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 greentimba |
Training a Chesapeake |
Lead | |
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Posts: 48 (30 March, 2008 16:34:35) |
I have just taken a big step and gotten myself a Chesapeake pup of 7 weeks. Have ordered the Made Easy book but wonder if there are any special lessons or
considerations specific to training this breed. I am keen to use the British Method but a buddy told me that Chesapeakes need stricter treatment. Has anyone on
this BB got experience of training and working these dogs.
Greentimba |
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Eric Begbie |
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Posts: 1634 (30 March, 2008 20:43:11) |
I see from one of your other posts that you have trained labs before. I can't think of any reason why a Chessie should not be trained pretty much the same
way as you would train a lab.
Nick Horten sometimes looks in on this Forum and he has direct experience of Chesapeakes, so maybe he will offer some specific pointers. |
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crackerd |
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Posts: 621 (31 March, 2008 12:52:24) |
Why, Eric, you've forgotten a "memory mark" on your own forum, which would be Pippa, who's kept a running dialog on rearing her Chessie pup,
probably 18 months or so by now.
Do hope Nick checks in, however, as I'm still left to wonder if he received the "Chessie movie" DVD sent him some time back. No help, I'm afraid, with the CBR commentary, another story altogether if it were the "mini-Chessie," a/k/a Boykin spaniel. 
MG |
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nick horten |
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Posts: 70 (31 March, 2008 18:43:58) |
Crackerd,
Hello mate, I pm`d you a "thank you" as soon as it arrived, my email being u/s. As we discussed, one copy to go to Pippa and another to the CBRC of GB. Thanks again for your generosity. Greentimba, Good luck with your new pup. Unfortunately, my experience of Chessies mainly concerns dogs bred in this country from stock that has been resident here for some generations. Most British breeders would put temperament before all else when breeding. That being so, I`ve never found the need to train them any differently from a Lab. using the British Method. Many US books describe the Chessie as stubborn, something I`ve never found. True, they have other traits, mine guards things (and people) with considerable vigour and she may not take readily to people she does`nt know, but she was very easy to train. Although there may have been moments in the training process when she did`t understand, she never defied me. Standard advice really. Let your dog be a puppy. Take things at a steady pace making sure each stage is thoroughly grounded before moving on to the next, and be consistent. I`m not hard on my dogs but I ensure as far as possible that there is minimal opportunity for things to go wrong, but I never allow the dog to get away with any infractions. Probably does`nt help much but I think the British Method will work well on your new pup. Good luck, Nick. |
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canburne |
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Posts: 459 ( 2 April, 2008 07:53:27) |
I have now had four chessies in for short term training courses and I agree with Nick that the basic training is the same as for labs. But one piece of wisdom
past on to me from previous owners was that they tend to learn in chunks - i.e. progress is not always consistent, sometimes they need a few days off or
certain exercises just don't seem to go in then all of a sudden they do. As with the other 'minority' retrievers breeds they do not grow up as
quickly as labs (just because they are big they are not mature mentally) but nowhere near as 'peter pan' as flatties.......
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nick horten |
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Posts: 72 ( 2 April, 2008 18:22:40) |
Can`t disagree with that!
Nick. |
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Alec Torres |
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Posts: 49 ( 5 April, 2008 16:35:54) |
Nick wrote...
"Many US books describe the Chessie as stubborn, something I`ve never found. True, they have other traits, mine guards things (and people) with considerable vigour and she may not take readily to people she does`nt know, but she was very easy to train. Although there may have been moments in the training process when she did`t understand, she never defied me." Most US books would be wrong. Chessies respond to training in the same way as any other dog. However, they do resent unfair treatment, and may sulk. This may be the origin of the hard to train myth. They are also, as Nick points out, very protective, and need to be corrected when they exhibit any aggressiveness on your behalf. They are often described as "one man dogs". They are very strongly inclined towards water. They are much more durable, in general, than even the best Labs. Tireless retrievers, I have never seen one quit. |
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