the_gopher
Posted : 4/20/2010 7:46:22 AM
I've met a few Chessies and found them to be more serious than any other retriever I met. They were affectionate with their family and aloof with strangers. VERY smart dogs.
I've met several field bred labs over the year and found them to be great dogs. Smart, friendly, not sure about how guardy they are though.
I can say that if your Dad is looking for a more serious dog, a Flat Coat will not be a good match. They are silly dogs, sense of humor and they remain that way for a very long time. They are smart, but mischevious at times. As Ari's breeder put it, they have "flat coat moments", in which they decide to do something routine, but with a twist to make it more interesting. Her example was retrieving game. Instead of coming straight back to you, they may decide to make an obstacle course of it and take the long way back, just because it's fun and hopefully their human is laughing.
They are also not an imposing dog, as a Flat Coat tends to greet everyone with a happy face, wagging tail and a billion kisses. However, they are great alert barkers in the home and their barks are imposing. There's not too much difference between those bred for show and the field, since their gene pool is so small and those breeding them are doing their best to keep the breed true while improving it (cancer is a serious concern in the breed and it hits them young) If a Flat Coat is still in the running for him, I could likely put you in touch with Ari's breeder to discuss the breed further. She currently owns 4, shows and is very active in the Flat Coat world. She loves talking about them.