Disposition
The Chesapeake Bay Retriever is an intelligent, loyal, and obedient breed. They are quite trainable and willing to please. Chesapeake Bay Retrievers are known to be affectionate, friendly, and good with children. They will also generally get along with cats that already live in your home, but may chase other cats. Due to their origin as a water retrieval breed, they also have a passion for water, swimming, and retrieving. Begin training your Chesapeake as a puppy in order to avoid negative, stubborn, and destructive behaviors as the dog grows older.
Exercise
Although relatively inactive indoors, the Chesapeake Bay Retriever is not recommended for apartment life and will do best with at least an average-sized yard because they need a decent amount of activity, exercise, and mental stimulation (including swimming if possible). If it doesn’t get enough exercise it may develop negative behaviors from boredom and unreleased energy. Daily, long walks or jogging is suggested.
Grooming
The Chesapeake Bay Retriever has an oily outer coat with a dense, fine undercoat. Dirt/debris should come out easily with a rubber brush. However, the undercoat will shed heavily during the spring which will require more frequent brushing during that time. Only give it a bath when necessary though, to maintain the coat’s oily water resistance. After any water retrieval activities (such as swimming in saltwater or through slime in a pond or lake) use freshwater to rinse the coat. Besides caring for the coat, the rest is basic canine care. Keep the ears clean and dry, trim the nails as needed, and brush their teeth.
Origin
During the winter of 1807, an English shipwrecked off the coast of Maryland with two Newfoundlands on board. The two Newfoundlands were given to a family of dog lovers and were mated with local retriever breeds including English Otter Hounds, Flat-Coated Retrievers, and Curly-Coated Retrievers. Over the following years, careful breeding created an excellent retriever breed with great enthusiasm and endurance.
This new breed was used to hunt waterfowl in the rough, icy waters of the Chesapeake Bay and has been known to retrieve 100-200 birds in a single day. Some of the Chesapeake Bay Retriever’s talents include tracking, hunting, retrieving, watchdog, field sports, and competitive obedience.
Clubs, Registries, & Associations
(Based on breed recognition. See store for details on a particular puppy.)
- American Canine Association Inc.
- American Canine Registry
- National Kennel Club
- United Kennel Club
- American Kennel Club
- American Pet Registry, Inc.
- Continental Kennel Club
- Dog Registry of America, Inc.
- North American Purebred Registry, Inc.
Additional Information
Breed Group: Sporting
Average Weight: 55-80 lbs.
Average Lifespan: 10-12 years
Check out the Chesapeake Bay Retriever puppies for sale we currently have in our stores. If there are none here, please contact us and we’ll be in touch.
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This article has been reviewed by Animal Kingdom’s expert team to ensure accuracy and reliable pet care guidance.
