We were very fortunate in finding Lily Luster of Ramsey Creek Bloodhounds and Chesapeake Bay Retrievers when we decided to add Chessies to our family. She has been a wonderful mentor and friend. All of our current Chessies come from her bloodlines. This is a link to her website there you will find more information on the breed plus more pictures and pedigrees.
This page was last updated: April 23, 2009
Chesapeake Bay Retrievers are great family pets and are good with children as long as both the children and the chessie are well trained! They grow into big dogs and can play rough! Never allow your Chessie puppy to do anything as a pup that you don't want him or her to do as an adult! Tug of war is not a good idea! Do not let your pup get away with biting or jumping up on anyone. Never let small children play unsupervised with any animal. Teaching your children how to respect your new puppy is very important! Most dog bites happen in the home to children who are playing with the family pet in an inappropriate way and are unsupervised. Involve the whole family in the obedience training of your pup but do not expect your chessie to give the same respect to your children as they do you. To your chessie they are more like litter mates than pack leaders!
At Hemann Hills our pups are played with several times a day for a total of 3-4 hours on most days, not just fed and cleaned up after like many places. Quite a few of our pups go to hunting & show homes but all of our puppies will be great family dogs as long as socialization & training is continued in their new homes. We introduce our pups to wings, water, loud noises, decoys, boats, other dogs, cats, children & people of all ages. Chesapeake's are very versatile and can be trained to do most anything. I was a veterinary assistant so we do our own dew claws & give the vaccines & wormings ourselves. We also have the vet come to us when the pups are six weeks to do their health check because like hospitals veterinarian offices are full of germs & we don't want to expose the puppies to anything like that unless it is absolutely necessary! Once they have had a few vaccines in them then it is not such a big deal but before then it is best to keep them safe at home! We aim to produce a beautiful, healthy, well rounded dog that can be an excellent hunting companion & a child's best friend all at the same time! Whatever you are looking for in a chessie Hemann Hills is a great place to find your new chessie love!
Steve & Rachael Hemann
8550 Hemann Dr.
Troy, Il. 62294
Sis got here first so brother is looking at another wing to pounce on.
Our first trip to the pond was a howling good time! Even Steve & Dori got in on the fun!
Hmmm.....You don't smell like a goose.
We're swimmin' now!
All the pups are loving the water
& the daily trips to pond.
Pups in training
Even though we know not all of our pups are going to go to hunting homes we treat them all as if this is the case. We try to expose them to as many different situations as possible at an early age so that no matter what they encounter in the future they will be curious not afraid. The longer the pups are here the more new things they will learn & experience.
All pups need to learn how to walk on lead & we use litter box check cords and the "chain gang" as tools to help the pups teach themselves that it is easier to give to the lead than to fight it.
When you bring your pup home he or she will be familiar with the collar & lead but most likely not completely lead broken. You need to put pup on a lead daily. Coax the pup to follow you but never drag or jerk pup. Praise pup for following & when he pulls stop & wait for pup to stop pulling then begin coaxing & praising again. Keep all training sessions short & end on a positive note.
I do not believe in treats as a reward because you do not always carry treats around. Praise & play are the best rewards because they can be given anywhere at any time. Remember consistency is the key to teaching your pup what you expect.
When correcting pup be firm but not scary. Never lose your temper with pup it will only set you back. Correct pup the same way each time & try to re-direct the pup to an object, activity or behavior that you can praise pup for. Use a word or sound that you will not say in normal conversation to stop pup from what he is doing and look to you for re-direction. We use "aaagh", "Leave it" & "off" spoken in the same deep tone for instance. "No" is used for so often that it is not a good training word because pup will hear you say it all the time to everyone. Using words in a different language are good as well because you will only speak those words to pup.
The pups got their litter box check cords today. They help the pups become desensitized to the collar and lead.
The pups will pull on each others check cords and will begin to learn to give to the lead. Any negitive feelings about the collar & lead are associated with their litter mates not their people.
Jake playing with the pups in their outside pen.
Choosing the sex of your pup
When deciding on wether a boy or a girl would best suit your family there are several things to consider. Males although larger are more laid back than the females who are the dominant of the two sexes. Females tend to be more protective and have more energy and drive. A neutered male makes the best pet, especially if there are going to be other dogs in or around your home. Males that are neutered at a young age are less likely to fight or be overly protective. If you have or are going to have other dogs in your home it is best not to get the same sex. Chessies are very pack oriented and once mature will fight their way to being alpha male or female among your other same sex dogs. Females are the best for hunting out of boats and blinds because of their size. They also have more stamina than the heavier males but can be a little harder to train because they are not as eager to please as the boys.
The pups are eight weeks old & ready for the chain gang! This is an extension of the litter box check cords. They are tied on to the same cord at short intervals kind of like a sled team. Here they are learning to work together and give to the lead in order to get what they want which right now is to chase the boys!
Mark playing with the pups in an old john boat. They thought this was big fun!
Chesapeake's & Children
Our puppies
At first these two wanted out (right) but then they started to explore (left) Soon they all made a game out of jumping out then wanting back in!
The pups are pooped out after about ten minutes of togetherness! They are fast learners & did very well on their first day on the chain gang!
