Over the last few days I have been a distant obeserver on a forum where the interminable debate of whether Field trial versus Showbred gundogs are doing the greatest service to their respective breeds.
My dogs have been mentioned on several occasions, (not by me), being held up as examples of a truly dual purpose dog. This is something I am a little uncomfortable with as I don't Field Trial, I merely work my dogs in the Winter months and to many purists this does not qualify a dog to the title 'Dual Purpose'.
I have owned and loved chesapeakes for a mere 10 years. In that time they have taken me on the most wonderful adventures. This is by virtue of the fact that they are one of the few breeds left in the gundog world that still tread a steady path between the world of working and show gundogs whilst dipping a toe every now and then in to the field trial world.
I have stood in line twice in a field trial and not gotten past the first round, which requires the dogs to remain steady and quiet...they both failed on the quiet part :). It was most likely, at this point that I had to make a decision whether or not I would drive me and my dogs insane and insist that we continue to try and compete at FT level, leave the breed entirely and pursue success in FT's with a Lab, or enjoy my dogs for what they are best at and what they truly live and breathe for- WORK!
I chose the latter.
Don't get me wrong I have complete and total respect for the Field Trial Lab and the level they can be trained up to. Their complete focus and maturity at a young age and ability to take huge pressure  in training is remarkable and can only be admired. Although their conformation does not always aspire to what one might expect a Labrador to look like, I can completely understand that if you want to compete at the top in FT's today, then your number one prioity is going to be the trainability of the dog and not always their conformation. This is where the Labrador is King.
Chesapeakes suit me.There is a lot in their personality that I can identify with. They take a while, like me, to warm up to strangers and I love that slightly independent streak. They are quite happy to mix with other dogs as long as their own 'personal space' is respected. Unlike the Lab who will work for anyone or the Goldie who will share a picnic blanket with multiple other dogs, the Chesapeake will choose his master carefully and even within his household will build an alliance with the person he prefers and based on mutual respect.
I have said this before, one of the things I love most about this breed is their utter versatility. I love the fact that we can still take our dogs from the field one day and into the show ring the next. I think we have managed, as guardians of our breed and by taking that middle road to keep the form of our Breed to match its Function. We still value that wonderful double coat and its texture, something that's reputedly being lost in the FT lab. We are conscious that  enough length and depth of muzzle is needed to carry a goose. A sound moving dog is an absolute necessity in the field and harshly penalised if not found in the show ring.  Some may criticise that conformation plays too much of a hand in the modern Chesapeake to the detriment of making them truly competitive in Field Trials. However, I take pride in the fact that many of the Chesapeake breeders in the UK actively work their dogs throughout the Winter season.
Yes, Field Trials are wonderful and require a unique set of skills that is hard to match outside of select Field trial breeding but they cannot now be used as a measure of what is required on an average shooting day. Just as the pendulum has swung too far right for many Show dogs it has swung too far left for the Field Trial dog. I have yet to see a Field Trial dog, actively competing in the FT circuit, being 'allowed ' to participate fully as a member of the picking up team. Now, before everyone throws in their rattle, let me follow this statement by saying that I have absolutly no problem with anyone taking their young FT prodigy to a shoot to allow it exposure to gun shot and game. What I do have a problem with is that  the value of the work done and carried out by the average picking up dog  is often not appreciated by those who field trial .
It is my opinion that the average working day on a shoot levels out the playing field across the gundog spectrum. This is because dogs are required to be cut loose from the shackles of the whistle and use those talents they were born with..nose, eyes, initiative and desire to work.
I hope, for the sake of our breed, that we continue to be a 'Jack of all trades', and tread that steady path between Field Trials and Show ring.

Copyright Riverrunchesapeakes 2012