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Chesapeakes Forever

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My name is Shelley Lyttle. My husband and I live with our two Chesapeake Bay Retrievers in Sonoma, Caifornia.

I told my mother of my interest. Much to my surprise, she responded enthusiastically. We soon discovered Chesapeakes were not easy to find. We watched the newspaper for twelve years before we discovered the first classified advertisement for Chesapeake puppies.

At that time, I was a college girl, and, was in no position to own a dog. However, my parents had need of a dog and purchased a puppy from the litter, (sold to us by people named Kolberg, in Merced, California.) Tule became the first of several Chesapeakes to be owned by my immediate family.

In 1984, I finally acquired my first Chesapeake Bay Retriever. My parents gave me a puppy from Tule's litter. I named him Whiskey Creek Boomer, and called him Bubba. His life came to an end in April of 1999. He lived to the ripe old age of 14-years and 10-months.

It was Autumn of 1999 when I brought home my second, male Chesapeake pup. I named him KaBoom!, in honor of the avalanche cannons at Lake Tahoe. KaBoom! is with me still. At age 13-years, he is slowing down, and we try not to think about the inevitable.

in 2009, we acquired our little Honey Bunny, from the Sago Kennel of Ray and Christy Gonzales, in Gilroy, California. Bunny is descendant from Show and Field Champions. She represents our first venture into the show ring.

Honey Bunny finished her title of Champion, and, soon thereafter, became a Grand Champion. We've decided it is time she embark on motherhood. In November/December of 2012, she was bred to pond Hollow Grand Rapids Buck. Her puppies are due early February, 2013.

We own only our two Chesapeake Bay retrievers. As such, we will not regularly have litters of puppies for sale. It is our hope, that on occasion we will be able to produce a litter of puppies that are healthy, intelligent, physically beautiful, and, have outstanding temperaments.

Chesapeakes Forever ©

Thank you for visiting Sonoma Chesapeakes. My name is Shelley Lyttle. My husband and I live with our Chesapeake Bay Retrievers in Sanoma, California.

Circa 1968, as a 4th grader, I read a book about a boy and his Chesapeake Bay Retriever. I decided, right then and there, that when I grew up, I would own Chesapeakes. Little did I know, I had just discovered a breed in which I would develop a life-long interest.

I told my mother of my emerging interest. To my surprise, she responded enthusiastically. The next surprise was a slow realization that Chesapeakes were not easy to find. We watched the newspaper for twelve years before we discovered the first classified advertisement for Chesapeake puppies.

By then, I was a college girl and was in no position to own a dog. My parents, however, purchased a puppy from that litter. Tule became the first of several Chesapeakes to be owned by my family.

In 1984, I finally acquired my first Chesapeake Bay Retriever. My parents gave me a puppy from Tule's litter. I named him Whiskey Creek Boomer, and, called him Bubba. (No relation to the North Carolina Whiskey Creek Kennel. The use of the name Whiskey Creek was co-incidental.) Bubba's life came to an end in April of 1999. He lived to the ripe old age of 14-years and 10-months.

Six months later, I brought home my second, male Chesapeake pup and began to consider names for him. Soon thereafter, the Highway 50 avalanche cannons, near South Lake Tahoe, were test-fired in advance of the approaching winter. As those earth-shattering KaBooms thundered up and down the North Upper Truckee River Basin, a name for my pup became obvious, KaBoom!. In 2013, we lost our beloved KaBoom!.

In 2009, we acquired our female, Honey Bunny, from the Sago Kennel of Ray and Christy Gonzales, in Gilroy, California. We selected a Sago pup, because, as well as their sound conformation, the Sago dogs have consistently-beautiful heads; a characteristic that is not widely available among Chesapeakes. Bunny has a pedigree filled with Show and Field Champions and she represents our first venture into the show ring.

We attended a conformation class, where it soon became apparent I required more training than the dog. We persevered, and Honey Bunny finished her title of Champion, and soon after, became a Grand Champion. With her titles secured, we've decided it is time she embark upon motherhood. In late 2012, Bunny was bred to Pond Hollow Grand Rapids Buck. Her puppies arrived on February, 2, 2013. At this point, we plan Bunny's final litter in 2017.

We now live in the information age, with so much at our fingertips. If we want to find Chesapeake Bay Retriever pups, we no-longer watch the newspaper for 12-years, we Google. The genetic composition our dogs has become a criteria for reproductive selection. We now have DNA and other tests, which enable us to carefully select parents so that genetic time bombs will not manifest in future generations, allowing us to produce healthier dogs.

We plan to own only a few Chesapeakes, that are and always will be our pets. We will never have a large kennel full of dogs. As such, we will not continuously have puppies for sale. However, It is our hope, that on occasion, we will be able to produce a litter of puppies that are healthy, intelligent, physically beautiful, and, that have lovely temperaments.

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