CHESAPEAKE BAY RETRIEVER Q&A
Chesapeake kennel. We are very proud to have bred, owned, trained and handled one of only three Chesapeakes to have earned the MNH4 title (qualifying at four different Master Nationals). Kathy has earned the Master National’s Women’s Challenge Trophy with HRCH Rippling Waters Mo Sprite, MH, MNH4. If I am not mis- taken, this is the only Chesapeake team to have achieved this award. Alan has qualified CH HRCH Rippling Waters Sea Sprite, MH, MNR at two Master Nationals. He has done the same with Sprite’s other daughter, CH HRCH Rippling Waters Seasbiscuit, MH, MNR, WDQ. Both of us have shown and titled our homebred dogs in conformation, and trained and titled our dogs to all levels of hunt test titles. We have also bred two #1 top Agility Chesapeakes in the country. Several Rippling Waters dogs have gone on to earn the UKC’s Grand Hunting Retriever Champion title. Our dog, CH HRCH Rippling Waters Purple Haze, MH, WDQ has been listed as the Hunting Retriever Magazine’s historical top-producing Chesapeake Bay Retriever sire for many years running. Our current Special, GCH CH Rippling Waters Brown Bart, JH has a Senior pass and is also a multiple Group placer. Three of our Champion females are progressing in both field training as well as pursuing show careers. When Kathy gets a really nice conformation prospect in for training, whether from our bloodlines or not, she encourages the owners to allow her to enter their dogs for show. Although not professional show handlers, we have finished several dogs not our own, and always encourage every Chesapeake owner we run across to participate in both field and show events. If people express an interest in a sport in which we do not ourselves compete, we do our best to direct them to the resources and connections necessary to pursue those interests. Today’s Chesapeake Bay Retriever is often not just a “Dual-purpose dog,” but a “Multi-purpose dog.” There are so many AKC sports for people to participate in with their CBR. The breed is so intelligent and active that they excel in many dis- ciplines. In other words, we have found our perfect breed and have “gone to the dogs—from which there is no coming back.” My husband, Alan, and I live in Crestview, Florida. I am a dog trainer. My area of expertise is training for hunting and hunt tests— I also train basic obedience. My husband is a civilian attorney for the US Air Force. We purchased our first Chesapeake Bay Retriever in 1990. We both have lived with dogs all of our lives. My husband loves gardening, reading and keeping fit. I love to take daily walks with my dogs—anywhere from three to six miles per day. I also love to read. Both of us compete in hunting tests and are AKC hunt test judges. Both of us love to travel. Living with a Chesapeake is never boring. They are active, inquisitive, protective, loyal, and extremely intelligent. They require both physical and mental stimulation daily. They need a firm, but fair owner who is willing to be boss, but not too harsh. They respect authority, but will take advantage of a person who isn’t willing to take on the “alpha” role in the household. One should never encour- age a Chesapeake to be overly protective. Rather, owners should introduce puppies to many different people so that the dog learns that people are great. Chesapeakes are amazing at reading a situ- ation and will protect their people if that is what is required. It is never necessary to train a Chesapeake for protection. They simply just “know” if there is a need to protect. If an owner encourages aggressive behavior, that puppy will assume that is what the owner wants and will grow up aggressive. One must be careful in rais- ing a Chesapeake. It is acceptable for the breed to be super people friendly and also to be aloof with strangers. Either is okay—overly protective is not okay. Lots of socialization to people, places, things and other dogs is a must. Also be very aware of what the dog is learning—they are constantly watching and learning—even learn- ing things you don’t necessarily want them to learn—like how to spell certain words like “ball” (another story). Chesapeakes do best as a member of the family rather than simply being a kennel dog.
Are there any well-kept secrets about the Chesapeake Bay Retriever? They’re smarter than most people. All kidding aside, the Chesapeake Bay Retriever may not be for everyone. We feel it is important for anyone who is interested in a Chesapeake to take the time to do some research, contact breeders and actually go out and visit so you can meet the dogs and see if they are a breed you can live with. Talking on the phone and looking at pictures, you only get a portion of the story. You need to meet and greet this breed in person. Are there any current “trends” in breeding that should be con- tinued or should be stopped? It is very important for the Chesapeake Bay Retriever to be a moderate dog. We are seeing the tendency to go bigger with people believing bigger is better. Also, we are seeing a generic retriever, just an average or mediocre dog. Breeders should always work toward the standard. A couple of things that we would like to share: The misconcep- tion that you can only have a Chesapeake Bay Retriever if you hunt. Although they do enjoy hunting, there are other things you can do. They will sometimes need a job, but that job does not have to be hunting. This breed is very smart and can become bored eas- ily. Mix things up in training and find something they like to do. Just running or retrieving is not enough, you will have to stimulate their brains. Lastly, Chesapeake Bay Retrievers do not like to be corrected for things they do not understand. In our dealings with the Chesapeake, we find they like things very black and white, no grey area. “Yes” means yes and “No” means no. Example: If you do not want your Chesapeake on the furniture, don’t let them on the furniture. KATHLEEN LUTHY Alan grew up on the Eastern Shore of Maryland hunting ducks and geese on family farm lands since he was “yeah high to a tad- pole.” Alan always wanted a polished retriever when he grew up because, as he puts it, “I was the dog” when he was a kid. “Alan, go fetch the bird,” was often heard on hunting outings. When Alan tried to train his first hunting dog (and Kathy’s first show dog), CH HRCH Kirchner’s Bluewater Tug, SH, he had to learn how the hard way. There were no how-to DVDs or videos back then. Most of the available books back then were written for dogs much less sensitive than his dog. There was a lot of trial and error along the way and “Abby” never earned the coveted MH title. However, her daughter, CH HRCH Rippling Waters Sea Sprite, MH, MNR, went on to not only title MH, but to pass two Master Nationals. The canine overachiever baton has been handed down ever since. I grew up in a variety of places as Dad was an Air Force Civil Servant. We always had a dog growing up and I lived with, and learned from, many different breeds. I was always fascinated by all animals, but especially dogs. I married my college sweetheart and, with Alan being active duty Air Force, we moved around a bit. Our first dog as a married couple was a non-loyal and anything but brave, backyard bred Golden Retriever. She was very loving, but I was looking for a dog breed that would be fabulous with our young children and all their friends, [yet] athletic and protective enough to accompany me on my five mile, solitary runs. Abby fit that to a T. When our children were very young, I was a stay-at-home mom who needed an outlet. My beautiful dog, Abby, and I entered the won- derful world of dog shows. She finished in eight shows flat, despite me being a newby, a totally inexperienced owner-handler. We then went on to earn Working Dog titles, the CD Obedience title and hunt test titles. Abby could, and wanted to do, whatever I wanted to do with her. I was hooked for life! To date, our kennel, Rippling Waters Chesapeakes, has pro- duced more dogs that have earned both the AKC show Cham- pionship title as well as the Master Hunter title than any other
204 | SHOWSIGHT MAGAZINE, JULY 2020
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