Jack,
I see you picked out a Chessie in your earlier post. Hope to see some pics.
I was sent an article from a friend who clipped it from "The Retriever Journal Dec/Jan 2009 : The view form the pier by Casiner "Cas" Cecum" which I found to be perfect for the chessie owner. It's long but I'll post some of the article. The guy is picking out a pup...
".... I know the Labrador folks and golden retiever folks has got "puppy test" they give little pups in a litter to see which one's too tame or too wild or just plain dumb, and bein' Labadors and goldens, it prolly takes a lot of time to find one that's middle-of-the-road and also smart enough to keep his head inside the car window during a grasshopper hatch. With Chesapeake Bay dogs, it ain't so easy. For example, it starts with the litter's mama.
If you come into a place where they got the pups, and the mama dog lays there and looks at you, turn around and walk away and find yourself another litter. But if she bails over the whelpin'-box wall at you and comes chargin' across the room, well, the pups might have some spirit to 'em.
Next, pick out any boy puppy you want, flop him over on his back and hold him down. Or try to. If he struggles and kicks and fights you for a full 5 minutes before he gives up, well... he ain't a real Chesapeake Bay dog on account of he's too soft. But if he just lays still, sniffs your hand, and homes right in on that big vein in your wrist and chomps down on it and he just won't let go, well, you might just have yourself a dog.
Finally, look at the litter's owner. Does he look stupid to you? Does he look like he'd hang his head out the car window during a hopper hatch? If not does his face have those lots-of-sunrises-and-sunsets creases in it? Does his hands have scars all over 'em the size and shape that could have been left by, oh, I don't know, dog teeth?
Ask to see his duckin' rig. Is his boat newer than his truck; are the decoys fresh-painted and stacked neat, like in a shed that's got nothing in it except duck gear even though his kid's toys are spread all over the backyard; are the tires on his boat trailer brand new and the ones on his wife's minivan balder'n someone who's famous and also really bald but I can't think of anybody just this minute?
If so, he's your man, that's your litter, and you could just close your eyes, reach down, and pick you out any of the Chesapeake Bay boy puppies. Just be sure, if mama's around, to count your fingers afterward."
Hope you enjoy the read. My Chessie "Chance" is now nine months old, and we've reached and understanding. Great dog.
