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.