Couple of questions for all of you out there, but background first.

I am a pheasant hunter, and know from experience how big a difference for the better a good dog makes (and how much for the worse a bad one does). My Chessie girl is getting up in years, and though I will miss her when she goes, I am thinking about the next one.

The current dog is a rescue (4.5yo when I got her), and was abused by the original owner, as well as extremely gun shy. Chesapeakes have a bad rap as being stubborn, but I think the truth is more that they are very smart- learning new "rules" very quickly, and firmly- with the problem being that they are hard to untrain. As with many dogs, if you are consistent, and cognizant of what you are communicating to the dog at all times, they will be a great dog. Also, I really like their temperament, and clearly natural retrievers, and field workers.

That said, I plan to adopt again, but will try to stick with a pup, and get some field training. I am unlikely to get a pup in the "weeks" age range, more likely 8-12 months of age. So, my questions are these:

1- How do you test an older puppy for gun shyness? I have seen some pointers for testing around the weaning age. Are these still accurate when the dog is a little older?

2- I live in Longmont. Is there anywhere in the Northern Front Range area that you would recommend for field work training? This question applies both to trainers, and facilities/locations. I would consider short term

3- Finally, a pretty specific question for those with experience, but how many out there have had experience keeping a dog as a house pet (not sequestered) and also used as a working dog? If so, how did that work out, and how often did you do work training with the dog?

Thanks in advance!