| Chesapeake Bay
Retriever
 By
luck of the alphabet, I get to have the breed closest to my heart
first on this Web site. No breed better epitomizes America's outdoor
heritage than the Chesapeake Bay Retriever. Developed along the
rugged Chesapeake Bay to hunt waterfowl from dawn to dusk under the
most strenuous weather and water conditions imaginable, and bred
with a coat that sheds water and insulates against the cold, the Chessie is well suited to the task. Structurally put together with
strong hindquarters for swimming and powerful, but gentle, jaws for
retrieving large birds, the Chesapeake is a true waterfowling dog.
Throughout its history, the Chessie has
been tagged as a surly, almost vicious dog to be trained with a 2 x
4 and only for the most dedicated of waterfowlers. Breed supporters,
though, know a dog that is a highly intelligent animal that needs to
be reasoned with sometimes but does not require a lot of force. They
show devotion to their family and property, and although not an
overly affectionate breed, they do desire to be part of the family
and will protect it vehemently if the need arises. One look into the
yellow eyes of this breed and you will have been struck by the aura
of these wonderful dogs. The
Chessie has fallen out of favor with today's hunter who no longer
has the ability to hunt for a living and does not require a dog with
the drive the Chessie possesses. Also, being known as a waterfowling
specialist has hurt the Chessie's reputation as more and more
hunters chase both upland birds and waterfowl. Their drive and
determination definitely carries over into the uplands though, and
given the proper exposure the Chessie can go toe-to-toe with any dog
in the uplands. The Chesapeake
Bay Retriever is definitely not the dog for everyone. They are a dog
that requires patience, time and dedication. They require a special
hand during training and do not always respond well to the popular,
repetitive training exercises used today. Lastly, as with any of the
sporting dogs, they should not be locked in a run nine months out of
the year and hunted a few times during hunting season. They are an
intelligent dog that needs stimulation, whether that be training and
hunting or nightly jogs and parlor tricks.
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