Grooming
Chesapeake Bay Retriever grooming is reasonably straightforward. Coming from a breed mix of Newfoundlands (heavy shedders) and Irish Water Spaniels (light shedders), these little bears got it just right with their low-maintenance grooming. Their harsh outer coat and soft undercoat need a thorough weekly brushing to keep their short hair healthy and ready for their close-up, though you’ll want to bump that brushing up to daily during the spring and fall when Chessies blow their coats (aka shed their old coats to let their winter or spring coats come in). A fine wire slicker brush will do the trick every time for unruly curls.
Outdoorsy Chessies need their nails trimmed every two to four weeks to avoid walking or running discomfort. Because they need their natural oils for a healthy coat and water resistance, don’t bathe this dog more than every two months, and when you do, use a mild pet shampoo.
To keep Chesapeake Bay Retriever teeth in tip-top shape, brush them daily, and your vet should do a professional cleaning yearly. It’s never too early to get your Chessie used to having their teeth cleaned. Make a game of it—through dental treats and flavored toothpaste—and your faithful friend will reward you with fuss-free toothbrushing.
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Training
Intelligent, loving and strong-willed—that’s the Chessie in a nutshell. That can make training your Chesapeake Bay Retriever puppy challenging, especially for first-time pet parents. Professional Chessie training using positive reinforcement is strongly encouraged for this breed, and once you get the ball rolling (pun intended), they are eager to learn. Naturally, they excel at various dog sports. Food is a strong motivator for Chessies.
Some Chessies can be prone to resource-guarding, so training is necessary to nip that undesirable behavior in the bud. And if you enjoy having friends, family and the occasional co-worker over, early socialization is a must for a well-mannered, stress-free pet. Socialization helps pups get used to meeting new people and other dogs, so they’ll be more comfortable mixing and mingling as they grow up. Take your Chesapeake Bay Retriever puppy on walks and let them meet other dogs and people. Consider enrolling them in puppy school, where they learn how to play nicely with other puppies and meet new adults—all in one location.
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Diet
A healthy Chesapeake Bay Retriever diet consists of high-quality dog food. Before buying, be sure to factor in your dog’s age and look for food that matches their stage in life (puppy, adult or senior).
Chessies are always on the go, so a high-protein diet best suits their lifestyle. But this doesn’t mean that they can eat whenever they want—which, let’s face it, means whenever there’s food around. For optimum health and adherence to weight recommendations, you should set specific meal times, and Chessie size standards should determine their portion sizes. Treats, while a viable training method, should be kept to a minimum under any other circumstance. Yes, even triathletes need to watch their weight. Who knew?
Be sure to consult with your veterinarian about your Chesapeake Bay Retriever’s specific needs. After all, they are in the best position to determine the proper diet to meet your dog’s lifestyle.
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Exercise
Tired of having workout partners who constantly make excuses for ditching exercise dates (my dog ate my shoes!) or who straight-up bail on you for that morning run? The Chesapeake Bay Retriever dog breed lives to exercise with a capital “E.” At the very least, Chessies need 30 minutes of intense daily activity to be happy and content. These dynamic dogs were built for endurance and strength and will spend countless hours playing outside, so a brisk walk around the block simply won’t do.
Swimming is an excellent activity to help your Chessie burn off all their energy. With their webbed feet and waterproof coat, these water dogs would happily splash the day away with you. You provide the pool or lake, and they’ll provide the fun.
Apart from outdoor frolic and play, Chessies are excellent at dog sport-related activities, including hunting retrievals, field trials, rally, flyball, dock diving, agility and tracking.
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Environment
The Chesapeake Bay Retriever’s ideal environment is a house on a lot of land with numerous lakes or pools and plenty of animals to hunt and retrieve. Not a tall order at all, eh? Barring that, they’re happiest in a home where they have lots of room to run and play (and extra points if you do have a lake for them to swim in, though a pool will do in a pinch), with an active pet parent who loves to explore the outdoors as much as they do. Originally from Maryland, Chessies thrive in colder climates due to their oily, weather-resistant coat, so cold weather and cold water is no problem. Because of their high exercise needs and tendency to bark, apartment living is not ideal for these dogs, but a determined pet parent can make it work as long as they have access to a fenced, dog-friendly area where their pup can run.
Chesapeake Bay Retrievers can get along with kids, cats, dogs and just about anyone if properly socialized to co-exist. Still, you are looking for an easy-going lapdog, you are barking up the wrong tree or, in this case, swimming in the wrong lake.
The perfect match for this super-athlete is an equally energetic pet parent with the experience and patience to know when to curb a strong-willed streak and when to let the Chessie be their lovable, intrepid self.
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