[panholio]

I know this is a pit bull forum but so many people are very informative on many other breeds I was hoping someone here may know a bit about this breed to answer a question I have.

Ive been working with my lab, Indy, who has an array of issues. One of which was a horrible diet (MIL had her on pedigree and she was nearly 20lbs over weight) Ive since changed her diet and started her on fish oil pills because her coat was HORRIBLE. It was duller than dirt and just gross to touch. Its been a good 3 or so weeks on her new diet and there have been huge improvemnts. The hair around her neck/shoulders is acutally soft and shes got a shine to her (she rolls around in dirt a lot and theres still a visable shine now) but the hair on her back over her hips is a wavy wirey texture, not soft in the slightest. Ive been brushing her daily along with the diet change and the rest of her coat is what you would picture on a typical lab but not what over her hip area. I was wondering if perhaps she may have Chesepeak Bay Retreiver in her.

I did some reading (but I dont know how much is truly factual) online about the breed and it mentioned them being more aloof type dogs who without proper socialation can be prone to DA. Indy is VERY DA (it started when she went into heat the first time) she jumps around like a crazy and between the foaming at the mouth and the sounds she makes it sounds like Im walking a rabid monster (all she has to do is hear another dog and she will do this towards the sound of them). Another of her issues we are working on.

Im just curious as to whether it may be possible that she has some CBR in her. Ive only met one but it was one time and I didnt pay much attention (Im not a lab person so it wasnt a breed I gave much thought to either) Is the breed common? Or would it be a huge stretch to think thats what she could be mixed with? Is there some other explanation as to her wire type coat (a nutritional issue maybe?) Its only a rather larger area above her hips thats like that the rest of her coat is what you would expect to find on a lab type dog.

Here are some pictures of her for an idea
Not the easiest to see because of the lighting but the dark area on her back above her tail is the area in question (it starts to blend with the 'normal' hair just before her ribcage, you can somewhat see that it is a different texture than farther up)


a side shot to get an idea of what she looks like (the light patches on her sides are 'noraml' hair just in a different color. Shes also got the amber eyes and liver nose.


I know it doesnt really matter seeing as shes just a pet (a stubborn pain in the rear end of one too, I much prefer my pit bull and she only reminds me of that daily lol) but its always something that drives me crazy wondering. Like a guessing game. I guess I am just wondering if Im way off base in thinking thats a possibility or could it be possible?

[nebrarlepleme]

She looks like a standard chocolate lab, and honestly a good chunk of labs I've met have been very dog aggressive.

[panholio]

Look wise yes I assumed she was a lab too and I assumed her weird coat was simply poor diet/coat care but labs dont have the wavy wirey hair like whats on her back end.. thats what has me confused.

[nebrarlepleme]

My parents lab had hair like that on the back end. She was well-groomed, but had a crappy diet.

[SergeyMaikov]

I've met some very DA labs, and many with more of a wire or wavy coat. CBR are a very noticeable difference, I don't see it. I've met a few of them, and there is a difference in personality and looks.

[panholio]

Hum, I wonder if it may go away then,or if the hair is just permanetly messed up from being on pedigree for so long (pedigree did NOT agree with her either she has very soft stool and always acted like she was starving, I cut back the amount she eats and swapped the food and things agree wtih her much better now). I have her on Kirkland now since Harley does well on it and thats all we can afford for 2 dogs right now unfortnuatly, but she has improved a lot since the switch.

Thats interesting though, Ive never heard of poor diet messing with a coat but it would make sence if it did

[SergeyMaikov]

Hum, I wonder if it may go away then,or if the hair is just permanetly messed up from being on pedigree for so long (pedigree did NOT agree with her either she has very soft stool and always acted like she was starving, I cut back the amount she eats and swapped the food and things agree wtih her much better now). I have her on Kirkland now since Harley does well on it and thats all we can afford for 2 dogs right now unfortnuatly, but she has improved a lot since the switch.

