K
Kodiak
So back in December I bought a chessie puppy that died of parvo within a few days of comming home. It left an increadable pain in my family as chessies have always been a big part of my family since my son was born. Being raised old school, I have never kept an animal that won't pull its own weight...same reason I got rid of my ex-wife. After a while my son suggested we get a "grown up" dog so we don't worry about parvo with this one.
We began looking online for somebody that might have older trained dogs that would be workable..price tag $1200.00+...sooo not happening. I found this website called CBR Rescue. They specialize in finding homes for chessies with owners that understand the breed and what to expect. Most of the dogs appeared to be the who's who of pain-in-the-rear-ville.
Meet vicking...one eye, diabetes, slow roasts children.
Meet sally...friendly and loving, incontenent, great home protector, has eaten 3 mail men, good with cats.
But I found these two dogs...Zeke and Dillion. 3.5-4yrs old, great dogs. While in the logical front portion of my mind said not on your life, the impractical, romantic what-are-you stupid side screamed CALL THE LADY. So I did. After trying to find out info on the dog the care taker called back and was eager to bring him to me...uh oh. I tried to back pedal but just couldn't shake this chick, and now Zeke was being delivered. After giving her Autofishers address she still managed to show up in Mill city with the "pup". At our introduction her jeep wrangler heaved a sigh of relief when 120lbs of food bowl elimination barrled out on to the ground and promptly tried to take a nap. My daughter weighing in at all of 40lbs wraps her arms around his neck and proceads to attempt to lift "her brand new puppy" into my car. After a short walk around the park my greatest fears were confirmed. A group of honkers locked up and set down in the field right next to us, the dog completely ignored them...like he didn't even see them, or hear them, or even care. I didn't think that was possible for a chesapeake. After comming home this 120lb behemouth cowered and hid from the most insedious of creatures...the family cat. I couldn't help but think that I would be spending the next 10 yrs with a throw rug that couldn't defend my daughter from a slug.
Now he is on a diet and lost 10lbs in less than a month. His "chessieness" is beging to show through. His activity level has increased and he quit running from the cat. He figured out to make his new master be happy is pick up the stupid bumper and bring it back when he throws it, and geese don't taste that bad. In recent developments he has decided that if you throw the bumper into the water the whole fetch thing is a lot more fun and trying to catch honkers is a riot.
As zeke and I make progress I will post here and chronicle our misadventures in turning him into a duck dog, both our success and failures and trade training tips with anyone who wants too.
We began looking online for somebody that might have older trained dogs that would be workable..price tag $1200.00+...sooo not happening. I found this website called CBR Rescue. They specialize in finding homes for chessies with owners that understand the breed and what to expect. Most of the dogs appeared to be the who's who of pain-in-the-rear-ville.
Meet vicking...one eye, diabetes, slow roasts children.
Meet sally...friendly and loving, incontenent, great home protector, has eaten 3 mail men, good with cats.
But I found these two dogs...Zeke and Dillion. 3.5-4yrs old, great dogs. While in the logical front portion of my mind said not on your life, the impractical, romantic what-are-you stupid side screamed CALL THE LADY. So I did. After trying to find out info on the dog the care taker called back and was eager to bring him to me...uh oh. I tried to back pedal but just couldn't shake this chick, and now Zeke was being delivered. After giving her Autofishers address she still managed to show up in Mill city with the "pup". At our introduction her jeep wrangler heaved a sigh of relief when 120lbs of food bowl elimination barrled out on to the ground and promptly tried to take a nap. My daughter weighing in at all of 40lbs wraps her arms around his neck and proceads to attempt to lift "her brand new puppy" into my car. After a short walk around the park my greatest fears were confirmed. A group of honkers locked up and set down in the field right next to us, the dog completely ignored them...like he didn't even see them, or hear them, or even care. I didn't think that was possible for a chesapeake. After comming home this 120lb behemouth cowered and hid from the most insedious of creatures...the family cat. I couldn't help but think that I would be spending the next 10 yrs with a throw rug that couldn't defend my daughter from a slug.
Now he is on a diet and lost 10lbs in less than a month. His "chessieness" is beging to show through. His activity level has increased and he quit running from the cat. He figured out to make his new master be happy is pick up the stupid bumper and bring it back when he throws it, and geese don't taste that bad. In recent developments he has decided that if you throw the bumper into the water the whole fetch thing is a lot more fun and trying to catch honkers is a riot.
As zeke and I make progress I will post here and chronicle our misadventures in turning him into a duck dog, both our success and failures and trade training tips with anyone who wants too.