I think a general misconception is that a Lab is a Lab. The English variants are stocky block-headed and pretty calm. The American version, however, tends to be longer in the leg and often hyper, which will hunt the fields all day long.
Don't know, first hand, about Chessies, but I have seen some Labs do some AMAZING waterfowl and upland work. If anyone has ever heard of Rocky River Gun Dogs in NC, that guy has a bloodline of "Pointing Labs" that regularly dominates over GSPs and Spaniels in competitions.
