Sonoma Chesapeakes
email: SonomaChesapeakes@yahoo.com
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Sonoma Chesapeake Bay Retrievers
831 . 747 . 4630
Our Dogs
Honey Bunny
Bunny was born in August of 2009. She was purchased from the Sago Kennel of Ray and Christy Gonzales, in Gilroy, California. She is quiet and serious, a gentle, sweet dog who consistently communicates a willingness to please, yet, she retains the characteristic Chesapeake independent streak. She retrieves with explosive energy and determined perseverance. She is 24-inches tall and weighs 73-pounds.
Bunny represents our first venture into the show ring. I soon realized I had more to learn than the dog did. Bunny enjoys attending shows and seeing her Chesapeake friends.
However, she never particularly
enjoyed being in the show ring. She was especially uncomfortable when a stranger, (the Judge), approached her and touched her. We persevered and in time she earned the title of Champion, followed soon after by the title Grand Champion.
We decided she was ready for a career-change. She retired from the show ring and embarked upon motherhood, which seems to be her true calling in life. She is an attentive, adoring mother.
Otherwise, Bunny seems happiest out running, swimming and fetching. Bunny has the breed-standard short, harsh coat, a sturdy top-line, a proper tuck, graceful angulation, and, a particularly lovely head. She has the classic, Chesapeake, big-splash water-entry, and, frequently performs spectacular leaps off rocks, shores and banks into water.
Peaches
She's a peach. She's a doll. She's a clumsey, adorable dufus.
She's a bit of a paradox. She has lines as elegant as a swan, yet, she's big and strong as an ox. She is an accomplished dilettante.
She loves to sit or lie on top of you, and, without warning, will drop herself upon you like a sack of potatoes.
She stands motionless, then, with one swift pounce, she lands on the back of the sofa, where she proceeds to do a little routine like a gymnast on a balance beam.
She's a poacher. At mealtime, she stands poised by your elbow. Every time a fork begins it's journey form a plate towards a mouth, she delivers an emphatic bump to your elbow.
She has been knocking 'em dead in the show ring. She sashays up to the judge and makes goo-goo-eyes. She was awarded her first Best of Breed at the age of 7 months. At barely 9 months, she is dangerously close to completing her Championship.
Peaches' 5-steps to a perfect day:
1) Love
2) Followed by more love
3) Then, a cookie
4) Then, more love
5) Repeat -- all day long
She's about as cute as they come. But, do not confuse her delightful nature for weakness. When she deems appropriate, she can be quite assertive.
She's a gorgeous girl and it seems everything comes too easily to her. I worry she will never develop a work-ethic. It's a good thing she remains gullible, and, will do almost anything for another cookie.
Scylla
Superior intelligence is generally regarded as a gift. However, Scylla reminds us it can also be a burden. She strives to excel and she does. Yet, she seems to worry that she doesn't do things more perfectly and continually strives to exceed her past accomplishments.
The experts say you cannot meaningfully evaluate the gait of an 8-wk-old puppy. But, Scylla has moved beautifully from the beginning. Scylla is 'poetry in motion'.
She is a dead-serious retriever. She has great focus and perserverance. She is not as large as her sister, and, hasn't developed the stamina of her mother. She devises cleaver strateties to beat her mother and sister to the coveted fetching devise. Scylla is always the one to return the ball, imploring you to throw it, yet again.
At age 6-months, Scylla had a face-to-face encounter with a bear. It was a timid confrontation, but, little Scylla stood her ground. Following at a very safe distance she blustered and persued the bear as it retreated up the mountainside.
The bear encounter was pivitol in young Scylla's life. She appointed herself to be the pack protectress. A five-day reign of terror ensued. She over-stepped all bounds of proptiety, growled a judge, a competitor, a stranger and even her beloved conformation class teacher.
We sought the assistance of a behaviorist, who explained a flury of defensive behavior does not mean the young dog's temperament is irreparably flawed. Rather, the pup was introduced to a sutuation for which she was not adequatey prepared. She told us to love and protect Scylla, and to make her feel very safe. Scylla blossomed with the attention. In short order her defensive behavior was tamed and she returned to her adorable self
When young, Scylla was quiet and serious. More recently, she is maturing into an animated and affectionate girl.
Chesapeakes
Forever ©
Chesapeakes We've Loved and Lost
KaBoom!
KaBoom! was born in September of 1999. He is 25-inches tall at the shoulder. For most of his life, he has weighed 90 pounds. He is a very happy, easy-going dog, with boundless energy and n uncharacteristically loud bark. He always knows when I am preparing a salad and will come running from almost anywhere to beg for bites of red bell pepper. He loves to play Hide-and-Go-Fetch, and, he smiles upon command.
At age 13-years, he is slowing down. Summer or winter, morning and evening, you can set your clock by his vibrant bark which he faithfully detonates to put us on notice that 10-minutes remain before his mealtime. He is a tireless retriever who always seems happiest when he is either with his humans, or, riding, on his way to anywhere, in the back of the pick-up truck.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
Alas, we had to say good bye to KaBoom!
in 2013. We miss him so much
559 - 877 - 2116 (CA)
208 - 462 - 5935 (ID)
831 - 747 - 4630 cell