The Chesapeake Bay Retriever is a dog breed developed in the 19th century, in the United States of America, in the Chesapeake Bay area. This breed belongs to the Retriever, Sporting and Gundog groups. The dogs of this breed are fantastic hunters when it comes to wild birds, especially if they are to be found on water.
A Chesapeake is not only an excellent hunting companion, but also a wonderful family pet, which is very playful and affectionate. It is a medium to large-sized dog and it resembles the Labrador Retriever. Its coat can have various shades of brown, sedge and deadgrass, but also white, on the breast, belly, toes, or feet.
Some of the basic characteristics of this breed are courage and intelligence. These dogs are very alert and they love water, even if they have to dive in icy water for hunting ducks. The thick double coat protects them from the cold temperatures. They can adapt very well to bad weather conditions and they actually prefer a cooler climate.
Because of their dense short hair, the coat is oily and has a distinct smell. Therefore, they must be bathed from time to time and then brushed to remove the dead hair.
The dogs from this breed have a happy and joyful temperament and an affectionate and protective nature, especially with children. When socialized properly, they become great family dogs.
Their life span is between 10 and 13 years, and they may be affected by some hereditary diseases such as cataract, progressive retinal atrophy, Hip Dysplasia and Alopecia.
The training of the Chesapeake Bay Retriever must begin when still a puppy, and the owner must exert a constant authority. The training should be performed by an experienced person, because this dog has the tendency to be independent and act accordingly. Apparently, it reaches maturity later than other breeds.
If you are planning to adopt a dog from this breed, you must know that it requires extra care and attention. You must take the dog out as often as you can and socialize it with other dogs, so that it feels relaxed in their presence. Otherwise, the dog will become territorial and aggressive to strangers and other animals. It is usually friendly with cats if it gets used to them around the house, but may chase foreign ones.
It is not recommended to keep this dog in an apartment. In order to feel comfortable, it needs at least an average size yard to consume its excess energy. It is very active and it loves exercising and performing all kinds of activities. Otherwise, it can get bored and become destructive.
The dogs from this breed love dog sports and swimming. They are recommended to an active owner, who has some experience in raising a dog and that can spend lots of time with its companion.
A funny thing about the Chesapeake Bay Retriever is its “smile” when displaying its front teeth into an apparently aggressive grin, which is actually a way of showing it is happy.
