Dog swims in pool like the kids but goes after the kids

I have a Chesepeake Bay Retriever pup about 8 months old. In the same
house with me and the dog are my daughter and grand daughter. In the

Amy Dahl...

[snip]

back yard we have a deck to goes to an above the ground swimming pool.
The pool is 4 feet deep and has a 2 foot wide aluminum deck that
surrounds the pool. Of course the dog loves the water and also seems
to like the grand daughter. While she is in the pool, if I'm not in
there, he will swim towards here and with his paws, non-intentionally
claw her. He also goes kinda nuts and will run the circle around the
deck of the pool as if he is trying to save her. I have had her try not
to run away or climb the ladder to get away from him just to see what
he would do if he catches her and he does nothing when he gets to her.
Now, we can't keep him out of the water and he uses the ladder to get
out. We can't go swimming in piece without him in the pool and can't
keep him in the house, in a cage, without yelping at the top of his
lungs.
On a normal day, he seems to want to be around her no matter where she
goes. This is understandable since he is a pup and she is a kid and
active. But on other occasions, if she were to walk by him while he is
eating, or similar circumstances, he will snarl at her and even one
time snarled and jumped towards her. We put him in the cage when he
does this but just wandering why he does this. I'm sure the above
story may have some holes in it and you may have questions, if so just
ask.

Amy Dahl...

This breed is known for possessiveness with food. There is potential for
someone to get bitten if they get too close to his food dish, or if some
item of food is dropped near him and a person is also nearby.

My top recommendation would be to hire a behavioral specialist who
deals with "resource-guarding" behavior, especially one who is familiar
with the Chesapeake breed. They can teach you protocols for diminishing
the behavior and keeping everyone as safe as possible.

A low-budget solution would be to always feed the dog privately, and
be rigidly careful about where food is and how it is handled, any time
he is at large in the house. My behaviorist friend says, however, that
"management always fails."

What I would not recommend is to punish the dog, snatch his food
away, or anything of that sort.

Obedience training always helps. This is a breed that really needs
to be trained. Defending food against a child, however,
is a behavioral issue that is not really between the (adult) trainer and
the dog,
so special attention to the issue is desirable.

On the business with the pool, these tend to be high-drive,
persistent, obsessive dogs. I have heard of some learning not to
scratch family members with the claws while swimming, but have
never taught that. Probably your best bet is to start crating him
now, before the behavior gets any further established.

If you don't mind saying, where do you live? Is your dog's breeder
local, and is he/she available to give you advice, recommend training
classes, and so forth?

Amy Dahl

Handsome Jack Morrison...

Because you're posting from Google, and Googloids seldom respond to
any advice that's given them, please answer a few questions for me and
then I'll help you out.

1. Did you research the Chessapeake Retriever breed before you got
her?

2. If not, have you researched the breed since then?

3. Why did you choose the Chesapeake Bay Retriever breed?

4. Have you given her any OBEDIENCE TRAINING?

Janet B...

Besides Jack's obviously good questions, I didn't catch how old this
granddaughter is, as a matter of affording more advice.

I left #4 above, and snipped the OP to leave pertinent info. You have
an above ground pool, you can block the ladder access and TEACH the
dog to stay out of the pool. Before "but we can't - he loves the
water", I have THREE retriever dogs here - 1, 6 and 9.5 years old. All
of them LOVE water. Can't get enough of it. I also have an inground
pool, with no barriers whatsoever between the dogs and the pool. They
are not allowed in and don't go in. Not even when in the yard on
their own (I don't leave them out when I'm not home, just FYI).

Amy Dahl...

I'm going to respectfully repeat my preference for using the crate in the
house. I wholeheartedly endorse training--obedience training preferably
followed by Agility or retriever training or something to occupy the dog's
active mind. But getting a Chesapeake to refrain from something it
is obsessed with is not a beginner task. Attempting it, IMO, is more
likely to weaken the owner's credibility than anything else. Better to
crate the dog and prevent further development of the obsession while
he/she learns to train it.

Like Jack, I wonder why you chose a CBR, but if you're determined to
keep him, TRAINING is not optional - you MUST train this dog, and do a
serious job of it. To do less will get very ugly.

Amy Dahl...

It's true. These are dogs with great desire for mental challenge as well
as
physical. They are also very people-oriented and interested in
relationships. This frequently leads them to discover that there is a lot
of entertainment in pushing the owner's buttons. Better to start early
with the training and channel all of that motivation to constructive
endeavors.

A lot of them end up in rescue around 1-1.5 years of age.

I love the breed, but they are dogs to take seriously.

Amy Dahl

5. Did you get your dog from a breeder?

6. If not, where did you get her?

7. How old was she when you got her?