 Photo of Recoil courtesy of Eddie Parks |
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| Breed: Chesapeake Bay Retriever |
| Also Called: NULL |
| Height: The Chesapeake Bay Retriever is about 21-26 inches tall. |
| Weight: The Chesapeake Bay Retriever weighs between 55-80 lbs. |
| Colors: The Chesapeake Bay Retriever can be any color of brown, sedge or deadgrass. |
| General Appearance: The Chesapeake Bay Retriever characteristics are specifically suited to enable him/her 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. In body, the Chesapeake is a strong, well-balanced, powerfully built animal of moderate size and medium length in body and leg, deep and wide in chest, the shoulders built with full liberty of movement, and with no tendency to weakness in any feature, particularly the rear. The power though, should not be at the expense of agility or stamina. Size and substance should not be excessive as this is a working retriever of an active nature. Distinctive features include eyes that are very clear, of yellowish or amber hue, hindquarters as high or a trifle higher than the shoulders, and a double coat which tends to wave on shoulders, neck, back and loins only. |
| Temperment: 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, general quality and, most of all, disposition should be given primary consideration in the selection and breeding of the Chesapeake Bay Retriever. Extreme shyness or extreme aggressive tendencies are not desirable in the breed either as a gun dog or companion. |
| Care: The Chesapeake Bay Retriever has a thick short slightly wavy coat that sheds profusely in the spring and requires daily brushing. |
| Health Concerns: NULL |
| Training: The Chesapeake Bay Retriever's specialty is to swim through icy water to bring in downed ducks and geese. 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. |
| Activity: The Chesapeake Bay Retrievers love to run and swim and require supervised exercise. |
| Life Span: The Chesapeake Bay Retriever lives an average life of 10-12 years. |
| Litter Size: The Chesapeake Bay Retriever has an average litter of 7-8 puppies. |
| Country of Origin: The Chesapeake Bay Retriever originated in the USA. |
| Brief History: The history of the Chesapeake Bay Retriever began when two puppies were saved from the wreck of an English ship off the coast of Maryland in 1807. These two dogs, believed to be Newfoundland types, were raised and worked as water retrievers. They and their descendants were crossed with other retrieving breeds and even local Coonhounds, to develop a powerful water dog that excelled in the retrieval of ducks from the icy waters of the Chesapeake Bay. By the end of the 19th century, these dogs were known as Chesapeake Bay Retrievers. The breed soon became popular with midwestern duck hunters as well. Today the Chesapeake has a small but devoted following as a duck hunter and family companion. |
| Registries: AKC, ANKC, CKC, FCI (Group 8), KC (GB), UKC |