CHESAPEAKE BAY RETRIEVER

It is an American breed, native to the Maryland coast and more precisely the Chesapeake Bay, whereof its name. It seems to have emerged during the early XIX century in the most natural way, without anyone intervening in its breeding. An English ship, in which some Terranova dogs traveled, ran aground at the shore, the dogs crossed with the retrievers living there and this new breed emerged. Its popularity in Europe is very limited, with very few specimens, which appear every now and then in canine shows.

It is an uncommon breed in Europe, although sometimes a specimen appears in important shows.

PHYSICAL TRAITS of the CHESAPEAKE BAY RETRIEVER
Hunters say that this retriever only collects game that it sees, because its sense of smell is very poor, but on the other hand they assure that it is the best swimmer of all. It is a robust and very resistant dog, it has a solid structure without being heavy, the males in average stand at 63 cm and the females at 57 cm; their respective weights are 29 to 34 kg and 25 to 29 kg. It has a wide and round skull, a light stop, short and pointy muzzle and the neck, medium lenghthed, is very muscular and thins towards the shoulders. The fur is short and tight with a copious, woolly undercoat, the colors vary from a very dark chestnut to light hay, going through several hazelnut and reddish.

TEMPERAMENT AND ADAPTATION of the CHESAPEAKE BAY RETRIEVER
It is courageous, decided and very hardworking. It devotes itself generously to its hunting tasks and, with the same generosity, to its interaction with people around it, especially its most direct owner. Affection, obedience, intelligence and docility are some of this breed’s qualities, it is also easy to educate and great when adapting.

EXERCISE AND CARE required for a CHESAPEAKE BAY RETRIEVER
It should be brushed as frequently as this fur type requires. Since it tends to overweight, its diet should be carefully planned and it should be allowed to run in freedom.