Thats interesting though, Ive never heard of poor diet messing with a coat but it would make sence if it did

Her hair may not be like that from a poor diet, some labs and other dogs just have a coat like that, it is just genetics. If her skin is dry, maybe add some fish oil to her diet, but if her skin isn't flakey, chances are that the wirey coat is just how her hair is, nothing wrong with it, just how it is. My mom's whippet/lab mix has a wirey coat, and the back, by his butt is kinda wavey too. I've met a lot of labs and lab mixes with a coat like that, that's just how it is.

[panholio]

Hum, well I guess thats why you cant believe everything you read on the internet lol. I read that CBR are often mistake as labs with wirey coats but that a lab should acutally have one. That CBR basically looked like a choc lab with a wire haired coat being the main visual difference.

But thats why I came here to ask, I just picked random dog sites, never know how true they really are.
Thanks for the info

Oh and she is on flish oil, I did that when I switched her food because of how dull and disgusting her coat was at the time.

[SergeyMaikov]

Hum, well I guess thats why you cant believe everything you read on the internet lol. I read that CBR are often mistake as labs with wirey coats but that a lab should acutally have one. That CBR basically looked like a choc lab with a wire haired coat being the main visual difference.

But thats why I came here to ask, I just picked random dog sites, never know how true they really are.
Thanks for the info

Oh and she is on flish oil, I did that when I switched her food because of how dull and disgusting her coat was at the time.

Ok, then I really wouldn't worry about her coat, I'm sure it is genetics. It won't get any softer with time, if that is what it is. You could try using a conditioner when you bathe her, that will sometimes make a dog temporarily softer, but otherwise, if that is her coat and her genes, you aren't going to change it.

[Misebeita]

Honestly, Indy looks just like Java, but larger. Java's hair does the same. She has more of a coarse hair texture on top running along her topline while the rest is soft. If you part the hair on top, the soft hair is also underneath. Labs have dual coats, a harsh top coat, and a softer "down fur" underneath. It helps protect them from the elements and to slick water off when swimming.

Whenever I give Java a bath it's really hard to have her get wet like most dogs cause the water just rolls right off and doesn't absorb. I only bathe her maybe twice a year and never brush her.

I feed Java TOTW Wetlands Formula and have noticed a difference in her coat. I also think her being lean helps her coat look healthy. I hope this helps some.

Here's some super close ups of her hair along her topline, I can try and get some shots of the softer fur if you'd like.





Java is also a bit DA, more like "don't touch me and I won't touch you" and would rather just ignore other dogs.

[MzTT]

Yeah she just looks like a chocolate Lab to me. CBR's are generally much bigger than Labs and their coat is VERY different.





(those are taken from the AKC website)

Labs are so over bred now, their coats come in all "types".. some have the shorter hair, some have the thick, wavy hair that can sometimes be coarse. Just depends on the dog. But yes, diet can be a huge factor in how the coat feels.

[Tusethede]

Agree with Kady. You would definitely know a chessie when you saw one. Chessie fur is MUCH thicker than lab fur, and has a bit of a curl to it.
Pretty much, they wanted a dog that could jump into the chesapeake bay in the middle of december and not only be able to not freeze but to do it all day.
Not the brightest dogs in the world, but by golly are they great at what they do (when bred right). If I was going to be doing water retrieval, this would be the dog I would choose.
Also, regarding color, most are of the tan/almost liver variety to help them blend in with the dead grass along the banks of the bay.

[JNancy46]

I've met some very DA labs, and many with more of a wire or wavy coat. CBR are a very noticeable difference, I don't see it. I've met a few of them, and there is a difference in personality and looks.

Same here. Where did your parents get her? There are some shitty lab breeders out there who assume because its a lab it eserves to be bred and they produce som unsound and not totally healthy pups. In my area all of the chocolate labs I have met have been really bad dogs. Not sure if its the owners or the BYB's breeding their dogs just because they're chocolate and the pups will sell since its more rare here than the other lab types.

