Tom Quinn published Working Retrievers in 1983. He is/was a great artist with some of the most evocative paintings of water fowl and retrievers. But before he was that, he was a hunter. And as a result of being an avid hunter (and as he tells it) tired of wading out after ducks he'd shot, he got a dog. And as a result of having a retriever, he began training it, and from there he began competing it. He was owner handler of FC AFC Nakai Anny and a National Derby Champion named Dr. Davey PhD.
His book contains some very thoughtful essays on the hunting dog and the competitive dog (he thought they should be one and the same. Remember, this was when FT's were all there was, pretty much.) But here is his description of the true "Meat Dog" (He is describing CBR's, but the description is very apt.)
"Much of the respect for these dogs was established during the market-hunter period of waterfowling. Stamina and rough-water hardiness were functional values in bay gunning, and these brown dogs could retrieve hundreds of ducks daily without so much as a head pat. Legends have sprung from accounts of Chesapeakes swimming for hours in cold currents, hauling bird after bird to the punt or sinkbox, simply tossing the bird over the gunnels and swimming out for another retrieve."
So a meat dog is distinguished by his ability to bring the meat home. Should he be "trained"? Yes. And the more the better. But the issue is not about finesse. The purpose of the training is to make a more functional retriever.
By the way... if the training philosophy and techniques, the beautiful art, and the history of retrievers are not enough to get you to buy itk... the essay entitled "Hunting and Habitat" is worth the price of the book.
I highly recommend it.
