Purina

Other names/Nicknames:

• Chessie

Country/Date of origin:

• United States
• 1800’s

Height:

• Females:  21 to 24 inches
• Males:  23 to 26 inches

Weight:

• Females:  55 to 70 pounds
• Males:  65 to 80 pounds
  

Personality:

• Craves personal attention.
• A loyal and devoted companion.
• Tends to be sharper than its sister breeds, Labrador and Golden Retrievers.

History:

This breed originated in the United States in 1807 from a pair of Newfoundland puppies that were rescued from a shipwreck off the coast of Maryland.  No one knows which dogs were crossed with the original two but the result was a water fowling dog, capable of heavy-duty work in cold water.  Considered the best duck retriever of all time, the Chesapeake Bay Retriever ruled the blinds for 150 years, fetching as many as 300 ducks a day from the icy water.  The days of plentiful game are gone, but the Chessie’s companionable qualities have kept the breed alive.

Body Type:

• A big, powerful, water retriever with the general size and shape of the Labrador and Golden Retrievers.
• Thick, tapered tail is not altered.
• Hanging ears are not altered.

Coat:

• A wavy, double coat.  Coat is harsh and oily on the surface with a woolly, insulating undercoat that prevents water from reaching the skin.
• The water resisting oil gives the Chessie a strong, distinctive odor.
• Coat colors range from a deep brown to a light tan called dead grass.  These colors were chosen for camouflaging qualities.

Health and Wellness:

• Hip dysplasia.
• Gastric dilatation and volvulus syndrome (GDV, also commonly called bloat).
• Entropion.
• Metabolic bone disease.
• von Willebrand’s disease.
• Cataracts.
• Atopy.
• Bacterial folliculitis.

What you should know:

• Feet are webbed on this water retriever.
• High intelligence, willingness to work, and great stamina have made Chessies useful as guide dogs for the blind.
• Has a stubborn streak.
• Not suitable for apartment living.
• This is an outdoor dog.