Mason's Chesapeake

08/20/2024

Six dogs were found dead at an animal rescue in Bucksport.

08/20/2024

Update:

08/19/2024

Remi came over to visit after swimming with Tink. Can you tell who is who?

08/16/2024

Update on the puppies in Spokane wa

08/15/2024

Sharing this post because there are chessie pups in need. I do not have any information on the parents or if any health tests were performed. The rescue may have more details if you reach out to them.

UPDATE 8/17
We have had a huge response to adopt these puppies
At this time we are not looking for any new applications
Thanks for your understanding
Spokane area
*Urgent: Puppies in Need of Rescue**

These puppies are being surrendered by a breeder who owns only the female parent. Unfortunately, the breeder has been unable to sell or give away the puppies and is feeling overwhelmed. A concerned neighbor stepped in and posted an ad seeking help.

The breeder has been cooperative but is struggling financially and can no longer afford to feed the puppies. Neighbors have been buying food to help, but the situation is dire. The puppies, out of desperation and hunger, have wandered to other homes in the area and have tragically killed a couple of chickens.

We urgently need to find homes for these puppies before the situation worsens. They need a loving and stable environment where they can be properly cared for. If you can help by fostering, adopting, or supporting their care, please reach out immediately.
Want to donate towards help vet care

https://secure.givelively.org/donate/chesapeake-bay-retriever-relief-and-rescue-inc/colville-puppies-nw

Here is a Amazon wish list
We haven't figured out how to change quantity we need 10 of everything except dog food we need 5 bags
If you order please message in the comments what you ordered and the quantity
CBRR&R
C/O Geri Rankin
5056 Redman Rd Clayton Wa 99110
WA

THANKS EVERYONE
FOR DONATIONS TO WISH LIST
5:45 PM

07/20/2024

This was very informative.

07/10/2024

https://www.facebook.com/share/r/a99YsqUdaDRuxsgd/?mibextid=UalRPS

07/06/2024

The holy grail of longevity foods, protecting your dog like a suit of armour.🫐

Blueberries are an awesome source of prebiotic fiber and are chock-full of polyphenols. Studies have found that blueberries delay the aging process by promoting the repair of DNA strands.🧬 Diets supplemented with this blue antioxidant powerhouse can potentially sustain the body’s antioxidant levels and protect against oxidative damage💥, making them one of our top recommendations you can share from your refrigerator!

We use a lot of frozen blueberries as training treats, when fresh blueberries aren’t in season. But be forewarned: more than one blueberry for every two pounds of body weight a day (i.e., five blueberries for a ten-pound dog) can lead to completely benign dark blue p**p, so feed a few, then move on to other Longevity Foods, found in The Forever Dog LIFE, as healthy rewards.

07/04/2024

SILVER PAWS SERIES
Part three

Increasing fragility, both physically and emotionally are common as dogs age.

In human medical science an increasing area of attention has been how to retain / improve resilience to help the individual cope better with age related change.
An acronym that has been proposed to consider factors that support resilience, is PURPOSE OF LIFE.

I think there are many parts of this acronym that we can consider in our aging dogs.

P. Purpose in life. We start off with one of the harder concepts to apply 🤣. But I think for our dogs, this is about them still feeling a part of our lives, being appreciated, being able to participate in the activities that have previously brought them joy.

U Unable to manage, leading to increased stress. There are lots of ways we can make life easier for our dogs. From using non slip flooring, to steps on and off of the sofa, being physically supported up and down stairs, feeding softer food or treats … we can look at what our dogs are finding trickier and speak to our vet, a physiotherapist, a behaviourist … and come up with ideas to help.

R Restrictions in mobility. Just because our dog is aging, doesn’t mean we should just accept reducing mobility. Speak to your vet, organise a physio assessment, take a look at Canine Arthritis Management. There are lots of options to maintain mobility. Equally though, try not to equate senior dog welfare with the dog having a similar mobility to earlier life. Silver Paws may be physically weaker, have more discomfort, may tire easier … and they can still have lots of positive experiences with reduced or even no, walks. We ll come back to this in a separate post

P Physical Health. A whole variety of body organs can be less efficient or even diseased as dogs age. Speak to your vet about your dog’s health and aim for regular health checks.

