Chesapeake Bay Retriever
The coat is oily enough to shed ice water, and it will break ice to make a retrieve. It traces to two puppies pulled from a shipwreck off Maryland in 1807.
Photo by willthomas7, CC BY 2.0
Overview
The Chesapeake was developed on the Maryland shore to retrieve duck out of the cold rough water of the bay, sometimes hundreds of birds in a day. The coat is the defining adaptation: short, harsh, wavy and heavily oiled, so water runs off it and the dog does not soak through.
The breed traces to two Newfoundland puppies rescued from a shipwreck in 1807, crossed with local retrievers.
Temperament
Tougher, more independent and more protective than a Labrador, and it is worth understanding that difference before choosing one. Chessies are devoted to their families and reserved with strangers.
They are strong willed and they will test a handler, and they can be dominant with other dogs. They are also more sensitive than they look and respond badly to heavy correction. Not a beginner's retriever.
Care and grooming
A weekly brush and very little bathing, because washing strips the oil that makes the coat work. They shed heavily.
Hip and elbow dysplasia, progressive retinal atrophy, exercise induced collapse and degenerative myelopathy all occur, and the last three have DNA tests. Ask for the full panel.
Living and exercise
Two hours a day, with swimming and retrieving. This is a serious working dog with serious stamina.
They are happiest with a job and they are difficult without one. A Chesapeake in a suburban household with two short walks becomes a large, bored, strong willed problem.
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