I just got a new Chesapeake puppy who is 8 weeks old and rambunctious as hell.im begging to want to take her to get formal training. Can someone preferably that has had dealings with Chesapeakes give me a trainer recommendation, time frame, and price frame for this? I think it will be better for both me and the dog. Thank you for your help

6 months old is the earliest I'd take him to a trainer. 600 a month is about normal.

^^^ This. Most trainers will not take a dog for formal training until there at least 6 months old. At this stage you just need to socialize the heck out of the dog. Take it everywhere you can and let meet as many people and other dogs as you can. Just make sure you know the other dogs are healthy and have there vaccines and monthly flea and tick meds up to date.

Get the pup on a schedule and start teaching him how to be a worker. Start crate training and then teach "sit" first and go from there. The puppy stage is the easiest training you can do with your dog.

The most important thing at this age is building retriever drive and socialization. If you bring a dog too a trainer at six months old and it sits, heels etc......is great but the most important thing is building retriever drive. If a dog (at 6 months) is crazy about retrieving and doesn't know how to sit the trainer has something too work with. If the dog knows how to sit, heel, etc, but doesn't go crazy about the retrieve it's hard to put rules on how they retrieve. Just saying that a lot of guys I've come across put too much emphasis on OB and not enough on drive building. Hope I some how made sense. Good luck with your pup.

And keep it away from little girls.

Congratulations on the new pup. I have a Chessie and I know what your talking about. I use a trainer that's in Brenham. He is great with Chessie's and has done wonders with my boy. His name is Steve Biggers with Rocky Creek Retrievers. If you have any questions feel free to PM me.

We recommend puppy socialization classes to all our clients. Find a reliable training facility in your area. No Pet Smart. Get him swimming and retrieving. Start him on birds as soon as possible. For a inexpensive retriever training dvd, we like "Sound Beginnings."

Also if he should display any "snarky" behavior take it out of the picture immediately. A chessie never forgets and it will most likely not happen again.

Angie

When you say take it out of the picture, what do you mean because she's kind of aggressive with my wife but not me

I'd have your wife pick her up by the scruff of the neck and give her one heck of shake with a loud "No" accompanied with a growl from your wife. Have her get in that puppies face! The puppy will scream like a banshee because chessies are always so dramatic and demonstrative, but don't back down. This needs to be taken care of now as it will only get worse.

I don't care what breed it is. No dog is allowed to get aggressive with anyone.

Angie

I would suggest Drake Sporting Dogs at (281)793-2413 and www.drakesportingdogs.com

X2, good trainers.