Anybody hunt with a Chesapeake?

dtk913 · 02-23-2009, 09:27 AM

I am getting a Chesapeake next week, and I was wondering if anyone has one or has hunted with one. From what I have heard they are really good dogs. I am looking forward to getting ours.

Dan

Bugflipper · 02-23-2009, 08:59 PM

Yes sir I sale finished chessies. Been training them for quite a while. They make a wonderful family pet. The most important things in their life is to please and protect their family.
Blessings

birddog3412 · 02-24-2009, 02:24 AM

I have a 6 month old chessie. I am a pointing dog guy but wanted a retriever too. She is a horse, really smart, loves to retrieve. My buddy brought over his lab that is about the same age I bet she is6 inches thicker in the chest.

pastorkhris · 02-25-2009, 05:46 AM

Chessies are awesome hunting dogs, but they can be VERY hardheaded! As long as you are willing to give it formal training and maintain your status as the one in charge you will never be able to out hunt the dog.

One year I was hunting pheasants with my chessie in blowing snow and 4 degree weather - every other dog (and hunter) was ready to get back in the truck - but she just kept looking at us like we were wimps and was ready to keep going!!

Bugflipper · 02-25-2009, 08:28 AM

No doubt Pastor everything you say is true. I like to think of them as a teenager, where as a lab is more like a preteen. The chessy is just a little more intelligent but with that comes WHY. So basic obedience is very much needed to keep them under control. If you maintain the leader role they will peddle along through the day without a snag. But they crave new tasks in training, which just makes them smarter.
My wife has one she took over as her dog. I had to teach it the cute tricks she likes. When it comes time for her to do something she doesn't want to do, the wife commands and the dog looks at me. I snap my fingers and the dog goes outside or whatever the wifes command was. The dog is a spoiled lap dog but hunts tirelessly. So they can be a family pet and also do what you want without being ruined. Also fetch with kids doesn't ruin them, they will play with people but when they work in the field or training they know the difference and fall back to doing it the way you want.
Blessings

luke_rankin_07 · 02-25-2009, 11:08 AM

Yeah we have one but it is now 14 years old. Back in the day he was a great duck,goose, and any upland bird. If you train them right they can be the best dog you can ever have. My chessepeke is the best dog that i have ever seen!

dtk913 · 02-25-2009, 04:45 PM

Well thanks guys. You have made me feel really good about my decision. We were looking for a good family dog, but we also wanted a dog we could do things with. I would like to do some duck hunting with her, and I would really like to see if I can train her to shed hunt. I have been told they have a great nose and would be an excellent dog for this. Everything I have ever heard about Chessies has been very positive. So I guess now it is up to me to make sure she is trained well. I will post a picture of her when we get her. We are picking her up on Friday. I think my daughterwould go crazy if she had to wait any longer.My daughter is almost 8and is a huge dog lover, but she is also turning into a pretty good hunting partner for me, sohopefully this dog will just add toher enjoyment of the outdoors.

Thanks
Dan

vadeerkiller · 02-27-2009, 02:42 PM

I have one and the problem is I didn't do my homework and think the breeder was irresponsible. Dog loves family but will not let anyone else pet her. Even snaps at children. I have to be real careful and liability wise should put her down but it is a hard decision.

Canned Heat · 02-27-2009, 05:26 PM

I had a buddy who had one and that thing could stop a truck and would hunt 'til it couldn't. He had kids and never really established himself(or his family) as the "alpha" to that dog and it got to the point he had to get rid of it. Like any dog, if you put your time into it, it'll pan out. Pound for pound, there's not a stronger dog out there that I've ever seen....and they swim better than a fish.

vadeerkiller · 02-27-2009, 07:03 PM

The dog knows the family and I are the boss, its strangers.Last week she bit a guy who just held out his hand to her. Its any stranger, if they attempt to touch her, they are gonna get bit.