Fun Chesapeake Bay Retriever Facts For Kids

Abhijeet Modi
Oct 20, 2022 By Abhijeet Modi
Originally Published on Aug 05, 2021
Edited by Luca Demetriou
Chesapeake Bay retriever facts on the rescue dog breed.
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Age: 3-18
Read time: 7.5 Min

The Chesapeake Bay Retriever size is similar to labradors, and it is one of the dogs in the retriever category. The dog is a hunting dog and is also known for being a water dog.

In earlier times, it would be common to see a Chesapeake Bay Retriever hunting ducks near water areas because that is what their body was designed for. With a double coat of hair, the Chesapeake Bay retriever colors include dark brown, reddish-brown, and even yellow-brown.

It was first found and described by the American Kennel Club and also formed the American Chesapeake Club after their discovery.

These dogs might have many common health problems including bloat and hip dysplasia like other retriever breeds. They were discovered in Maryland, where there were two pups found of the type known as sailor and canton.

During their life, these dogs have high energy levels and are a lot into sports. Due to this, it is important to keep a Chessie outdoor and the sporting dog in activities like hiking, swimming, running, etc.  

Chesapeake Bay Retriever Interesting Facts

What type of animal is a Chesapeake Bay Retriever?

A Chessie is a bay retriever dog breed that is found in the areas of Maryland. It is a water and hunting dog and belongs to the retriever breeds.

What class of animal does a Chesapeake Bay Retriever belong to?

Chessies or Chesapeake Bay Retriever dog breed belongs to the mammal class in the animal kingdom. It can be identified due to the double coat of hair on Chessie's body as well as the fact that chessies give birth to puppies and not eggs.

How many Chesapeake Bay Retrievers are there in the world?

There are more than 200 pure-bred chessies around the world. However, there might be a lot more mixed versions of the dog available. Chessies are ethnic to the region of Maryland and are usually found there.

Where does a Chesapeake Bay Retriever live?

Although found in Maryland, Virginia, chessies live with its owner in their house. They are usually tamed and domesticated and therefore live there.

But they do need large spaces to roam in which allows them to exercise, train, swim, and hike. For taming a Chessie, it is important to provide them with obedience training first. Hence, novice dog owners should refrain from adopting a Chesapeake Bay Retriever puppy.

What is a Chesapeake Bay Retriever's habitat?

Since it originated in the Maryland and Virginia regions of the United States, a Chesapeake Bay Retriever dog is known to endure all the climatic conditions of that place. It has now formed to be his habitat.

With this double coat of hair, oily outer coat and woolly undercoat, this dog can easily beat the cold and can also step into cold waters and even ice waters with its waterproof coating.

Who do Chesapeake Bay Retrievers live with?

These dogs are not known to form groups and are largely solitary. However, now, most of these dogs are getting tamed and therefore they live with their owners and the family that adopts them.

A chessie can be very protective about the family that he is brought in and is a very novice dog. It is very alert and intelligent as well with high energy level. Regular training is essential to stave off common health problems and foster friendly behavior.

How long does a Chesapeake Bay Retriever live?

On average, chessies live for about 10-13 years of age. This age is proportionate to those of other dogs. During their early stages of life, chessie puppies are very active. However, this breed is known for its energy levels and can require a lot of exercise and training to maintain proper health.

How do they reproduce?

After they reach the stage of sexual maturity, a male and female bay retriever dog breed mates with each other to produce a puppy. Also, a female Chesapeake Bay Retriever dog can lay an average of 10 puppies.

If taken care of, all these puppies can grow healthily and not acquire any health conditions. Since they’re largely tamed now, the owners breed the Chesapeake bay retriever themselves by mating them with its partner.

What is their conservation status?

Chessies are found rather easily and are situated largely in the United States. There are no signs of their extinction which is why their conservation status is of the least concern.

Even though Chesapeake Bay Retriever dogs can have some predators such as large animals or even humans, the rate of their killings is very low now that they are largely domesticated.

Chesapeake Bay Retriever Fun Facts

What do Chesapeake Bay Retrievers look like?

Chesapeake bay retrievers look dark brown, sedge and have a double coat layer. They have yellowish or amber eyes and have webbed feet. Chessies have two coatings of fur around them. These coatings are done to ensure that they remain waterproof.

Therefore, the coating is also greasy and gives the Chesapeake Bay Retriever a rather musky smell. Chessies have around, and broad head and have a very strong chest. This chest can help them endure cold water and also slice through ice water when the need arises.

Chesapeake Bay Retrievers need regular exercise.

How cute are they?

Belonging to the bay retriever dog breed, they are very admirable dog breeds. With their round and broadheads, they appear to be very cute.

Adding to this is the fact that these dogs can become very friendly with the family once they’ve gone through obedience training. It, therefore, makes them very safe to be around kids. They are one of the best family dogs even when they remain reserved with strangers.

