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Shedding
- If kept in good
condition your Chesapeake should shed twice a year. (Labradors will shed
once a year). In late spring he will shed his heavy winter coat and get in
a shorter, lighter one for the summer.
In late Fall he sill shed the summer coat and get in the heavy
winter coat for cold weather. Ears
& Coat - At least
every other week clean the ears with a moistened cloth, or you can use an
ear cleaning solution then wipe it out.
Brush the coat with a soft brush getting out all mats and checking
for fleas and ticks. Use the
product called Frontline Top Spot, applied once a month, for
prevention of lymes disease from ticks and for flea protection. Cut the toenails
monthly keeping them short. Hose off
with fresh water after swimming in salt water, as the salt will dry the
coat. Bathe only when really
muddy or dirty using a non-harsh quality dog shampoo.
Do not put a flea collar on a pup less than six months and I
suggest never using them. They
can cause skin irritation in the collar area and if you are using
Frontline topical applications for fleas/ticks this would be too much to
use a collar and unnecessary. Also,
children will grab the collar getting chemical residue on their hands and
then put their hands in their own mouths Treats
- Read my information on chewing and what products and bones to use or not
use. Do not dog treats to
young puppies for at least a month after you take them home.
These treats are not needed and only give the puppy diarrhea.
The bones mentioned in the written material will help keep his
teeth clean and in good shape. Collar
– you do not need to
put a collar on a small puppy. He
is too little for a few weeks to be expected to walk on a leash.
Use can use a flat buckle collar or a rolled leather collar, as it
won’t cut the coat. Use a chain or choke collar for obedience training
only and do not leave it on the dog as it can get caught and pull tight
and choke him. Walking
and Jogging - A pup
under a year should NEVER be subjected to forced exercise or over
exercising. A young puppy
should be free to follow you and scamper around but not taken on long
walks. They tire quickly and
will only learn bad habits…such as lagging behind, not coming when you
call (because they are tired) or they are tired and they want to do their
own thing. When much older, walking a mile or two at a casual pace helps
develop muscles for both dog and owner. Jogging or jumping should never be
done before the age of 1 year. The
growth plates are not closed and injury or bone problems can easily occur.
These dogs are not made for long distance jogging like the owners
are! Several miles as an
older dog should be the maximum. The
setters and spaniels are built differently and bred for this and the
retriever is not. Their
function is to run out a short distance and bring back critters to you so
keep that in mind. Never
leave your dog in a parked car with the windows rolled up.
Dogs have died in minutes from heat stroke under these conditions.
Even with the windows slightly open the temperature in the car will rise
rapidly. Do
not let him run loose. It is against the law and it will enable him to be stolen,
injured or possibly poisoned. Provide
an outdoor fenced area for play and exercise.
Retrievers are active, and were originally bred for hunting.
They need plenty of space for outdoor exercise protected from
traffic and unfriendly dogs and people.
The fenced yard need not be huge or expensive or difficult to
install. Your pup should
never be left alone in a fenced yard. No matter how sturdy you think your fence is, some dogs are
escape artists. Leaving him
alone also leaves him open doing things to entertain himself, such as
digging. Crying
at Night
- Your puppy wants to be with the rest of the "pack" at bedtime.
This behavior is highly adaptive from the standpoint of dog behavior. When
a puppy becomes separated from its pack it will whine, thereby allowing it
to be found and returned to the rest of the group. This is why so many
books on puppies and dog behavior strongly recommend that you allow your
puppy/dog to sleep with you in your room to reduce the likelihood of
crying at night. Try moving
the crate into your bedroom. If your puppy whines, first make sure it
doesn't have to go outside to eliminate. This means getting up and taking
it outside. If it whines again, or doesn't need to go outside, bang your
hand on the crate door and say something like "NO, SLEEP" or
"NO, QUIET". If the puppy continues to whine, try giving it a
toy or chew toy and then simply ignore any continued whining. If you don't
reinforce the whining by comforting it (other than to take it outside --
which is OK), it will eventually learn to settle down. Also, be sure to
have a vigorous play session JUST BEFORE you are going to go to bed. This
should poop it out and it will sleep much more soundly.
Alternatively, you can designate a spot for your puppy on the
bedroom floor. Keep the door closed or put a leash on it to keep it close
to the bed. When it whines or moves about, take it out to eliminate.
