Chesapeake Bay Retriever Breed Magazine - Showsight

CHESAPEAKE BAY RETRIEVER Q&A

A well-bred Chesapeake these days is more likely to enjoy the company of a variety of people— not just members of their family.

structurally sound. I am also seeing some coats that are very pretty to look at, but are losing the harsh outer-coat that is so essential in our breed’s water repellency. A contributing factor is that many judges now expect a shiny, clean coat and if a shampoo is consistent- ly used, especially one with conditioner, the coat can become “soft” to the feel. Oil in the coat is a quality that should be judged for and not against. Some coats, I fear, really are too soft and curly. We are not supposed to have the shiny look and silky feel of a Golden or the incredible softness of a Curly. Ours is supposed to be a practical breed, requiring very little grooming for the show ring. If I wanted a breed that required constant coat care, I would not have chosen the Chesapeake. I would love to see us go back to the days when one could hunt in the early a.m. and then simply hose the dog off and be competing in the show ring in the afternoon. Every moment I save in not having to groom is more time spent engaging in fun activities with my dog. I believe proper coat is, by far, the most difficult thing for most judges to understand. Lastly, I hate to say it, but I have noticed that some bloodlines over the years have concentrated solely on producing only show dogs to the exclusion of field ability and vice versa. I am not say- ing this is intentional, just a sad by-product of putting too much emphasis on one aspect of the breed. I would be heartsick if our breed broke off into two branches—the show dogs and the field dogs. Luckily, most Chesapeakes can still do what they were bred to do. I just hope we as a whole keep it that way. We already have many dedicated breeders that are determined to produce show dogs that can be used as hunting dogs. Judges can tremendously help breeders by consistently putting up structurally sound dogs with proper coat and not get hung up on a single aspect of the breed standard. Something else to share: The breed standard describes a well- balanced, powerfully built, structurally sound dog that moves freely and effortlessly. This is very important. Not just for pretty move- ment in the show ring, but for the soundness necessary to allow the dog to hunt well into old age and to decrease the incidence of injuries. We’ve personally bred and owned a dog that earned her fourth and last Master National plate as an 11-year-old—struc- tural soundness really and truly matters. That brings me to my last point. Too many Chesapeakes are shown too fat. It’s as if the judges mistake an overweight dog for one with substance. A CBR should look like a Sporting dog, ready for the field at the drop of a hat and one that could be hunted hard all day. Our breed excels not only as working retrievers, but also as upland dogs. Think of how lean breeds—specifically developed as upland dogs—are in the Sporting Group. We should have fit dogs. Yes, they should be powerfully-built for retrieving under very harsh conditions, but also built for doing it every day during hunting season. Moderation is so very important!

Some judges and breeders absolutely will show a color pref- erence towards brown. Many refer to CBRs as “the brown dog.” Again, I want to reiterate that this is a hunting breed, the different colors being developed for particular hunting habitats. A dark brown Chesapeake will figuratively “disappear” along a heavily wooded river bank such as those on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. A deadgrass Chesapeake is the perfect “cammo dog” in a Texas rice field or a Midwestern corn field. Sedge is perfect for clay river banks. Etc, etc, etc. I think you get the picture. There should never be a preference for one color over another. Each acceptable color corresponds to a particular hunting habitat. Temperament: Should be happy and confident. Aggressive is never acceptable. An insufficiently socialized Chesapeake may appear timid, but this should never progress to aggression. Let’s face it, dog shows are not at all like real life. A puppy or a young dog that is new to the dog show world is often a little unnerved. Being comfortable in such a strange environment takes time. Socializa- tion is key. At home, the Chessie is playful and extremely loyal to his/her family. I think the breed standard is pretty straight forward in terms of disqualifications. However, I will elaborate on one in particular. I truly believe it is easier for future judges and owners to respect the standard if they understand the “why” for a disqualification. So I will elaborate on one: Coat: curly or tendency to curl all over the body, feathering on legs or tail that is over 1.75 inches long. Think practical hunting breed—soft, curly coats are not as water repellent as they need to be. Long feathering encourages burrs and debris to collect when hunt- ing. Personally, after hunting I want to relax with my dog—not spend hours grooming the crud out of their coats. I cannot think of any “secrets.” Most breeders I know are very dedicated and like to fully disclose the down and dirty as well as the exceptional qualities of the breed to potential puppy purchas- ers. The philosophy is that one cannot make an informed deci- sion unless one has all the information. Besides that, a “delight- ful” behavior to one person, can be an “unacceptable” trait to another person. Current trends in breeding: I think the dedicated, conscien- tious breeders have done a lot towards improving temperaments in the breed in the last 20-30 years. That should definitely be contin- ued. A well-bred Chesapeake these days is more likely to enjoy the company of a variety of people—not just members of their family. However, the instinctive protective nature and intense loyalty is still there. It’s just not carried to extremes. On a negative note: I do, however, think many of today’s show dogs are losing balance front to rear. I see many more dogs that are over-angulated in the rear compared to the front. This is not

206 | SHOWSIGHT MAGAZINE, JULY 2020

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