Chesapeake Bay Retriever Care

The Chesapeake Bay Retriever: athletic, intelligent, and often stubborn. Dogs of this breed are a bit rare--and as owners will attest, "Chessies," as they're commonly called, require a good bit of care, particularly with exercise and diet requirements. This page is your definitive Chesapeake Bay Retriever guide to caring for these dogs: you'll find info on puppy development, exercise needs, diet and nutrition and more in the sections below. For answers to all your Chesapeake Bay Retriever care questions, read on!

With their history as waterfowl retrievers, Chesapeake Bay Retrievers need a good deal of daily exercise--and if swimming is part of their daily activities, even better. These dogs are athletic and energetic, and require some consistent exercise in order to remain good-natured and peaceful.

Bust exactly how much daily exercise does a Chesapeake Bay Retriever need? The typical adult Chessie, depending on its age and overall activity level, will need at least an hour of vigorous activity per day, part of which will hopefully be swimming. You can start exercising a Chessie puppy at three months old by taking it on short (10- to 15-minute) leashed walks, then increasing the walks' duration as the puppy grows. At about six months, you can also start playing simple games of fetch with the Chessie pup; as a natural retriever, your Chessie will gladly participate! (Just don't toss the ball or stick very far, so the puppy doesn't run too much while retrieving it.)

There are, of course, some precautions to be taken when exercising a dog of this breed: first, puppies younger than nine months old shouldn't participate in activities that include a lot of jumping and running, as doing so can injure their still-developing bones and joints. (Chessie pups can start swimming at around nine months old as well.) And no matter its age, a Chessie will definitely need to be leashed while in public. These dogs are usually intolerant of strangers and other animals (particularly other dogs), so they'll need to be carefully controlled when around unknown people and animals. They also have very high prey drives, so they'll instinctively chase interesting-looking creatures, especially birds. A leash, therefore, is a must when you and your Chessie are out and about.

Safeguards aside, it's vital that Chesapeake Bay Retrievers get some exercise every single day. If bored or restless, dogs of this breed will exhibit behavioral problems including destructiveness, disobedience, hyperactivity, and increased stubbornness, so consistent activity is good for both the dog's sanity and your own. A few exercise ideas:

• Walking/Jogging: Two 30-minute walks (or 20-minute jogs) is a good target
• Swimming: A favorite activity for these dogs
• Fetch: Your Chessie will chase a ball or stick for hours
• Tug-of-War: Great indoor rainy-day activity; use a rope or old towel
• Hiking: Excellent bonding activity; bonus if you can trust your Chessie off-leash

When indoors, it's a good idea to give your Chessie access to one or more balls or chew-toys that will allow the dog to burn any pent-up energy. It's also recommended that you establish a consistent daily exercise schedule for your Chessie, such as walks or jogs after breakfast and dinner and a swim or other play period in the afternoon.

In terms of shedding and drooling, maintenance for these dogs is moderate to high. Chesapeake Bay Retriever shedding, like that of most retriever breeds, is fairly heavy, especially during the spring shedding season; drooling occurs at times as well with these dogs.

Chessie coats, though short-haired, are double-layered, with a harsh, oily outer coat and a woolly, dense undercoat. This undercoat sheds some year-round--but during the spring shedding season (and sometimes the fall one as well), the shedding is profuse. Brushing your Chessie once or twice a week, and daily during shedding season, will help remove some of the shed hairs--but nonetheless, owners can expect to use their vacuum cleaners and lint rollers pretty regularly.

Chessies may drool in anticipation of food, when excited, or after drinking water, but the drooling isn't excessive like that of a Saint Bernard or a Bloodhound. It might be a good idea for breed owners to keep an old rag or towel handy to clean up excess slobber, but the drooling isn't a huge problem for these dogs. If your Chessie is drooling constantly, it may be a sign of a medical issue, in which case a veterinarian's care is needed.

Without question, Chesapeake Bay Retrievers are naturally athletic dogs. And to go along with their "high-performance" lifestyle, these dogs need diets similar to those of professional athletes: food packed with proteins and carbohydrates that provide them with plenty of energy. Many breeders and Chessie experts believe that a raw/fresh diet consisting only of fresh meats and vegetables, eggs, fish, and other prepared foods is the best Chesapeake Bay Retriever food there is--and while they may technically be correct, a lot of Chessie owners find such a diet to be too expensive and inconvenient, and choose premium dry food instead. If dry food is your preference rather than raw/fresh, the kibble must be high in quality, as premium food will contain the animal proteins and carbs that are so essential to a Chessie. Cheap, generic, "store-brand" dog foods will not contain nearly enough nutrients, and your Chessie will suffer greatly if it's only fed cheap foods.

Furthermore, the experts say, owners are advised to add some fresh meat or vegetables to their Chessies' dry meals on a daily basis, if possible, to pack in more protein and carbs. Also be sure to give your Chessie access to plenty of fresh water at all times.

And just how much should you feed your Chesapeake Bay Retriever? An adult Chessie, depending on its age, activity level, and size, will need about 2½ cups of premium dry food per day, divided into two meals. Chessie puppies, again depending on their age, will need a bit less: about 1½ cups per day, divided into three meals (not two) until the age of six months. It's best to feed a young Chessie puppy food for its first nine months, then you can transition to adult food by mixing the two for a few days. For more details on feeding a Chesapeake Bay Retriever from puppyhood through physical maturity, see the chart below.

*--Around this time, transition to adult food by first mixing just a bit of adult formula with the puppy formula. Over the course of a week, with each meal add a bit more adult food to each meal until the dog is eating it entirely.

It's highly recommended that Chessie owners stick to the above-listed portions; though a dog of this breed could certainly eat a lot more, these amounts are ample enough. Despite their athleticism, Chessies have a high tendency for becoming overweight if fed too much, especially if they don't get enough exercise. A fat Chesapeake Bay Retriever will have joint, breathing, and digestive issues, not to mention a shortened lifespan--and since movement will be more difficult, the fat Chessie will possibly become depressed. You can control your Chessie's weight in several ways: by having consistent exercise and feeding schedules; by not feeding the dog table scraps; and perhaps most important, by never "free-feeding" a Chesapeake Bay Retriever. (Free-feeding is leaving food in a dog's bowl all the time, allowing it to eat anytime it wants.) Owners are strongly advised to put their Chessies' bowls down only at mealtimes, then pick them up 15-20 minutes after the dogs begin eating.

If you're worried your Chesapeake Bay Retriever is overweight, give the dog this simple Ribs Test: run a hand along its side, and if you can't feel any ribs, it's diet time. Decrease your Chessie's daily food consumption by one-fourth, and add an extra walk, swim, or play period to its daily exercise schedule.

Though opinions differ over what's the best dog food for Chesapeake Bay Retrievers, a popular and sensible choice is premium dry food. Some breeders believe in only a raw/fresh diet of lean meats, fresh vegetables, and other prepared foods for these dogs, as this diet will provide the most nutrients--but if you find a raw/fresh diet to be too inconvenient and expensive, premium dry food (and not cheap food!) is a great choice. You might want to add some fresh meat or vegetables to one or both daily meals, for added nutrition and to make the meal more appetizing to the dog.

Chessies originated near the icy water of Chesapeake Bay and are therefore accustomed to moderate seasonal changes. They thrive in cool weather to cold weather but should easily adapt to most temperatures. This breed truly enjoys swimming even in icy water.