Today's
Chesapeake

Out of the Last Century
and Into the Next

Photos and Text by Butch Goodwin

Published in The Retriever Journal
August/September 1996

hesapeake Bay retriever - mention the breed and everyone within earshot seems to have an opinion. I've heard all of the stereotypes over the years: They're aloof; they're hard to train; they're stubborn; they're surly; they have a strong smell.

     I received a phone call the other day from a hunter wanting to buy a retriever pup. After listening, to his requirements with increasing suspicion, I asked what breed he was looking for.
     "Why, a Lab," he answered.
     "I’m sorry," I replied, "I haven't had any Labradors in years - I breed only Chesapeake’s." "Oh you poor son of a b-" he replied, and hung up the phone quickly.

     The modern day Chesapeake Bay retriever is a breed seriously in need of a press agent.

     Ever since the days of declining waterfowl populations, resulting in bag limits that are a mere shadow of what they were in earlier times, the Chesapeake, highly touted as the toughest, most courageous, and most persevering of the retriever breeds, has been surrounded by prejudice.

     The very characteristics for which the Chesapeake was originally bred are now misunderstood and believed by many to be its major short-comings: toughness; brute strength; tremendous endurance under the harshest of conditions; a hard muscled body capable of powering its way through heavy weather conditions and surf; ability to rely on its own intelligence and intuition to find cripples; absolute and unquestioned loyalty and desire to serve his owner; and the double thick, oily coat are but a few things that critics have found offensive. All of these things it would seem, if you listen to the Chesapeake’s' detractors, have become outdated...or have they?

The Chesapeake Bay Retriever was not so much bred to be a waterfowl specialist - it evolved through limiting factors such as extreme temperatures and working conditions that literally killed off the weak and infirm.

     In order to try and understand why the Chesapeake is so misunderstood and maligned, it is necessary to examine their background. Very few sporting dog breeds have had a history as interesting as the Chesapeake Bay retriever. It is a well-known fact that in 1807, an English ship, trading, between Newfoundland and England, was wrecked off of the coast of Maryland. The cargo and crew were rescued by an American ship on its way from Baltimore to Liverpool. Among the cargo taken aboard the American ship, Canton, were two Newfoundland puppies. The male dog was subsequently named Sailor, and the bitch was named Canton, after the rescuing, vessel.

     The male dog, which was red in color, became the property of John Mercer of West River, Maryland. The bitch was black and was given to Dr. James Stuart of Sparrows Point, Maryland, in gratitude for the hospitality shown to the sailors of the wrecked brig. Both Mercer and Dr. Stuart were ardent hunters of waterfowl and soon discovered that the two dogs were exceptional retrievers.

     Although there is no proof that these two were ever mated to each other, they were both bred to local dogs. Their retrieving abilities made them much sought after by local duck hunters. By the mid-l800s, the breed was clearly distinguishable. These dogs soon became known for their skill and stamina working in the ice-choked waters, Ducks and Geese were abundant, but the icy water and rough seas of the Bay area made gunning a tough game.

     The early Chesapeake’s were the dogs preferred by the market gunners. There were no bag limits during that period, so a dog might be called upon to retrieve 200 to 300 ducks in a single day. The market hunters were a tough breed and demanded the most from their dogs. Many tales have been told of Chesapeake’s giving up their lives to the icy waters before they would let a killed or crippled duck drift away with the tide.

     Many great lines of Chesapeake Bay dogs were taking shape as early as 1800. The breed went by many early names: the Bay duck dog, otter dog, the Newfoundland duck dog, and the red Winchester ducking dog were but a few, but by 1887, a definite strain had evolved that were almost always dark brown , shading into a reddish brown. In 1890 the name was finally given as the Chesapeake Bay retriever. This is when breeding records were started and Baltimore's Chesapeake Bay Dog Club was formed.

hesapeake’s were the hunter's retriever of choice in the United States in the earliest days of the twentieth century. A bit later, the registrations from 1934 show that there were a total of 283 retrievers registered during that year: 103 of theseregistrations were Chesapeake’s.

     In more recent times the AKC registrations for the years from 1988 through 1092 show the Labrador retriever going from second place in overall (all breed) registrations to first place in ‘91 and ‘92. Conversely the golden retriever slipped from a fourth place in overall registrations, from ‘88 through '90 to sixth place in 1991 and 1992. Through these five years, the Chesapeake Bay retriever has firmly held onto 42nd place in overall registrations. Registrations for 1992 show that there were 120,879 new Labrador registrations and 69,850 new golden registrations - but there were only 5,295 new Chesapeake registrations. There are currently only a handful of kennels throughout the United States that specialize in breeding, and even fewer that specialize in training Chesapeake Bay retrievers.

Tomorrow's Chesapeake Bay retrievers.