O Optimism. What moments of joy does each day bring to keep both your dog’s and your own outlook on life positive. Again, more on this in a separate post

S Social connections. Elderly dogs may play less. They may not be as social with other dogs or humans as they once were. This doesn’t mean they don’t enjoy time with their favourite individuals. In fact many dogs, due to perceived vulnerability, like more social contact with long standing bonded individuals. It just looks different! It’s sitting together. It’s more gentle stroking / grooming. It might be options to investigate their dog friend’s toys rather than meeting in person.

E Emotion. If a senior dog is increasing in anxiety/ fear or becoming more withdrawn, seek professional help from a vet and / or clinical behaviourist to make sure we are addressing this in the most appropriate way.

O Outward mindset - embracing change. Can we support our dog through this life transition? We can provide more social reassurance, add in mobility/ physical and cognitive appropriate positive experiences. But we should also recognise change is challenging for many elderly individuals. So limit change. Make sure life is predictable, as much as we can.

F Family cohesion. Is everyone on board with how we are supporting our elderly dog? Who in the dog’s family might need more support in coping with this life stage. Caregiver burden. Anxiety about change / loss, are common emotional experiences for human s living with aging pets. Sometimes distancing themselves from the old dog is a coping strategy. Empathising with these feelings is crucial. Another post on caregiver burden will follow.

L. Locus of control. What choices can the aged dog make? Do they feel they are in control of themselves? Do we need to medically support them with elements of this? (Incontinence / needing to toilet more frequently as examples)

I Independent Activities of Daily Living. What can our aged dogs manage by themselves and where do we need to add in more support or environmental modification? Are we providing regular opportunities where they get to do activities they can manage and enjoy for themselves?

F Financial security. Dogs don’t worry about this! But us humans do. Aging dogs can get increasingly expensive. Have we a plan for that? Do we know our own limits and have we considered different cost based options?

E Environment. Enrichment Exercise. Canine Arthritis Management has some excellent resources on considering the safety and comfort of the reduced mobility dog’s environment. Considering enrichment and exercise for aged dogs will be a separate post, as there’s lots of great options and considerations

Trying to find time to pause and reassess many facets of our silver paw’s life can be invaluable to their quality of life. Resources for assessing quality of life will be coming soon.

Aprahamian, I., Woo, J., Vellas, B. and Morley, J.E., 2022. Resilience and successful aging. The Journal of nutrition, health and aging, 26(7), pp.652-656.

06/18/2024

06/13/2024

06/04/2024

06/01/2024

Storm being so gentle to our kittens 🥰

05/31/2024

Training Labrador Retrievers for AKC Hunt Tests and Field Trials and HRC Hunt Tests for over 30 years.

05/27/2024

Leo was the picture of health until one day one of his eyes seemed to bulge and cloud over. Suspecting glaucoma, his owner, Rachel Rehberg, raced the...

05/23/2024

Happy Memorial Day weekend from Hank and Mason’s Chesapeake. Ty for sharing Monica ♥️

05/23/2024

Will be starting the bird pen for Master Amateur Retriever Club on Saturday if anyone is available to help I'd be happy to have some assistance!!!

05/13/2024

Happy Mother’s Day from Hank and Mason’s Chesapeake.

05/05/2024

My Dear Puppy People,
If I had to give you one piece of advice, in relation to owning and raising a Chessie , it would be the following....
In as much as you can bring them everywhere, expose them to the world....people, places, dogs and animals. Invest in a crate for your car and take them on the school run or tipping to the shop for the newspaper.
Remember how and what they were bred for....
They were bred to retrieve from cold, tough and often dangerous waters. They needed to be tenacious and be able to think for themselves. They also had a secondary role to guard both Guns, game and boat. These traits are what make a Chessie a Chessie and when nurtured and guided in the right direction are positive additions to their make up. However, if left unchecked these same traits can take a negative turn.
It is your responsibility, as their owner, to bring out the best in this young dog's life.
We, as the breeders, are here to offer advice, support and to enjoy the journey of joy this little being will bring you for many years to come.