The New Complete Chesapeake Bay Retriever

by Daniel Horn and Janet Horn

Book Overview

The strong, dependable nature of the duck hunter's beloved Chessie, a water retrieving breed that originated off Maryland's Eastern Shore, is highlighted in this in-depth guide, which covers the breed's care and training.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0876050992
• ISBN13: 9780876050996
• Release Date: January 1994
• Publisher: Howell Books
• Length: 288 Pages
• Weight: 1.37 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 6.3" x 9.6"

Customer Reviews

Buy this book before you buy a Chesapeake

I have browsed this book and if you are thinking about getting a Chesapeake you should buy this book first. It will cover many of the things I mention here in greater detail. Many people have bought Chesapeake Bay Retrievers without doing enough research and then gotten rid of their "problem" dogs. In almost all cases "the problems" were caused by the owners because they did not understand the requirements of this breed. I have owned and trained my Chesapeakes for over 12 years now and I can tell you that they are a wonderful and unique breed. There is no other breed with the qualities of a Chesapeake. They are very intelligent, extremely loyal and dedicated to their masters, great with kids (if raised with them) and love to be part of the family, have unbelievable determination and will, and in many ways have almost human like personalities. For these reasons and others, Chesapeake Bay Retrievers make absolutely wonderful companions. However, as Chesapeake breeders will tell you, these dogs are not for everyone. Their intelligence and energy requires a need for daily activity that challenges them physically and mentally and that is rewarding to them. They thrive when given what they interpret as a problem to solve. They respond much better to praise then they do discipline. Robotic methods of training don't work as well on Chesapeakes and for that reason many pro trainers won't train a Chesapeake because they think they are too stubborn or just dumb. This is rarely true, but it takes a strong commitment on the owners part to provide the dog with an environment in which it thrives. Chesapeakes have a lot of self-pride and if you try to force them to do something against their will, they may often resent you and become uncooperative. Chesapeakes love to swim, retrieve, play, hunt, or just show off their physical strength and stamina by lifting large logs and rocks out of the water for hours on end. If not given the proper physical and mental outlets a Chesapeake bores very quickly and can become destructive and depressed. For these reasons Chesapeakes do not like being left alone in a kennel for hours. Being part of the family is very important to them and they love attention. They are fine in the house but need a large fenced yard also. Again, if they are ignored or neglected, they will resent you and it will lead to destructive behavior or depression. Other things to consider: They are protective of their home and family and may bark at strangers. They are not naturally agressive towards strangers or other dogs, but if their protective side is overly encouraged, or if they are taunted, they could become that way. They shed. A lot. Nuff said. They eat a lot so they poop a lot. Nuff said. The Chesapeake Bay Retriever is a very special breed and they make great family dogs and excellent hunting dogs. But they require a patient but dominant personality in their owner, training adjusted to the Chesapeakes personality with lots of pos

A 'Must-Have' For Bay Shoppers

When I was in the market for a medium to large sized sporting dog, I began to research dogs such as the Chesapeake Bay retriever and of course the Golden and Yellow retriever. My search led me closer to the Bay retriever because of 2 reasons: athletic ability and intelligence. Upon closer scrutiny I soon discover from 'The New Complete Chesapeake Bay Retriever' that indead this was the superior choice over all other retrievers. The book explains that the Bay retiever is less popular than other retrievers simply because not many people have heard of this American breed. And as a benefit, over breeding has not occured with the Bay retriever. Hunters prefer the Bay over other bird dogs due to their undistracted committment to retrieve. As a family dog, they are gentle and stoic enough never to over react or bark in any situationThe book was a terrific guide for shopping for a pup and especially for raising and field training the dog as a hunter or as champion show dog.My dog is a family pet and I owe plenty to this book for guiding me logically with the raising, training and breeding of my dog.I discovered later that my dog's ancestry is mentioned in the book. His grandparents are previous champs and are showcased through out 'The New Complete Chesapeake Bay Retriever'.'The New Complete Chesapeake Bay Retriever' is thorough, logical and very acurate with selecting, raising, and training the Chesapeake Bay Retriever.

The Latest "Encycopedia" for Chesapeake Bay Retrievers

This book has wonderful information on the history, breed standards, and the hidden advantages of owning a Chesapeake Bay Dog. I have owned (or been owned by) a Chesapeake for 4 years now, and this book was nice to fill in the gaps of information that most people do not know about. I can tell that Janet Horn has a true understanding of the breed, an understanding that only comes from owning and being in the company of such wonderful dogs. I appreciate her geneology research for this work. Her passion for the breed is what makes this book such a joy to read. This book does not cover training tactics and is not meant to do so. Please take great care in researching training methods for Chesapeakes, as many methods (used on Labradors and Goldens) are not productive on these dogs.

A great book for chessie owners and fanciers!

I purchased this book shortly after getting my Chessie puppy. Although I knew a fair bit about the breed, this book gave me tons more info and a real feel for the history of the breed. Lots of great photos and helpful advice, but if you need help specifically regarding training, best buy a book on training, too. Highly recommended - every Chessie owner (or potential owner)should have a copy!

Most up-to-date book on Chessies we have found!

This book was what we have been looking for! It included topics on Chessies that we had not seen covered before, such as the "snarl" that is unique to this breed. There were many good photos showing different types of Chessies, and many specific details on grooming, breed traits and behaviors. We highly recommend this to anyone who has a Chessie or is thinking about getting one!