     Responsible Chesapeake breeders are doing their best to preserve and improve the outstanding characteristics of this primitive waterfowl specialist. while breeding selectively to produce dogs that fit in better with our modern society. This does not make a lot of dogs available each year compared with thc breeds that sportsmen see as much more popular. And honestly, that lack of popularity is a definite plus for thc preservation and betterment of the breed. In essence, popularity has ruined the valued characteristics for which many fine breeds were originally developed!

     In the early days, dogs that lacked the strength of endurance, and excellent scenting ability, marking ability, desire, intuitive understanding of waterfowl habits, and coat to protect them from the elements were eliminated by natural selection. The ancestors of the Chesapeake breed, as we know it today, were those survivors.

     There's an old saying that says, "You train a golden with your voice, a Lab with a stick, and a Chesapeake with a 2 x 4." But the suggestion that Chesapeake’s are so tough or stubborn that they must be beaten into submission is preposterous. The Chesapeake Bay retriever's personality simply will not allow them to give in to brutalizing or physical abuse. In all likelihood, they will become stubborn and resentful, and their loyalty and desire to please may be lost forever.

     Those who are successful with Chesapeake’s find that by respecting the dog's intelligence and making corrections intelligently, the dog will respond by trying harder. I have found that Chesapeake’s being, trained for hunting, hunt tests, and field trial work respond best to lots of patient teaching and drill-work, and then reinforcement through the reasonable use of limited force.

     Chessies are not the kind of retriever that will allow themselves to be forced to follow orders through the use of heavy pressure. Too many trainers today want to show a dog a lesson then force him through it. As I said previously, Chesapeake’s don't generally respond to "pre-packaged' training programs nearly as well as some other breeds. And, when I watch some of these training programs, it’s no wonder that the Chesapeake has gained this unfounded reputation for being stubborn.

     The Chesapeake Bay retriever is a breed that was originally developed to depend on its natural abilities, instincts, and intelligence to do the job. The waterfowl gunners of the 19th century weren't in the habit of doing a great deal of formal training. But training has evolved to meet the increasingly difficult and artificial testing programs by which retrievers are evaluated today, and the primitive abilities for which the Chesapeake was once valued have continued to cause him to remain the "underdog" in today's field events. In this modern, hurry-up, push-button world of retriever training, and testing, unquestioned control means everything. A dog with a good nose and intuitive sense of where cripples hide often is required to "trip over" his instincts in order to compete successfully in field trials and hunt tests.

     Many professional trainers don't even want to work with Chesapeake’s. Generally, today's field trial and hunt test trainers simply don't want to train a dog that may not fit into their pre-packaged training program. They simply don't want a retriever that would possibly question the validity of the sometimes absurd, often instinct-avoiding tests that seem to be increasingly required of them. Their unwillingness to submit to intensive, high-pressure training that is required to gain this kind of control has caused the Chesapeake to be labeled its hard to train and stubborn.

     No longer are the retrieving breeds judged and bred solely by natural selection based on their true hunting abilities as they were before the turn of the century - the opportunities just aren't widely available anymore. Retriever field trials and, more recently hunt tests, have seen tremendous increases in popularity since the decline of waterfowl populations in the last century. Many of today's retrievers are judged by their accomplishments in a field trial-type setting and, in the decade since the introduction of hunt tests, the entries in these events have escalated dramatically.

     Due to this explosion, the testing has, by necessity, become increasingly difficult to a point that in recent years, the advanced-level testing has become so sophisticated that only dogs willing to endure intensive, high-pressure training have been able to win or qualify. These trials are no longer a test of the dog's natural abilities and instincts: they are more a test of his training and his willingness to with stand the pressures of the training program.

     Producing Chesapeake’s that can prove themselves as successful and reliable hunting companions for our modern times, still retaining a somewhat modified or updated version of the primitive characteristics for which this breed was originally developed, should be first and foremost in the minds of the modern Chesapeake breeder. So much the better if the dog can win ribbons and trophies in either the field, obedience, or breed ring, but to breed for one or two qualities at the expense of others borders on negligence.

     All breeders are forced to compromise to some degree in their selection of breeding stock. The perfect Chesapeake hasn't been born yet. But many times breeders are given to compromise more than necessary. Therefore. dogs with poor functional conformation, questionable temperaments, or limited natural abilities are being bred into the relatively small Chesapeake Bay retriever gene pool.

     Today's breeder is working to select breeding stock with the whole dog in mind, so that the breed can keep up with the times and prosper successfully into the next century. We won't allow our modern Chesapeake’s to be thought of as "obsolete," a "dinosaur" as they have been called in the past.

     Breeders can't afford any Longer to put emphasis on only one positive attribute at the expense of the overall dog. The truly discriminating Chesapeake breeding program is making every attempt to ensure that pups will have the temperament, functional conformation, trainability, and natural abilities to make outstanding hunting companions in the upland game field as well as in the duck blind. Otherwise, the Chesapeake Bay retriever will end up paying the price.

