Temperament:
These are friendly, intelligent and obedient dogs with a mind of their own. Courageous, willing, loving and trainable although they may be a little slow to learn. Chesapeake Bay Retrievers are affectionate and good with children. They love to swim and retrieve. This breed will get along with cats that are already living in your house, but may chase other cats. The Chesapeake Bay Retriever is not recommended for an inexperienced new dog owner. The handler needs to be confident and to exude authority because these dog like to have their own way. A consistent but kind approach is the most successful way to handle these dogs. If possible, attend obedience classes with this breed. Willful, this breed can be prone to dominance problems if not properly trained and socialized. Take your puppy out with you as much as possible and introduce it to other dogs so that it has a chance to feel relaxed with them. The Chesapeake is different than other retrievers in that he can be more aggressive, willful and reserved with strangers. They may be combative with other dogs. These are strong dogs and have a tendency to be territorial, so they require firm training and good management. Chesapeakes are usually slow to mature.

Grooming:
The dense, harsh, short-haired coat is easy to groom. Brush with a firm bristle brush to remove the dead hairs. While the Chesapeake needs the occasional bath to prevent any noticeable odor, they should not be bathed so often that the oily texture is stripped out. The oily coat helps protect it from icy waters. This breed is an average shedder.

Exercise:
The Chesapeake Bay Retriever needs a good deal of vigorous activity, including swimming if possible. If they do not get enough exercise they may become badly behaved from boredom and need to be taken on a daily brisk, long walk or jog.

Living Condition:
Chesapeake Bay Retrievers are not recommended for apartment life. They are relatively inactive indoors and will do best with at least an average-sized yard. Chesapeake Bay Retrievers like to sleep outdoors. They prefer cool climates to hot unless there is a body of water nearby.

Origin:
In the winter of 1807, an English ship with two Newfoundlands on board wrecked off the coast of Maryland. Everyone was saved, and the two dogs were given to a family of dog lovers. They were later mated with local retrievers. The new breed, which was first used for hunting in the Chesapeake Bay, proved to be excellent. Careful breeding over the years has created an outstanding retriever with incredible enthusiasm and endurance. The Chesapeake Bay Retriever has been known to retrieve 200 ducks in a single day in frigid waters. This lively, enthusiastic hunter will come out of a river or marsh with only a few drops of water remaining on its coat, and these are quickly eliminated with a shake. The breed does well in obedience and tracking as well as in retrieving, hunting tests and field trials. They also make a fine family companion. Some of the Chesapeake Bay Retriever's talents include: tracking, hunting, retrieving, guarding, watchdogging, schutzhund, field spots and competitive obedience.