LABS
We met Wes and his dogs long before Lady’s litter was due. Although it is unlikely that I will ever hunt with Lady, we were convinced that a pup from Rise and Shine Retrievers would be healthy and intelligent. Wes welcomed us into his home where it was evident that his dogs are well cared for and exceptionally well trained. Lady has been with us for a little over three months now and it is hard to remember our lives without Lady. She is healthy, smart as a whip, loves people and has turned into a loving companion for my wife and I. She has twice traveled with us to Pittsburg, NH where we fish and without a whimper from the back seat. We are looking forward to training Lady to fish with us in the Spring. We would not hesitate to recommend Wes and his dogs.
Update: She is the 3rd member of our family and we are very grateful to have such a well behaved, healthy pup.
Karen & Ken, Gilford NH
Hi Wes, just checking in. Wanted to tell you about Sunny. She is proving that stacking the odds in my favor by getting a pup from a good breeding pays off. We’ve hunted geese, we’ve taken her on 2 duck hunts and 4 pheasant hunts. She has made about a dozen Canada Goose retrieves, all in water. She has made about 15 duck retrieves, and 6 pheasant retrieves. She takes hand commands with no sound when we sneak on ducks…unbelievable…at 8 months. I am super pleased. Sunny is a great learner and has a fantastic nose. I have her listening and taking commands from my hunting partners also. She is quartering great, doesn’t go beyond 20 yards, and she comes back with a quick “come around” command. In another year she will be a hunting machine!!!
Bob, Brewster NY
We purchased Abe from Rise and Shine Retrievers as a companion for our 13 year old lab. We would’ve never thought that we could get a dog as good our aging Winston, but Abe has absolutely exceeded our expectations and they have become best friends. Not only is he sweet and loving, he is so intelligent. The pups at Rise and Shine Retrievers are raised in their home and come to you with the best start. Housebreaking was not an issue. He had already learned that outside is where to go. We camp almost every weekend on the river. As soon as Abe sees the camper getting packed, he’s ready to go.
Oh So Handsome, Best Dog Ever! I would recommend Rise and Shine Retrievers to anyone looking for a new family member!
Pete, Val & Trevor, Concord NH
Boomer is doing great. I couldn’t be happier. Quality breeding pays off. Thanks
Joe, Hollis ME
Wes; just wanted to drop you a note about how my Lab, Ben, is doing. Great looking dog, smart as a whip. I used some of your examples for training & worked with him short periods of training everyday . For a novice trainer, Ben, has made me look smart. He gets the training routines quickly & loves working. When I get out the 12ga, vests & bells he gets all excited, starts jumping around & running to get in the truck. Loves the sound of the 12ga going off, then looks in the air for the dropping bird, then retrieves it. Had my wife come out with us 1 day, he kicked up a nice big hen, I shot it & Ben brought the bird right back and dropped it at my wife’s feet, she was , SO IMPRESSED. Thanks, Wes, great family & hunting dog.
Howard
CHESSIE’S
After considerable searching and discussions with other breeders we decided on a pup from Wes at Rise and Shine Retrievers. We are about 3 hrs away from his kennel and while we were still in the elimination phase of our search we visited his home. His dogs are part of the family and well cared for. One month later (Jan ’09) we were back to pickup our new Chessie. I have always owned Chesapeakes and hunt them hard and demand a lot. At 1-1/2 this pup is meeting all expectations and has an excellant temperament/disposition and is a hunting fool.
Dave, East Haddam, CT
Being a gun dog owner all my life, I have had good and not so good field dogs. I have owned labs, springers, brittanies, and now my first Chesapeake. After loosing one of my labs after 14 years and my other lab turning 12, I needed a new waterfowl dog. After much research and conversation with fellow waterfowlers, I was guided to Rise and Shine Retrievers. After speaking with Wes you cannot help but be impressed with his vast knowledge of and commitment to improving the quality of retrievers he breeds, trains and sells. I picked Cassie up in December and decided to take Wes up on the offer of training when she was a few months old. My first waterfowl season with Cassie was outstanding! She was young and did make some puppy mistakes but overall I could not be happier with my choice. I cannot say enough about Wes and Rise and Shine Retrievers for offering great dogs, great training, and a commitment to excellence I have not found anywhere else.
Mike, Pembroke NH
Hi Wes, we wanted to send you a quick note to let you know how very happy we are with Bridger. This is our second Chesapeake, we love the breed very much. It’s amazing to see how different personalities can be within a breed. Our first CBR ‘Yogi” (from another breeder) was a great dog, but he definitely had the stronger attitude, and was not shy with showing tone. He also had skin and ear problems throughout his life. Bridger has never showed any signs of aggression, is very happy and a very healthy dog.
I want to thank you for your open demeanor; we had just lost Yogi, when we had contacted you. You were very accommodating and invited me to a training session. Then you opened your home for us to meet Skye while she was carrying her litter. I’m also thankful to have met the Jetty the stud. It was nice to meet all the players in advance of the big day…
Bridger is a great loving companion to the both of us. We look forward to getting another CBR from you in the near future. I would recommend Rise and Shine Retrievers for any dog / training needs.
Gerry & Aloma, Barnstead NH
We have been thrilled with our Miss Moxie since the day we brought her home. She had a very tough act to follow as our 13 year old Chessie was “as best as they come”. Miss Moxie lives up to her name with a spirit in her that is known far and wide by her ocean friends, where she will not get out of the water for hours. Her retrieving and hunting skills are second to none and she even shows the older Chessie a thing or two, her nose is unbelievable. She is extremely fast and agile, and only stops running when she is called in. We could not have asked for a Chessie with a better personality. She is extremly loving and gentle with the family and provides us with endless enjoyment. She is the ulimate protector of “her” four kids and has been a wonderful addition to our family. Thank you Wes at Rise and Shine Retrievers,,,we will defintely be back for our third Chessie soon!
