The Breed

You must be persistent, and consistent in raising a  Chesapeake Bay Retriever. This doesn’t require that you have to be mean or tough you only have to be patient and consistent.    Chesapeake Bay Retrievers need to be confident that you will consistently respond with the same reaction every time when he tugs on a leash improperly. In training you need to consistently encourage, prohibit, or correct behaviors. Inconsistency destroys the sense of security that Chesapeake Bay Retrievers need.  Chesies are far happier with good training and a secure home. A well-trained Chesapeake Bay Retriever knows exactly what the puppy should do and what it cannot do.  The only way to train is by consistent reinforcement. A  Chesapeake Bay Retriever that is praised every time it does right and corrected every time it does wrong will easily learn and memorize good behaviors.

The Chesapeake Bay Retriever is a good sized, hearty breed who is devoted to his family and makes a great waterfowl hunter and a trusty guard dog. Considered a duck dog he has an extraordinary ability to remember where each bird falls and then will retrieves them all efficiently. Yellow-amber eyes are a unique characteristic to the Chesapeake Bay. They also can swim for hours in icy water and are die-hard retrievers for birds, sticks, balls or anything you can throw.

Equally proficient on land and in the water, the Chesapeake Bay Retriever was developed along the Chesapeake Bay to hunt waterfowl under the most adverse weather and water conditions, often having to break ice during the course of many strenuous multiple retrieves.

Frequently the Chesapeake must face wind, tide and long cold swims in its work. The breed’s characteristics are specifically suited to enable the Chesapeake to function with ease, efficiency and endurance. In head, the Chesapeake’s skull is broad and round with a medium stop.
The jaws should be of sufficient length and strength to carry large game birds with an easy, tender hold. The double coat consists of a short, harsh, wavy outer coat and a dense, fine, wooly undercoat containing an abundance of natural oil and is ideally suited for the icy rugged conditions of weather the Chesapeake often works in.

The Chesapeake Bay Retriever should show a bright and happy disposition with an intelligent expression. Courage, willingness to work, alertness, nose, intelligence, love of water.

History

Very few sporting breeds of dogs have had as interesting a history as the Chesapeake Bay Retriever – which in 1964 became the official dog of the State of Maryland.
It is well documented that in the year of 1807, an English ship, trading between Newfoundland and England, was wrecked off of the coast of Maryland. The cargo and crew were rescued by an American ship on its way to Baltimore. Among the cargo taken aboard the American ship CANTON, were two Newfoundland puppies.
The male dog was subsequently named “Sailor,” and the bitch was named “Canton,” after the rescuing vessel.
The dog, which was red in color became the property of John Mercer of West River, Maryland. The bitch which was black and was given to Dr. James Stuart of Sparrows Point, Maryland, in gratitude for the hospitality shown the sailors of the wrecked brig. Both Mercer and Dr. Stuart were ardent hunters of waterfowl and soon discovered that the two dogs were exceptional retrievers.

Their retrieving abilities made their offspring much sought after by local duck hunters. By the mid-1800s the breed was clearly distinguishable. These dogs soon became legendary for their skill and stamina working in the ice-choked waters. Ducks and geese were abundant, but the icy water and rough seas of the Bay area made gunning a tough game.

During the mid to late 1800s the Carroll Island Gun Club, along the Gunpowder River northeast of Baltimore, was host to dignitaries from all over the world. Presidents and statesmen along with wealthy sportsmen who came to shoot over the famous dogs and watch them work. The club members bred “Chesapeakes” exclusively and the Carroll Island Gun Club held the pedigree of the “Chesapeake Bay Dog” for many years. Unfortunately, near the turn of the twentieth century a fire at the club destroyed all of the breeding records.

Many great lines of Chesapeake Bay dogs were taking shape as early as 1880. The breed went by many early names. The Chesapeake Bay Duck Dog, the Brown Winchester, the Otter Dog, the Newfoundland Duck Dog and the Red Chester Ducking Dog were but a few, but by 1887 a definite strain had evolved which were almost always dark brown, shading into a reddish brown. In 1890 the name was finally given as the Chesapeake Bay Retriever.

If you are interested in owning a Chessie here are a few more helpful links.

                      
American Chesapeake Club