Am/Can Ch. Sprucegrove's Ruff 'N' Rowdy CCD UD SH CWCX WDQ is an example of a sedge-colored Chesapeake. This particular color blends well with the bright wheat stubble in the Canadian wheat fields where the author hunts geese.

Psychologists, behavioral scientists and writers of romance novels all agree a love affair that lasts 45 years is extremely rare. Before long, road blocks such as job demands, seduction by another, physical maladies, recession or war tend to extinguish the passion before such a lengthy span of time has elapsed.

Nor, as is often true, has this been a case of unrequited love. Even when stories I've written have stirred such flaming anger and hatred that concerns for my safety were raised, at day's end there was somewhere to go where I would be bathed in love--home to my Chesapeakes. For I will assert that there is no breed of dog that is as devoted to its humans as the Chesapeake Bay retriever.

This deep-seated affection for their owner can be downright smothering. Indeed, for more than 45 years, unless I take the precaution of moving very quickly and closing the door with equal speed, I have been unable to make a "head call" unaccompanied. When I do succeed, the four Chessies that currently occupy my house sit outside the door whining and whimpering like they lost their last friend, their bodies pressed so tightly against the door that when I try to exit, it requires immense strength to move the roughly 300 pounds of dog barricade.

One of the few benefits of growing old is that you get to tilt your chair back, assume a thoughtful expression and pontificate on a variety of subjects. Most times, folks are at least polite enough to pretend to listen. So, based on slightly more than 45 years of successfully breeding, raising, training, hunting, testing, showing and trialing the Chesapeake, I'm going to pontificate on what is right and what is wrong with the breed.

Despite my unabashed affection for these strong-willed and independent animals, right up front you need to know that this is not a breed for everyone. Chesapeakes have definite minds of their own and possess a considerable amount of ability to think for themselves. They are not, and never will be, "Robodogs." It is embarrassing to admit the number of times I have marked the fall of a duck or goose that I was certain fell dead, insisted that the dog swim to that area only to have my Chesapeakes swim 50 yards to the left or right of where I absolutely knew the bird was…and come out of the reeds with a quite lively bird.

While this ability for independent thought is a trait highly prized by people who actually hunt with their dogs, it frequently gets the dogs in big trouble when it is time for hunt tests and field trials. It also bothers people who have a need to be in control. If your world is not complete unless you have unquestioned obedience from your dog or if your life will be empty unless you own the national field champion, do yourself a favor, get a Labrador.

While the breed has done well in hunt tests and has also had some success in field trials--the Chesapeake is the only retriever breed that still consistently produces dual champions, dogs that have both a conformation championship and a field championship--they are at a disadvantage in these "dog games"…although in the early years of field trials, and to a lesser degree, hunt tests, when the tests actually concerned themselves with innate abilities, the Chesapeake was a force to be reckoned with.

What this means is, if owning a field champion is your primary goal in life, you are better off with a Labrador. Why? First and foremost, we have the matter of sheer numbers. For several years the Labrador retriever has ranked first among all breeds registered with the American Kennel Club. Nearly 145,000 Labs were registered with the AKC in 2003. There were about 3,700 Chesapeakes registered with the AKC that same year. It stands to reason that with the number of dogs Labrador breeders produce, the odds of finding the kind of superstar needed for successful competition in field trials is greatly increased.

It is also very important to keep in mind that the rule-making bodies for both field trials and hunt tests are dominated by Labrador fanciers and they create rules that showcase the strengths of the Labrador breed. This is unlikely to change any time soon. It is no secret that where retriever field events are concerned, the Labrador Retriever Club of America "owns" the American Kennel Club. The reason is simple: 145,000 dogs times the $15 registration fee means more than $2 million annually in the AKC's bank account.