     Poor selection of breeding stock results in retrievers that are difficult to train or just not mentally or physically capable of doing the work. Progeny that do not have these strengths are frustrating to work with. This is true with any breed of retriever, not just the Chesapeake. It is very easy to produce a litter of pups but most, if not all, of the knowledgeable Chesapeake breeders are striving to produce pups that will perform as intended in the field, fit within the AKC standard for the breed, look good in the show ring, and be a welcomed member of the family.

     I read all the time in the Bulletin of the American Chesapeake Club of dogs that have the abilities to go hunting in the morning and the temperament to visit a pre-school or a nursing home later in the day. I know of one Chesapeake whose owner had to rush to get to the show ring by the appointed time because her husband had been so successful hunting ducks that he had been late getting home. The dog went into the ring, still damp and flecked with mud from retrieving ducks; he won Best of Breed!

     Generally, the Chesapeake breeders of today have recognized that the problems of the past have to be modified through generations of selective breeding. Those same breeders have made great strides to meet rigid standards of genetics, conformation, and performance. Animals having physical defects such as entropion, ectropian eyelids, overbite, or underbite should not be used for breeding. No animal should be considered that cannot pass an Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) certification, or preliminary certification (no signs of canine hip displaysia). No animal should be used for breeding that cannot pass a CERF certification (no signs of genetic eye problems). All breeding stock should be tested for retrieving desire (especially in water). Animals displaying sensitivity or timidness should not be considered as breeders. Dogs that are noise-sensitive or people-shy have a high likelihood of passing on those traits and should be eliminated from breeding stock. At a young age, both males and females being considered for breeding stock should be tested for interest in retrieving and carrying objects, tracking ability, search, nose, cooperation, and - very importantly - style. Breeders should also consider placing a great deal of importance on functional conformation (correct and efficient movement), stamina, desire, and intelligence.

     Perhaps one of the most important traits that responsible breeders must monitor quite closely is temperament. Animals that show any aggressive tendencies toward people or other dogs must be strictly eliminated from any chance of ever being bred.

f I were considering the purchase of a Chesapeake puppy, I would consider several things. First, I would want to determine that the dogs being bred were physically and genetically sound. These things can be determined by looking for OFA and CERF numbers (certainly for the parents of the litter but also, if possible, for several generations of ancestors) on the pedigree that the breeder sends out. If these things are not there, ask why not.

     Second, determine whether the dogs being bred are from hunting, hunt test, field trial, show, or obedience stock. All of these are good: some are better than others. if you want a dog with the genetics to be a hunting companion. Show titles without field titles do not necessarily mean that the dog is from good working stock. But remember - it is easier to determine the validity of what you are being told about their abilities by seeing titles on the pedigree - it's like a proofmark on a fine imported shotgun.

     Third, most serious breeders have video clips of their dogs, and if they have been involved for a long time, may even have video of several generations of ancestors and perhaps, several litters of pups. Ask if the breeder has some video available, but don't expect these videos to be hollywood productions.

     I would want to see the dogs working in the field, training, or running trials. If the dogs are conformation titled, or are field titled dogs with show experience, ask if they have video of the dogs in the ring. You can determine a great deal about the movement, size, and abilities of the breeding stock by watching a short piece of video. If the litter of pups is already "on the ground" ask to see video of the pups in action if they are old enough. Look to see if the pups are bold or shy. Look for the ones that always seem to be carrying something. Determine which pups are the first to go into the water. look to see how they react to a live pigeon.

     A knowledgeable breeder probably already has some video shot of the pups and would be more than willing to send one along if it possibly means a sale. Of course, you can't blame a breeder for wanting to know that you are serious about buying a pup before sending a video. A dedicated breeder who talks to several hundred potential clients in a year could go broke sending out videos. To my way of thinking, video tapes are cheap advertising, but expect that some breeders might not want to send one to anyone who isn't willing to put up a deposit for a puppy, or at the very least pay a nominal fee for the tape. If you are serious about the litter, you should be willing to pay a nominal fee or put down a puppy deposit anyway. Remember - it doesn't hurt to ask.

he necessity of a birthday gift forced me into our local mall the other day, I was after a T-shirt that read, "Golf is life...the rest are just details." With a little modification in the wording, that could well be the motto of the Chesapeake Bay retriever: "Retrieving is life...the rest are just details." The Chesapeake is, by nature, a tremendously proud individualist, he has a great history and, through the guidance of the American Chesapeake Club and it's members, an extremely bright future. Right now the breed is at a crossroads, and although there are always bumps in the road, this tough, courageous, and hard-working American native will persevere mostly because of the host of dedicated supporters who have recognized the problems and bad press of the past and are determined to make a difference.

[Back to the Top of this Page] [Home Page] [Articles Page]