Leisa & Charles, Pembroke MA
I wanted to let you know Gunner is doing really well. He is a wonderful addition to our family. Our Veterinarian is extremely impressed with how healthy he is and says he is the best example of the breed she has ever seen. She asked for your information so she could recommend you to other chessie owners.
I can not say enough how happy we are with Gunner. He has a wonderful disposition and a lively, loving personality. Thank you for being a responsible breeder and providing us with such a fabulous addition to our family.
Tricia and Greg, Moultonborough NH
Just a quick note to tell you how happy we are with Kimber. She is smart as a whip and very friendly. She is a part of the family for sure. I think we got the “pick of the litter”.
Chris and Starr, Boscawen NH
From the moment I took Trigger home I could tell the care that went into the breeding and the blood lines. He is damn near perfect in my eyes. Now at 8 months old his true personality is showing through. He has a defined way of showing his affection unlike any dog or breed I’ve known. Now to the hunting. He made his first retrieve of a male wood duck at 4 months old. He is still a work in progress at 8 months but he has the basics and the drive. He could easily be a dock dog in another life because his leaping and no fear attitude is a sight to behold. I couldn’t be happier with the dog and have been reffering friends and family in a feverish way because I will be back for another pup.
Tom, Pelham NH
TRAINING
I started training with Wes after we met at a hunt test. I can tell you from training with Wes that his dogs are well mannered and love to hunt both upland and waterfowl. Wes is a very good trainer and I have learned a lot training with him.
Teddy, Stratham NH
After years of waterfowl hunting and watching some dogs work I decided to get my own. I searched and called around for places to train my pup and found Wes. After two minutes on the phone with him, I could tell he knew what he was doing and meant business. Not only can his dogs run hunt tests but he puts them to the test, every season, day in and day out. It shows in the dog’s temperament and mannerisms. As a trainer he does not just give you the “this is the way it’s done and that’s it.” Wes has read my dog like the latest edition of the DU magazine and knows exactly why the dog is doing what it does. There is no take your dog out of the truck, pick up a couple bumpers and you put him back. All of the dogs work together. All and all, I couldn’t be happier with how my training is going and I hope to continue training with Wes for years to come. I have only begin to scratch the surface of his vast knowledge of running true hunting dogs.
Adam, Raymond NH
I started training a 3 month old yellow lab pup with Wes. He is without a doubt the best trainer I have ever met or worked with. My pup was retrieving at the first session and is now bringing the dummies back from 100 feet in the water. Wes is extremely knowledgeable, patient, and trains the owner as well as directing you with your dog. His own dogs are unmatchable and hopefully mine will get there with his guidance.
Jim, Gilford NH
Marley is my first labrador retriever and while I have always owned pointers and could easily train for obedience and drive I had no idea what I was doing with a lab. At my very first attempt at running Marley at the HRC seasoned level, I failed. I had no clue what I was doing but I had a pretty good idea that I had a decent dog. Luckily Wes was at the same test. We spoke that evening and I started training with Wes the following week. Wes is a wealth of knowledge and his approach is simple, he shows you how to train your dog. The environment that Wes provides is something that is lacking in many other training environments. He doesn’t do the training for you, he just coaches you on what to expect and what should be expected of the dog. Training is in a small group environment and from the time you show up until the time you leave your dog is out of the truck. Socializing and steadiness are key aspects to the training. Marley can’t wait to get out of the truck during these training sessions. After starting with Wes, Marley and I have passed 3 for 3 at the HRC Seasoned Level. Thanks Wes.
Jeff, Bedford NH
My wife Anne and I came to meet Wes and Belinda in March to discuss training “Maggie”. After that morning, we made a great decision and decided that Wes and Belinda are dog people, like we are, and we began training with Rise and Shine Retrievers.
Two to four times a month we started with basic obedience, the foundation of a well trained dog. Wes’s guidance was invaluable. We moved from land to water retrieves, including live birds and got Maggie excited about birds. Wes’s guidance and homework with Maggie moved us towards a finished bird dog that returns to hand. Maggie has now begun working blind retrieves, and our 10 month old is ready to hunt! Her first day with 10 geese came off without a hitch!
I cannot stress the skill, knowledge, and patience that Wes and his son Jon showed in working through any hiccups during the training. They’ve seen it all, and worked us thru several challenges with great results (controlling the enthusiasm of a puppy can be a challenge)
I’m looking towards getting lots of hunting experience this year, and back to Wes next spring to move on with more advanced training. If you are looking for the best trainer around, I’d recommend Rise and Shine Retrievers!
Steve, Greenland NH
I know that during our training sessions, Ember has been, what should I say,. ..free spirited? Disobedient? You would say, “Brian ,… that’s why we are here”.
Well, all of that paid off yesterday big time. Woodcock, partridge and pheasant, Ember was flushing birds all over the place for an hour and a half and I was shooting.
The big test of all that training came when she flushed a hen and I took my shot, but, the bird was flying over the Androscoggin River and dropped in the river. Pretty wide at this point maybe 250 ft. Ember never thought twice about it. She rushed in the water. When she got to the bird I could tell my shot was not the best. Half way back the bird started flapping wildly and she dropped it in the water. She pursued it in the water, grabbed it again and brought it to me at the shore line. There was not a happier individual on this whole planet at that moment. We both celebrated all that training we did with you.
Thank you so much for sharing your skills in training Ember.
Brian, Gorham NH