A Breed Profile by Everett Headley
The turn of the nineteenth century ushered in a storied era of American duck hunting. Market hunting and punt guns supplied untold numbers of canvasbacks to the elite in restaurants across the eastern seaboard. Flocks flew thick and swiftly through the estuaries. Regulations were only beginning to be written, and enforcement was nearly non-existent. Hauls, measured in the dozens, required a retriever with the ruggedness to withstand that type of nightly workload, and the endurance to quit only when given the command.
Born into these settings, the Chesapeake Bay Retriever earned its prominence as a “ducking dog,” and its primacy among other retrievers remains unchallenged. In the two-hundred years following, refinement has elevated the Chessie, along with waterfowling, into the consummate hunting experience.
There is no quibbling about owning this breed of retriever. There is a singularity to their existence that can only be described as “duck obsessed.” A handler must be similarly fixated on hunting them. Their smaller cousin, the Labrador retriever, has found themselves as content in front of a fireplace as the icy waters of a winter shoot. The differing lines of field and show labs have produced a dog that does both well, but one focus is at the expense of the other. Chessies have no such divergence in their breeding. The dog seen in the confirmation ring will be the same one found in a blind. He will need to immerse himself in the frozen waters and prove his skills to himself, and his master. At once, you will marvel at his ability to intuit his role and its graceful execution.
As though he were the product of a wish list created by a committee of haggard and seasoned waterfowlers, he excels in every area that might be required in the water. Focus steels his body and nerves until “back” is uttered by his master. Best in class muscles propel him torpedo-like towards his target. He barely notices the current while simultaneously accounting for any drift it might have on him or the waiting mark. His maw clamps down with equal confidence. Whether it be a teal, diver, or goose, a Chessie employs unequal pressure ensuring a clean retrieve. He will place it at the feet or in the hand of the same who gave the command to go, but from the Chessie’s perspective, it will remain his bird. If there is a fault in him, it is in his possessions. The water has not touched his skin. The oil and coat upon coat, prevents it. Any shiver is from the thrill of fulfilling his innate existence. He rests at “place,” disciplined on his own in expectation of another opportunity.
This all comes at a price, and depending on the individual, it is either steep or prohibitive. A powerful drive is fueled by supreme intelligence which manifests itself in the form of obstinance. If there is any true quote known of Chessies it is the adage “you can order a Labrador, ask a golden, but you negotiate with a Chessie.” He exhibits critical thinking found only in the higher order of animals. A crippled duck may dive, but the dog knows he will need to surface, and he waits patiently. The training required is more about the handler and canine coming to an understanding, than a formal routine of back and forth. In the end, it will not be the master who decides a session is complete. It will be the Chessie, examining him with bold eyes indicating his already demonstrated competency. This makes a confident handler a necessity, for if he is not the alpha, a Chesapeake Bay Retriever will soon usurp the role.
Anyone who’s been counted by this breed, and found acceptable, will know that there is no finer companion afield. He will earn a loyalty bestowed on very few people. This is a one-person dog to be sure. He may tolerate strangers when asked, and abide other family members daily in his presence. But there is just one he watches for movement and direction. Discriminating is the polite term, devoted is what he is. And after a lifetime of hunting, it will be unmistakable that they were conceived for ducks and the duck hunter.
