Chessie have become a small niche breed. If interested in one get to know the breeder and dog line very well before you buy. I know three chessie dogs who became very difficult family members as they got older. They picked one child who was the only one they seemed to tolerate.
One of the three attacked his chosen one, an age seven boy one morning and it required a lot of plastic surgery to repair the damage to his face and ear. I got the job of holding the dog for several weeks until we were certain that there was no rabies involved and then had to put him down. I had warned Bernie several times that his dog was getting to be too touche for the lack of a better word around his kids.
As to stubborn. If chessies were mountains, they would never wear down. Not an inch. Granite is putty in comparison. Most chessies are self trained. They either decide to do it or they do not. There is little or no force training a chessie. As to their being a good family dog. Unless you get one with a temperament problem they are a loyal, with a great personality and determined as they can be. I hunted over one as a kid, who would break ice by biting it to get to a downed duck. And a wounded goose was not match for him. It was like a bowling ball hitting a grey marshmallow. Other than his habit of biting your boot, if you missed, he was the perfect hunting companion.
