For the wrap-up of Chessie Week, I thought I’d give you a history of the breed.
An English brig shipwrecked off the coast of Maryland in 1907. The crew was rescued, as well as two Newfoundland puppies named Sailor and Canton. They were bred to local retrievers, including the English Otter Hound, Flat-Coat and Curly-Coated Retriever. The Chesapeake Bay Retriever was created, one of the few American-bred dogs.
Chessies were well-known for hunting waterfowl in rough and icy waters. We could be asked to retrieve hundreds of ducks in a day. We could be in the icy waters of the Chesapeake Bay for many hours retrieving and tossing them over the side of the boat with very little rest. Gives you a little snapshot into how much exercise we need, doesn’t it? As a result of being in the water for so long, we started to think instead of just obey. Perhaps the reason why we have the reputation of being stubborn…
That’s just a little of Chessie history. We have our unique traits, just like most breeds. if you’re interested in a hands-on experience with all different kinds of breeds, you can visit Meet the Breeds. This is an AKC event at the Javits Center in NYC on October 17 and 18. There will be 166 breeds of dog (lots of cat breeds too, if you like that sort of thing), including the Chesapeake. Go, pet our wavy fur and perhaps, fall in love.
Thanks for hanging out for the week and celebrating my heritage! Woof!
Category Archives: retrievers
Chesapeake Bay Retriever Week – A Little History
Stinky Dog Blog
From Scout the Dog’s Archives
That’s what A-Dog and Shoes-on-the-Floor have been saying. Almost every time I’m near them, it’s “OMG, you smell!” Let me shed (ha ha – dog pun) some light on the topic from down here in doggydom.
First of all, the smell doesn’t bother my nose. I love when things smell bad. Why do you think I rub my neck on that dead squirrel on the ground? I put my nose right up the droppings of my friends just to check them out, pee on it and smell it again. So, all the fussing about my smell, falls on deaf doggie ears.
I have heard at the vet (THE scariest place) that a healthy dog shouldn’t smell. Here’s what you do: bathe me. Radical, I know, but it should work. And please, use something that doesn’t have a lot of chemicals. I lick myself over and over again, so whatever you use, I will be sampling it.
If I still smell, then it could be a bunch of different things. My diet may need adjusting. I suggest more meat and some more meat. Or I’ve heard about glands on the backside having problems. But every self-respecting dog should be able to maintain those for you. Otherwise, you’ve got an attention-seeker on your hands. Check my teeth, ears, coat, bark bark bark (that’s blah blah blah for dogs)… it’s gotta be something. You’re the human – you figure it out.
I’m gonna go stick my head inside a shoe. There’s plenty to choose from on the floor in this house. Here endeth the doggie lesson – woof!
Hey! That’s my head right there.
Visit RiverDog Prints for Custom Greeting Cards!
Fall in Connecticut
Yes, my readers, I live in the Northeast of the US, where the leaves are falling, election signs remain in neighborhoods and it’s chocolate season. I could rant about how dogs can’t eat chocolate for this entire post, but I’ll move on to topic.
Leaves, leaves, leaves! Dogs love leaves! We can hide our stuff in them and dig, dig, dig.
My people rake them into piles. they might as well put a bullseye right in the middle, because I can’t resist. Any toy or stick I have goes right in the center. I bury my head in there and it’s like a narcotic. I forget where I am – I am nose and paws and nothing else. Maybe a little ears too, because I hear A-Dog call my name from far away. Buzzkill.
So, my advice is to just let it go. How many times a year do us dogs really get to enjoy a big pile of diggable, organic matter? I hear Shoes and A-Dog laugh at me in the way I know I can keep it up. But my canine friends, keep your ears pricked for that inevitable change to impatience. We always outlast those humans. Here endeth the doggie lesson – woof!
Hey! That’s my head right there.
Visit RiverDog Prints for Custom Greeting Cards!