[MzTT]

Agree with Kady. You would definitely know a chessie when you saw one. Chessie fur is MUCH thicker than lab fur, and has a bit of a curl to it.
Pretty much, they wanted a dog that could jump into the chesapeake bay in the middle of december and not only be able to not freeze but to do it all day.
Not the brightest dogs in the world, but by golly are they great at what they do (when bred right). If I was going to be doing water retrieval, this would be the dog I would choose.
Also, regarding color, most are of the tan/almost liver variety to help them blend in with the dead grass along the banks of the bay.

Yeah a well bred Chessie is awesome.. but man.. they can be BAD if in the wrong hands. My friend had a female who showed HA at 4 months; bit me in the face totally out of the blue, and it wasn't a "Hi I'm a hyper puppy!" bite, it was a "Get the F away from me" launch at my face.. annd of course they bred her All of the pups ended up HA, 2 were PTS thank god.. no clue what happened to the rest.

Another friend of mine got one a year or so ago, and took her to the trainer I take Wilson to (who is awesome). That dog is so damn aggressive.. he suggested euthanizing her but my friend would have none of it. Dog bit a vet tech pretty bad recently, but is still alive from what I know (I don't talk to her a lot anymore).

[Tusethede]

Yeah a well bred Chessie is awesome.. but man.. they can be BAD if in the wrong hands. My friend had a female who showed HA at 4 months; bit me in the face totally out of the blue, and it wasn't a "Hi I'm a hyper puppy!" bite, it was a "Get the F away from me" launch at my face.. annd of course they bred her All of the pups ended up HA, 2 were PTS thank god.. no clue what happened to the rest.

Another friend of mine got one a year or so ago, and took her to the trainer I take Wilson to (who is awesome). That dog is so damn aggressive.. he suggested euthanizing her but my friend would have none of it. Dog bit a vet tech pretty bad recently, but is still alive from what I know (I don't talk to her a lot anymore).

Yea, you can equate that with the 'pit bulls' of today, pretty much being ruined.
The breed itself wasn't bred to be particularly friendly, they shouldn't bit your face off, but they are aloof and shouldn't be overly excited to see strangers. They are hard headed working dogs, and when not doing what they were bred to do they can become extremely destructive. Most people can't train a dog like that, and think because it's a retriever it should act just like a lab.
I would never own a chessie unless I was working it in its original function.
These 2 chessie pups used to go to my daycare, and they would sit there and eat paint chips off the wall. It was a sad sight to see.

[MzTT]

Yea, you can equate that with the 'pit bulls' of today, pretty much being ruined.
The breed itself wasn't bred to be particularly friendly, they shouldn't bit your face off, but they are aloof and shouldn't be overly excited to see strangers. They are hard headed working dogs, and when not doing what they were bred to do they can become extremely destructive. Most people can't train a dog like that, and think because it's a retriever it should act just like a lab.
I would never own a chessie unless I was working it in its original function.
These 2 chessie pups used to go to my daycare, and they would sit there and eat paint chips off the wall. It was a sad sight to see.

Yeah.. so many breeds being ruined I've never met a Chessie that was nice unfortunately.

So many people get a Chessie thinking they're just like Labs, which is the total opposite of what they are.

[panholio]

The breed itself wasn't bred to be particularly friendly, they shouldn't bit your face off, but they are aloof and shouldn't be overly excited to see strangers. They are hard headed working dogs, and when not doing what they were bred to do they can become extremely destructive. .

