Quote:
Originally Posted by densa44
I like to see research posted on this site and due to no fault of the OP some is better than others. The chart that was posted that shows the Chessie as the 3rd. best bird dog got my attention. Having spent many years participating in retriever trails, and training versatile dogs. I think I have only seen one Chessie and he looked more like a greyhound.
The second one was owned by a friend and that dog (I don't think the poor thing was ever trained) wouldn't pick up a cripple.
Here is my point, if you want to get a dog, good for you, learn how to read the pedigrees and find out what they mean (all the information that is on the pedigree) and choose carefully from there.
Dogs have more variability within a breed than between breeds.
They all started as wolves!
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With all due respect and coming from someone that has seen a way more than one Chesapeake Retriever (including one I am working with) they are awesome retrievers and second to none when it comes to waterfowl. They are much more likely to be rough mouthed on cripples than timid and in fact they are 100 times more likely to kill your neighbor's cat than ever back down from a cripple.
They will not jump through hoops for you, detest repetitive boring drills and I have hunted over several that simply would not play fetch. They can be stubborn and do not like being told what to do, fortunately they seldom need to be told anything when it comes to waterfowl.
They also have a superior nose for upland but their coat makes them overheat easily so extreme caution is needed if working them in the heat.
Obliviously, they make poor field trial dogs and in fact you would be lucky to get more than a couple of them together without a fight breaking out.
Pedigree is obviously important as long as you know what you want and can handle what you buy. A long list of field champions is awesome however the trainers are often the ones that should be getting the ribbons. Just because every animal in a dog's pedigree is a super field trial dog does not mean that the average novice is going to get that same performance. More often than not the exact opposite is true. Champion field dogs are like Olympic athletes. They need to be fed right, exercised, stimulated and trained everyday. Everybody wants a great field dog until day 4 when he eats the sofa out of boredom and day 10 when he is down the street or across town looking for something to do.
Health clearances and some working pedigree is more than enough for all but the most die hard outdoorsman but getting to know and trusting your breeder is the best advice. Be honest with a reputable breeder as to your lifestyle and expectations and he/she will point you in the right direction. I talked to several reputable breeders and explained exactly what I wanted. Four in a row told me they didn't have what I want even though they had puppies for sale. Two referred me to a breeder that did have what I wanted although the pup was being held back for part of their breeding program. A deal was struck and i am confident I found a good dog.
You have made the statement "
Dogs have more variability within a breed than between breeds" before and it still makes no sense. If you want a dog that can swim, your best bet is to get one with webbed feet and a waterproof coat. If you want a dog that can point you should stick with the pointing breeds. Each breed has different natural abilities and temperament that are common throughout the breed. Reputable breeders use this benchmark above all others. To suggest there is other breeds that are more like a Labrador Retriever than an actual Labrador Retriever is beyond my comprehension.