In the world of field trials and hunt tests, Chesapeakes tend to give you a solid, steady performance but they are not flashy. That is not good enough in the highly competitive world of field trials where style counts more than substance. Sadly, the same can be said for increasing numbers of hunt tests.

Chesapeakes will also not tolerate abuse from an over-zealous trainer. They can and will think for themselves. If they are asked to do something that is absurd, they are quick to let you know. Unfortunately, as field trials, and increasingly hunt tests, have evolved into events that evaluate skills that are of little importance in a hunting dog, these positive aspects of the breed for a hunter have become liabilities.

There are some other cautions that need to be observed by prospective Chesapeake owners. You have to carefully "pick your battles" with the breed. The most successful Chesapeake trainers are the ones who concentrate on a few things that really matter to them. On these issues, you cannot afford to cut a Chessie any slack because they are very intelligent and always looking for a better way to do something.

Then on the other issues, you have to be prepared to compromise because you simply are not going to win every battle with a Chesapeake. Where a lot of folks, particularly professional trainers, go astray with the breed is that they fail to understand that Chesapeakes do not fit well in a regimented training program. This is one breed in which it is essential to adapt your techniques to the individual dog because if the Chesapeake has any moxie at all, he won't adapt to your pre-planned program.

They are particularly resistant when you try to apply an intensive, high pressure, one-size-fits-all program that requires a dog to ignore its natural instincts and suppress its natural intelligence. These training techniques simply do not work with Chesapeakes.

This does not mean that Chesapeakes won't accept punishment. As long as it is applied judiciously and with restraint when they know they have it coming, they can handle corrections. But do not punish them without justification. They have memories that would shame an elephant, a virtue when you want them to remember where several birds are located but big trouble if you want them to forgive and forget. It is a guarantee that if you punish them without justification, they will eventually get even. This usually occurs when you have the most money or bragging rights on the line. They will smile at you and then proceed to give you the canine version of a "Bronx cheer."

Chesapeake breeders have resisted the temptation to breed the sort of hot-wired dogs that win field trials but are almost impossible to live with in the duck blind. Most Chessies are calm, pleasant companions in the field.

So how have Chesapeakes changed in the 45 years they have occupied my home and heart? Thankfully, not much. The breed has had the good fortune of never becoming popular, which has proven to be a virtual death knell for a number of sporting breeds--cocker spaniels come immediately to mind. Although in many sporting breeds the split between "show" and "field" types is so enormous that they do not look like the same breed, this is not the case with Chesapeakes.

There are many conformation champions in the breed with advanced hunt test titles because Chesapeake breeders have stubbornly preserved the best physical and mental characteristics of this unique breed. In practical terms, this means you can buy a Chesapeake pup with a string of conformation champions in its pedigree and expect it to do a decent job in the field. It is not uncommon for a Chesapeake to go directly from the marsh to the show or obedience ring and be successful in both.

There have been some positive changes in the breed. Responsible breeders have made a conscientious effort to eliminate the bad-tempered dogs from the gene pool and they have, for the most part, been quite successful. There are still some Chesapeakes that honestly would have to be described as surly beasts that would love to bite you. But as someone who judged retriever hunt tests for 15 years, I can also tell you that there are Labradors and goldens who would also have to plead guilty to those charges.

Indeed, the closest I ever came to being bitten as a judge was by an evil-tempered Labrador that hated the world. The only time I had to step between two dogs to stop a fight, a golden was the aggressor. As with every breed, much depends upon how a Chesapeake is raised. If you heap enough abuse on a dog, you can make the most gentle-mannered dog mean.