That part describes Indy to a T. We have a very small yard (Im sure youve read before that I live with my inlaws) and she is a high energy dog who untill 3 weeks ago was left in the back yard alone. She has calmed down a bit (I beleive a lot has to do with her being over weight and out of shape though) but she also used to redirect (I have been bit breaking up a fight, she attacked my friends dog without much warning, and she tried to fence fight and when I pulled her back she lunged at my son instead, I drew the line there and stoped taking him near her until recently,shes acutally had numerous chances to redirect recently and hasnt, I still keep my son at a distance though) anyways being left alone in a small yard with nothing to do she took to barking at anything, everything and nothing at all (shes barking as I type and she has a horrbily annoying high pitched bark too lol) and destroying anything she can get her teeth on. Shes a very stubborn hard to train dog (shes smart but getting her to WANT to learn is the issue, if she isnt in the mood she will just try and walk away or just stand there and stare at you doing nothing, when she wants to learn thoug she learns very fast). Shes also not the friendliest dog out there. If people come into the yard shes fine (jumps all over them, another thing I can thank MIL for) but out on walks she goes to stage one of her psyco freak out when she sees a person (starts pulling gets all tense and stops listening to whos walking her, when theres another dog involves it escalates from there very quickly but without a dog it usually stays at that point, I dont let anyone near her when we are out, not even my son as a precaution because I honestly dont know how she would react)

As for MJJeans question of where we got her. We 'rescusd' her. A co worker of my husbands said shes the local dump site for dogs in her area and is always getting dogs dumped on her street. At the time Indy was a sweet approx 8 month old little thing. We had been looking into getting a dog for our son to grow up with at that time so we figured why not, she needed a home and we were starting to look. Never again, Im not a lab person to begin with and Ill never own another one now. Anyways shes supposed to be my sons dog (as in my husband and I own her) but when we first got her MIL offered to pay for her spay (I didnt know her well then and thought she was simply being nice so we could put money towards our son) so when I went to rehome her (no rescue would take her because of her bite histroy but I was trying) inlaws refused to allow me to get rid of her because THEY spent money on her (and the records for the spay was in mils name, she handled it all). They said if I dont want her they are keeping her (and if I want a roof over my sons head I cant do much about that right now). I plan to take her with me when I move and if I cannot offer her a more fitted home then, with a large yard to run around in and more frequent walks and such then I will rehome her then and they wont be able to do anything about it. So for now Im just trying to give her the best life possible but its no where near what she needs.


The one CBR that I met (I worked at a dog groomer washing dogs) was on my first day of work. It was the first dog I washed and it (I dont even remember if it was a he or she now haha) but it just stood there pretty emotionless (like a standard poodle!) like it could careless what was going on. It was never mean, tolerated everything but was definitely not one of those lick your face every chance it gets like some other dogs, but it also wasnt a, rip your face off for touching me type either, just an emotionless lump in the tub lol I just remember the girl training me telling me a little bit about the difference. I knew it wasnt a lab right away from the coat but other than knowing the name I knew nothing about the breed.

Wow sory for that novel!

[JNancy46]

8 months old is a hard age and what you describe sounds like the poor dog was dumped because whoever had her couldn't handle her. Poor thing, sounds like she needs a ton of exercise. Have you ever thought about getting one of those leash hook up thingies and taking her for a bike ride daily? You ride, the dog runs, energy is expended and everyone is happy.

[rozettasmolanov]

Well, handily, my uncle has one of each. Both are awesome retrievers for my uncle, both are expensive, both have decent pedigrees with papers (so i'm told, I don't know these things well). Both are pretty great dogs, but the chessie can get testy with kids in a way that makes me uncomfortable, and the lab is really bossy - She plays the im taller than you are game with my male and goes to stand over him if hes lying down etc. Needless to say, after one time, we don't take my male over there. - Luckily hes probably the product of some byb and has absolutely zero brain cells in his head.

---------- Post added at 08:41 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:39 AM ----------

My pit mix that is - He doesn't know the different between a cow and a dog.

[sportbos]

We have a awesome Chessie breeder where I live. She is a client. Her dogs are GREAT! All of hers. I have not met a bad one of the bunch. But she does have working ones. They are UKC hunting dogs. She also shows with the UKC and AKC.

Thise are the only Chessies I have met and they all have been great!