INTRODUCTION

The Chesapeake Bay Retriever dog breed originated as a water dog used to hunt and retrieve ducks in the cold of the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland. Today, they are still known as good hunting dogs as well as a wonderful companion for active and experienced dog owners who can give them the structure and exercise they need. AniMall24 recommends a dog bed to give your medium sized Chesapeake Bay Retriever a good night’s sleep. You should also pick up a dog de-shedder for your high shedding puppy!

HIGHLIGHTS

Chessies require a great deal of exercise, including swimming if possible. If they do not receive adequate exercise, they can become frustrated and destructive.Chesapeake Bay Retrievers are not recommended for inexperienced or first-time dog owners.They can be prone to dominance problems if not well trained and socialised. Chessies can be more aggressive, willful and reserved with strangers than other retrievers.Chesapeake Bay Retrievers can be combative with other dogs.Chessies are strong dogs, slow to mature, with a tendency to be territorial. To get a healthy dog, never buy a puppy from a backyard breeder, puppy mill or pet shop. Look for a reputable breeder who tests their breeding dogs to make sure they are free of genetic diseases that can be passed on to puppies and that they have a sound temperament.

HISTORY

The Chesapeake Bay Retriever is one of the few breeds that can claim to have been born in the United States. The breed is believed to be descended from two Newfoundland dogs named Sailor and Canton who were aboard a ship bound for England in 1807. The ship ran aground, but the crew and the two dogs, Sailor, a red male, and Canton, a black female, were rescued. Sailor found a home with John Mercer of West River and Canton with Dr. James Stewart of Sparrow’s Point. Both dogs earned a reputation as excellent water dogs, especially when it came to duck hunting, and their puppies inherited their skills – and their unusual yellowish or amber eyes. No mating of the two dogs was recorded, but seventy years later, when strains from the eastern and western shores of Maryland were brought together at the Poultry & Fanciers Association show in Baltimore in 1877, their similarities were enough for them to be recognised as a single breed, “The Chesapeake Bay Ducking Dog”. Records show that Canton and Sailor offspring were mixed at the Carroll Island kennel and from there spread throughout the region. By the time the American Kennel Club was established in 1884, a definite variety of Chesapeake had been developed and was well known for its prowess in the rough and icy waters of the Chesapeake Bay. The American Chesapeake Club was formed in 1918. The American Chesapeake Club held the first licensed retriever trial in 1932. St. Michael’s, Maryland, is guarded by a pair of cast iron statues of Chessies.