Issue: 12/07/2024
When no one knew what a Chesapeake was myself and others did much to promote the breed in a working but conservative way. Today most people know what they are. Last week my daughter and myself took several dogs to walk the amazing, lovely long beach at Rossilli. It is always spartan of people and a great place to run the dogs. On the way back we walked the cliff path up when we met a lady with a cocker type dog walking down, I was amazed when she asked if they were Shakespear dogs, as all of them were of a different colour. Her comment did so make me smile, peeling off the years. Stroking Bob on his head, yes I said and this is Shakey Bill.
Temperament and health have always been at the top of my requirements in all of my breeding. Just recently I was speaking to someone I have known for many years, I mentioned that there are those who continually say how healthy our breed is – I had to challenge this comment. He brushed my concerns aside telling me that for instance entropion has always been in the breed as if it was now acceptable. I said it always will be if breeders are going to ignore it’s there and breed from it. I was needless to say extremely upset, annoyed and angry. If the BVA published entropion results and entropion dogs were not allowed to be shown or bred from we might be in a better position to eliminate or reduce cases of the painful condition. I would be interested to hear your thoughts of entropion in the breed.
This past week I have received messages regarding another health problem, that of elbow dysplasia from those that are very worried about the amount of dogs that have elbow problems and more so are being bred from. When breeding one must consider all aspects and there are very many. If you are going to breed from a dog that has a health problem thinking you are going to improve on the problem you are just continuing the problem. We are seeing 0’s bred to scores or O’s to 0’s that produce scores – jumping a generation because the 0’s have scores behind them. It appears that of the 47 elbows tested between the end of 2019 and the end of 2022 11 were affected, which is 23%, a large leap in prevalence. Any caring, dedicated breeder would not breed from a problem/score/carrier/positive when a dog is otherwise very good. When elbow scores became one of the health tests asked for by the CBRC of the few dogs that tested with a score the owners all had a reason why – usually as a result of a fall.
Another reader who wanted to be named, Jason Hayes who is a wildfowler from Kent, said “I’m relatively new to the breed, but I have fallen in love with working and breeding Chesapeake Bay Retrievers. Surely to improve the breed health tests must be the most important thing to consider when breeding. Why is it I’m regularly seeing that people are breeding from dogs with, in particular, poor elbow scores? Please tell me if there are any benefits the this ? Surely there’s a chance working dogs could be hindered by this fault now and in future offspring.”
There was a good turnout of Chesapeakes at Boston. Judging without CCs judge Penny Gowland awarded BOB & BD to Mahon, Hunns & Newton’s SH CH Arnac Bay Huron At Bergelle JW; RBD Hayes’ Tideflight Floki; BB Mayhew & Middleton’s SH CH, NL CH, INT CH Arnac Bay Hebe WGC SHCEX EW22; RBB & BV Pont’s SH CH Oakmarsh Dancing Diva; BP Mahon-Hunns, Middleton & Haskin’s Susqudilla Bergelle Big Apple (IMP USA); BSB Turner’s Oakmarsh Haunting Melody (AI). The Puppy Group was judged by Ian Sexton awarding G4 to SB Big Apple. AV Gundog Junior VHC Corcoran & Jones’ Oakmarsh Kingsley Adsila. Kirsty Watts sent me a lovely photo saying she had won the Breeder’s Group with four of her Oakmarsh under judge Jenny Miller.
Janet Morris
01873 880271
penrosechesapeakes@gmail.com