CHESAPEAKE BAY RETRIEVER
The Chesapeake Bay retriever comes in a variety of colors, from a very light tan to a dark chocolate brown. The American Chesapeake Club has a page on its Web site showing eight color variations, with descriptive names such as "deadgrass" and "sedge." These dogs are about the same size as more common retrievers. The have a "double coat," that is dense and wooly underneath, then wavy and oily on top. This protects them from the harsh winter conditions of the Chesapeake Bay region from which they originated.

"Chessies are very rugged in cold, icy water," said Shirl DeVore, who with her husband, Phil, owns Chesagrove Kennels. "Sometimes water forms icicles on them when they come out of the water onto the boat, and they still go back for more."

Despite their cold tolerance, Chessies also do well in warmer climes.

"We've never had any problem with the heat," she offered. "I've seen Labs have a problem with the heat, but never a Chesapeake."

Although Chessies are water dogs, they also do well on upland birds.

"We use them all the time for dove fields, and they'll pick up snipe or whatever else you're hunting," DeVore assured. "You can teach them to quarter or to hunt an area. And they'll stay out longer than a golden. They're strong willed."

That strong personality translates into a dog that has a little bit of a mind of its own.

"They're very laid back in the house, but they need to think that they're doing things themselves," DeVore added. "They're very trainable and very intelligent, but they really don't like being forced to do things."

This breed is also very versatile. Smaller, lighter Chesapeakes can do agility training, and well-trained dogs can go from show-ring work one day to a hunting test the next day with no problem.

"What's unique about the Chesapeake is that they observe everything in their surroundings," DeVore pointed out. "When you change something, they'll let you know. They'll bark at it or growl at it. Once you go up to whatever it is and tell them it's OK, they'll never pay any attention to it again."

This attentiveness to little things is part of the Chessie's protective personality toward its human family as well.

"What you have to remember about Chessies is that they were developed by the market hunters on Chesapeake Bay," Phil DeVore said. "They lived in shacks on the bay, and they would take ducks into town to sell them. They couldn't take their guns into town with them, so they needed a dog they could leave to protect their things while they were gone. That's where the 'edge' of the Chessie comes from. They're more of a one-person dog.

"They're not at all aggressive," he added. "They just are protective of the people they love."

To learn more about Chesapeake Bay Retrievers, visit the American Chesapeake Club Web site at www.amchessieclub.org.