeder & she's great. Just a matter of time & a firm hand.

[Zapp]

My gundog Molly is a CBR, and I can relate to what you are saying.

 

She is 2 1/2 now and we went through a similar phase, which she is almost out of, although she still has her moments of defiance. I have found that leaving her in no doubt that she is in the wrong (without recourse to hitting) is the first step, followed by immediate reinforcement of good behaviour has been the key.

 

If for example she has taken off after another dog or gone after a flushed bird or rabbit, I would immediately admonish her, and then spend a period reinforcing her walking to heel and steadiness, giving her praise when she complies. It has taken time and a lot (and I mean a lot ) of patience, but she is getting there now.

 

I've got to say, it has been worth every minute, and every moment of hair-ripping frustration because she is just the most wonderful, keen, brave and eager to please dog I could have wished for. I get as much pleasure in seeing her enjoyment in working and retrieving as I do in shooting.

 

Mudpatten is right in my (limited) experience of gundog training. Keep patiently plugging away with plenty of firmness and plenty of fun, and if you CBR is anything like mine it will turn into a splendid companion.

[al4x]

one things for sure its a better option than a flatcoat

 

As said firm and consistent is the key along with lots of patience and not pulling your hair out too much, you've another 6 months of hard work before the main adolescent stage is over then it should keep getting better

[cracker]

one things for sure its a better option than a flatcoat

 

That would be down to personal choice, mate - not everybody's capable of training a Chessie as a retriever, not everyone's capable of training a flattie to retrieve if it don't wanna in the first place.

 

If you were doing an unscientific poll, you would find 1 in 1,000 dogs in the US being trained by professionals to be either a Chessie or a flatcoat. Far different reasons for the pros not taking them on, however.

 

Like you, I`ve had flatcoats for many years but their outlook on life is totally different from that of a Chessie.

 

That's the understatement of the year - the yin and yang of retrievers. Wouldn't care to have either myself, but again that's personal preference and I will however always be indebted to the Chessie as one of the forebears of the best retriever dynamite to be found in any-sized package,

 

 

the Boykin spaniel.

 

Chessies also do quite well in US field trials, they just need more time (and more experience and understanding of them as a breed to be gained by their trainer) before they really flower. Hang in there, Logo - and be fair to the dog with corrections and training (and not necessarily using dominance as your touchstone). It can work out - and if it does there's no better working gundog than a Chessie.

 

MG