Otherwise, as above, say "NO, SLEEP."
A ticking clock nearby, and a t-shirt of yours from the laundry may
comfort puppies that cannot sleep in the bedroom. Reinforcing
Good Behavior -
Puppies want
attention. They will do a lot to get that attention -- even if it is
negative! Thus, if you scold your puppy for doing things you don't want it
to do, and ignore it when it is being good, you are reinforcing the wrong
things. Ignore the bad things
(or stop it without yelling or scolding) and enthusiastically praise it
when its doing what you want, even if it's as simple as sitting and
looking at you, or quietly chewing one of its toys. This can be difficult
to do, as it is essentially reversing all your normal reactions. But it is
very important: you will wind up with a puppy that pays attention to you
and is happy to do what you want, if it understands you. Canine
Heartworm Disease
- Of all canine parasites, heartworms are the most
life-threatening. Untreated, they are eventually fatal.
Heartworms live primarily in the heart of the dog, where, each day,
mature females release thousands of tiny microfilaria (baby heartworms).
Although these microfilaria may be active for years, they can’t
develop further in the dog without an intermediate host:
a mosquito. A mosquito
ingests the microfilaria when it bites an infected dog, and incubates them
for about two weeks. Then the
insect bites another dog, passing along the infected larvae.
They continue to develop and grow in the dog, eventually finding
their way to the heart. Symptoms: Heartworms usually cause no outward signs until the disease
is advanced. The dog will
gradually loose weight and stamina and often develop a cough that worsens
with exercise. In the later
stages, breathing can become quite painful or difficult.
Large numbers of adult heartworms, which can be 14 inches long, can
restrict blood flow in the lungs, kidneys and liver, stressing the heart
and causing organ failure. In
acute infections, symptoms appear suddenly and death may occur in 24 to 72
hours. If the disease is
caught early (well before clinical signs appear), treatment is possible;
however, the treatment is occasionally fatal, extends over several months,
and is frequently expensive. Prevention: Prevention with monthly medication is better than treatment
of the disease. If medication
is started and stopped, dog must be tested for heartworm before starting
the medication again. Giving
the medication to an infected dog can cause shock and possible sudden
death. Once your dog is
confirmed by blood test to be negative, you can use a preventative
medication. Start this medication immediately and continue it all year
round for the rest of your dog’s life.
Newborn puppies should be started on the preventative by 9 weeks of
age, usually at the time of your first trip to the vet after bringing home
your new puppy. Owners
- An owner should be
willing to provide adequate and proper shade and housing for his dog when
outside. An owner should
agree to properly and sufficiently fed his dog and not neglect him in any
manner and in no manner mistreat his pet.
The dog shall receive adequate and proper veterinary care
throughout its lifetime with all inoculations maintained.
The owner should let the breeder know of any titles that are
completed by his dog and send pictures! Hip
Dysplasia - All pure
bred dogs have an incidence of some hereditary defects.
The knowledgeable breeder is aware of the problems that exist in
his breed, and he takes measures to assure that he is not using unsound
animals in his breeding program. As in larger breeds, a common problem is hip dysplasia.
Dysplasia is a malformation of the hip joint, which in some cases
can be severe enough to be disabling for the dog.
Many dogs have hip dysplasia even though it is not evident to the
naked eye. The only way to
determine whether a dog is dysplastic is to have its hips x-rayed.
A veterinarian takes the x-rays and then the film is sent to OFA.
A board certified radiologist evaluates the x-rays and gives a
certification in writing with a number if the hips are of good quality.
X-rays taken of a dog age two or older are believed to be 95%
accurate in diagnosis of the disease.
You will be interested in purchasing a puppy whose parents have had
their hips x-rayed. You
should never purchase a puppy from an un x-rayed parent. While no
disability may be visible in the parents, a minor problem to them may be
compounded in the breeding of the two of them.
Or working and hunting conditions will cause dogs with a problem to
be lame. Your puppy may not x
ray normal, but having come from normal parents greatly enhances his
chances of being normal or only minimally affected by hip dysplasia. Eye Disease - Retrievers have an incidence of two types of hereditary eye disease -- a hereditary cataract and progressive retinal atrophy (PRA). Conscientious breeders are making sure their breeding stock is checked at least annually by a veterinarian ophthalmologist -- not just a general practicing veterinarian.
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