CHESAPEAKE BAY RETRIEVER

The 'Chesapeake Bay Retriever' is a breed of dog that was developed along the Chesapeake Bay. It hunts under adverse weather and water conditions, often having to break ice during the course of many strenuous multiple retrieves. The breed was used not only to retrieve the game, but also to sit in the boat and on the wagon when the game was taken to market, in order to protect the load from theft. Thus, the breed is very protective of its people and property. Many owners refer to this breed as "Chessies".

Contents

Appearance

Temperament

Health

Training

Trivia

References

External links

Appearance

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 that tends to wave on shoulders, neck, back and loins. This "waterproof" coat feels slightly oily compared to other members of the same family. They often have a slight musky odor. Three basic colors are generally seen in the breed: brown, which includes all shades from a light cocoa (a silvered brown) to a deep dark brown; sedge, which varies from a reddish yellow through a bright red to chestnut shades; and deadgrass in all its shades, varying from a faded tan to a dull straw color. The breed standard states that white may also appear, but it must be limited to the breast, belly, toes, or back of the feet. This breed is also known for their large, and powerful chests; used to break apart ice when diving into ice-layered water while duck hunting.

Temperament

The Chesapeake is valued for its bright and happy disposition, intelligence, quiet good sense, and affectionate protective nature. The breed is very loving and makes a wonderful companion.
Some Chessies become vocal while happy; while this can be mistaken for a growl it is only a sign of happiness and not intended to create alarm. In addition, some dogs will 'smile' when happy by baring their front teeth in a peculiar grin; again this is not a threat but a sign of joy.
The Chesapeake is naturally dominant and, while usually won't start a fight over dominance, the breed will defend his position as the alpha dog. For the casual pet owner, it is usually not a good idea to have more than one Chesapeake because of dominance issues.
The Chesapeake tends to recognize only one person or family as master. All other people are considered by the dog to be either equal or subordinate. In order to keep the dog from attempting to become the alpha family member, the dog's master should regularly reinforce dominance over the dog by issuing a command such as 'come' or 'sit' at a time when the dog would rather not do so.

Health

The breed is subject to a number of hereditary diseases. These include, but are not limited to:

★ Hip dysplasia Breed susceptibility for developmental orthopedic diseases in dogs, LaFond E, Breur GJ, Austin CC., , , Am Anim Hosp Assoc. 38(5):467-77., 2002

★ Progressive retinal atrophy Linkage analysis and comparative mapping of canine progressive rod-cone degeneration (prcd) establishes potential locus homology with retinitis pigmentosa (RP17) in humans, Acland GM, Ray K, Mellersh CS, Gu W, Langston AA, Rine J, Ostrander EA, Aguirre GD, , , Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA. 95:3048-53, 1998

★ Type 3 von Willebrand disease Canine von Willebrand's disease, LJohnson GS, Turrentine MA, Kraus, KH, , , Veterinary Clinics of North America 18: 195-223., 1988

★ Cataract Cataracts in Chesapeake Bay Retrievers, Gelatt KN, Whitley RD, Lavach JD, Barrie KP, Williams LW, , , Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association. 175(11):1176-8., 1979

★ Regional Alopecia in both sexes Adult-onset hair loss in Chesapeake Bay retrievers: a clinical and histological study., Cerundolo R, Mauldin EA, Goldschmidt MH, Beyerlein SL, Refsal KR, Oliver JW., , , Vet Dermatol. 16(1):39-46., 2005

Training

Training is a necessity with this breed. The trainer must exercise more patience than with most other breeds as this breed is usually not willing to change its behavior.
The Chesapeake Bay Retriever is a very intelligent breed and learns at a high speed. Once a Chesapeake learns what is expected, he will act accordingly from that point on. A Chesapeake is not willing to break the rules and will attempt to enforce the same rules on subordinate dogs.
A Chesapeake's greatest joy is pleasing its master.
There is a phrase that applies to Chesapeakes - "You can order a lab; ask a golden; but you must negotiate with a Chesapeake."

Trivia

★ The Chesapeake Bay Retriever is the state dog of Maryland and the mascot of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County

References

External links

★ Websites

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★ Chesapeake Bay Retriever Website, est. 1994

★ Clubs, Associations, and Societies

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★ American Chesapeake Club

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★ National Capital Chesapeake Bay Retriever Club

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★ Chesapeake Bay Retriever Club of Canada

★ Pedigree Databases

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★ The Chesapeake Bay Retriever Pedigree Database