Dog Breed: the Chesapeake Bay Retriever
The Chesapeake Bay Retriever is a water dog, therefore he is a water loving dog and will take a dip whenever possible! The cold icy water of the Chesapeake Bay is nothing for a Chessie to fear! If you are a duck hunter, you need a Chesapeake Bay retriever by your side, as he can bring in 100 ducks a day and still be ready for more. Once back home, he is a fantastic family dog and is a very kid-friendly dog to boot!
On a personal note, my parents owned a Chesapeake Bay Retriever when I was a kid. His parents were named for rivers in Maryland; therefore, he was named after a river, the Raritan River in New Jersey. We just called him Tan. My little sister was about a year old when she tested his ability to deal with kids. Tan was on the floor sleeping and my sister bit him in the stomach. He looked up at her as if to say, "Oh, ok, it's just you." He was so calm and such as good dog. The Chessie is the perfect family dog and the perfect hunting dog.
According to the American Kennel Club, a Chesapeake should have an intelligent expression on his face. The coat should be any color of brown. The exception is that a white mark on his breast, belly or chest is acceptable. Our Tan had a diamond shape white spot on his breast. When a Chessie walks or runs he should show strength. They are powerful dogs, but gentle at the same time. When it comes to duck hunting they have what is referred to as a 'soft mouth'. That means that a Chessie can bring in a duck and not leave one tooth mark on the bird.
A Chesapeake Bay Retriever should weight in around 55 to 80 pounds, and measure 21 to 26 inches high at the shoulder. It is a very intelligent breed. They are sometimes extremely protective of family members.
An example of that would be using the same sister who bit our Chesapeake in the belly. We were in the front yard; she was maybe two at the time. The boxer next door came running out of the house and bit my sister right across her fingers. Tan, our Chesapeake, was inside the house and witnessed the attack. He dove through the window screen and through the porch screen and chased that boxer back home then went back to check on my sister.
The Chessie does fall victim to hip dysplasia, as did our Tan. Unfortunately, he had it very severe and got to a point he could not walk. Those of us who love the Chessie, the lab or any large breed dog we must be prepared to deal with the possibility of hip dysplasia. With medications such as Deramaxx, dogs with hip dysplasia can lead fairly normal lives.
If you are interested in adding a Chesapeake puppy to your family, the AKC website would be a good place to begin your search. Click this link and follow the instructions provided and begin the search for your puppy.
As with any dog or cat, be sure to have your dog spayed or neutered. Be a responsible pet owner.
For more information on hip dysplasia check out these two informative articles:
Canine Orthopedic Disease: Hip Dysplasia
and
Canine Orthopedic Disease: Hip Dysplasia Treatment Options
Sources:
Personal experience
Published by Abby Greenhill
Abby is a retired Administrative Assistant. She is a pet lover who has many years experience as a dog owner. She loves to take road trips anywhere up and down the East Coast and tries to stay current on ne... View profile
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34 Comments
Post a CommentNever knew much about this breed of dog. Great info!
Excellent work ♥ What a beautiful and loving dog. Thanks for the great information.
Always great to read about a wonderful family dog!
Sounds like an interesting breed.
We have had a few Chessies over the years, including one we rescued until a home was found, and regarding the hip dysplasia problem: we search for reputable breeders and got gorgeous healthy pups, none of which grew up to have the problem. However, with less than reputable breeders, recessive traits can show in inbred dogs. Just get a good breeder.
Tan sounds like he was a great dog!!
My uncle has one what a real sweety!
Handsome dawg!
Great review of a very interesting breed!
I love this breed. I've always been fond of large dogs.