Chesapeake Bay Retriever Breed description: Character & Co

Nature: sensitive and stubborn workaholic

The Chesapeake is not only an excellent hunting dog, it also has the characteristics of a guard and protection dog. Since it has to act rather independently in all these functions, it is independent to stubborn in nature. It is obsessed with work. Since it is at the same time highly intelligent, sensitive and strongly fixated on its main reference person, it can be a real challenge for the owner.

Attitude and use: the worker

As a hunting dog the Chessie is used in his home country mainly for hunting ducks and other waterfowl, which it retrieves from the ice-cold water. In addition, it serves as a guard dog for the peasant estates.

If you want to keep a Chesapeake Bay Retriever, it needs an environment that offers the dog enough work and free space. A flat in the city will cause problems because of its barking - a property that it can guard is better suited.

The Chessie can be used perfectly as a hunting dog, but it also does a good job as a rescue dog. If it is not used for work, it definitely needs to be kept busy with other tasks.

With good socialization and enough activity, it can become a loving family dog.

Care of a Chesapeake Bay Retriever

When it comes to grooming, the hardy Chesapeake is relatively undemanding. The thick coat should be brushed through regularly and then, of course, as with all dogs, the eyes and ears as well as the paws and claws should be checked regularly. To keep their teeth healthy, you should either brush your Chesapeake's teeth or give them teeth-cleaning foods like chews.

Above all, it's important to give your Chessie a task that fills it up. It thinks a bit of family dog and walks, however extended, are great - but they're not enough. If you can't or don't want to use it for hunting, you can either give it a watchdog task, which the dog will then also fulfil intensively, do suitable dog sports with Chesapeake Bay Retriever, train it to be a rescue dog or similar - or it will get stupid ideas.

Health: robust with limitations

The Chesapeake Bay Retriever has a hereditary skin disease called Ectodermal Dysplasia or ED-SFS.

A blood clotting disorder, Von Willebrand disease, is also common.

As with other large dogs, HD and ED (hip dysplasia and elbow dysplasia) are relatively common.

Otherwise, the Chessie is an exceptionally robust dog with a lifespan of around 12 years.

Chesapeake Bay Retriever Breeding

If you want to buy a Chesapeake Bay Retriever, you should definitely contact a reputable breeder. Only animals that have been tested for hereditary diseases and have passed a working test are approved for breeding.

This way, you can be relatively sure of getting a puppy that is healthy and free of hereditary diseases. The Chesapeake Bay Retriever breeders in Germany are supervised by the German Retriever Club, information HERE.