How do they communicate?

Like other dog breeds, Chesapeake Bay Retrievers communicate by barking. They can also communicate by wagging their tails or using other such signs to display their friendly nature. They don’t generally bark that much, but they might do that in front of strangers or when they sense danger.

How big is a Chesapeake Bay Retriever?

A Chesapeake Bay Retriever is about 24-26 in long for the male gender. It is almost the same size as a labrador retriever. Since they belong to the same dog breed, their sizes are very similar.

How fast can a Chesapeake Bay Retriever run?

Owing to its training, a Chesapeake Bay Retriever can run pretty fast. This is because it is essentially a hunting dog and therefore has strong legs which can help it swim and run very fast. It is considered one of the fastest running dogs.

How much does a Chesapeake Bay Retriever weigh?

The Chesapeake Bay Retriever weighs about 65-80 lb for a male. For a female, the Chesapeake Bay Retriever weighs about 55-70 lb.

What are their male and female names of the species?

The male member of the bay retriever dog breed is known as a Chesapeake Bay Retriever dog, and the female member of the Bay Retriever dog breed is known as a Chesapeake Bay Retriever bitch.

What would you call a baby Chesapeake Bay Retriever?

A baby chessie might be called Chesapeake Bay Retriever puppy. After one breeding season, the female gives birth to an average of 7-10 Chesapeake Bay Retriever puppies.

What do they eat?

To take care of the Chesapeake Bay Retriever dog breed, it is important to focus on their diet and ensure that you bring in high-quality food for them. Essentially, they have been known to hunt ducks from waters and can retrieve as many as 100 ducks a day.

But in a tame environment, it is best to give them at least 2-2.5 cups of quality dog food a day.

This can be sufficed by two meals for adult Chesapeake Bay Retriever dog breed.

However, a younger chessie needs more frequent meals throughout the day. Chessie puppies can eat more than even three times a day because they need more food to endure their training and exercise as well as ensure better health and enjoyable life.

Are they slobbery?

Chessies have a waterproof coating on their fur because they are water dog breeds. This makes their skin seem like it’s oily, and therefore they can appear to be a little slobbery.

The waterproof skin however, helps them to be in the water for long and swim with ease. The oily layer on their hair can give off a musky smell, so that’s something that you should look out for.

Would they make a good pet?

A Chessie or a Chesapeake Bay Retriever puppy would make a great pet. This dog breed is very docile and can be very friendly with the family once it gets to know them.

However, it can be reserved with strangers in the beginning but gains fondness for them soon enough. With a little bit of obedience training, you’ll easily be able to tame the dog without facing any difficulty.

Did you know...

Since the chessies originated in Maryland, they have been considered the official mascot of Maryland since the year 1964. It is also known as the official dog of Maryland.

What was the name of the Chesapeake Bay Retriever in 'Flipper'?

Fipper was an American TV show which revolved around a dolphin named flipper who accompanies his master Porter Ricks who is a chief warden at Coral Key Park. It has the character of the Chesapeake Bay Retriever dog breed which is called Spray. The real name of this Chesapeake Bay Retriever was Chobee.

What is strange about a Chesapeake Bay Retriever's feet?

The Chesapeake Bay Retriever or chessies are essentially water hunting dogs and this is how their body is adapted as well. Their feet are webbed, which eases their movement in the water. This also enables them to swim more easily and makes them one of the greatest water hunting dog breeds.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! You can even occupy yourself at home by drawing one on our Chesapeake coloring pages.

Chesapeake Bay Retriever Facts

What Did They Prey On?

Ducks and small birds

What Type of Animal were they?

Omnivores

Average Litter Size?

6- 12

How Much Did They Weigh?

Male: 65- 80 lb Female: 55- 70 lb

What habitat Do they Live In?

maryland and virginia

Where Do They Live?

maryland, virginia in the united states

How Long Were They?

N/A

How Tall Were They?

Male: 23- 26 inFemale: 21- 24 in‍

Class

Mammalia

Genus

Canis

Family

Canidae

Scientific Name

Canis lupus

What Do They Look Like?

Reddish-brown, like dead grass or dark brown

Skin Type

Hair

What Are Their Main Threats?

humans and larger animals

What is their Conservation Status?

Least Concern
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Written by Abhijeet Modi

Master of Computer Science

Abhijeet Modi picture

Abhijeet ModiMaster of Computer Science

An experienced and innovative entrepreneur and creative writer, Abhijeet holds a Bachelor's and Master's degree in Computer Application from Birla Institute of Technology, Jaipur. He co-founded an e-commerce website while developing his skills in content writing, making him an expert in creating blog posts, website content, product descriptions, landing pages, and editing articles. Passionate about pushing his limits, Abhijeet brings both technical expertise and creative flair to his work.

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