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Chesapeake Retriever Information
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Thank you for visiting Chesapeake Retrievers. We try to provide you with the most complete information we can about labs from all over the world. We update our sources constantly. Please scroll down to learn more.
Atticles and Information
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Chesapeake Bay Retriever Website
A marvelous information center for ChesapeakesEarly Chesapeake History
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It all began in the year 1807 when an English ship was wrecked off the coast of Maryland. Fortunately, all hands were saved including two puppies. One was a reddish male named Sailor, and the other a young, black bitch named Canton in honor of the rescuing ship. The puppies were of the St. John's Newfoundland breed, used at the time to help fishermen recover their nets. Both were given homes in the Chesapeake Bay area, and as a result of their disposition toward water, were trained and used as duck retrievers.
While Sailor and Canton were never bred to each other, they are considered to be the original breeding stock of the present Chesapeakes. However there have been numerous theories concerning which crosses were instrumental in maintaining and enhancing the desirable characteristics of the breed. It is believed that the Curly and Flat-Coated Retrievers, the Irish Water Spaniel, several setter breeds, and coonhounds, along with local duck retrievers, played a part in the development of a definite, true-breeding type of dog by 1885. This breed of dog became known for their courage and prowess exhibited in the icy cold waters of the Chesapeake Bay. Recognition of their unique abilities led to careful developmental breeding resulting in the Chesapeake we know today.
The first Chesapeake Bay Retriever was registered by the American Kennel Club in 1878. The present American Chesapeake Club was recognized by the AKC in 1918, becoming the first member breed club for retrievers.
Other Early Chesapeake History
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Following the shipwreck, Dr. James Stuart of Sparrows Point, Maryland, was very kind and helpful to the British seaman. To show their gratitude, they presented the two dogs to him. Sparrows Point being quite near Baltimore and on the Chesapeake Bay, Dr. Stuart was an ardent hunter of waterfowl. He lost no time in discovering that his two new dogs were superlative retrievers. In no time at all, bitches of all descriptions arrived to be bred to Sailor. Many of these were of the common yellow Coonhound varitety, and it is thought that the varying shades of brown in the Chesapeake evolved from the Coonhound matings. Sailor, presumably, was bred to Canton, although there is no positive record of mating of the two. Pups from such matings are believed to have been kept by Dr. Stuart and probably were guarded jealously from other hunters. Eventually, but at least by 1885, a distinct Chesapeake breed had been established.
Another story of the evolution of the Chesapeake breed is bandied by an elderly gentleman, General Latrobe. According to General Latrobe, a Newfoundland vessel was stranded on the Maryland shore, and two dogs on board (lesser Newfoundlands) were presented to a Mr. George Law, who helped the captain. The General crossed the two with common Coonhounds of that day.
Another interesting story about the mystery of this breed is the Carroll Island Gun Club. During the latter part of the nineteenth century, there existed a club known as the Carroll Island Gun Club. The members bred Chesapeakes exclusively, and sportsmen came from all over the country just to shoot over these dogs and to see them retrieve. Unfortunately, in the early years of the twentieth century, there was a disasterous fire at the club and all of the Carroll Island breeding records were lost.
19th Century History
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This section was extracted from "A History of the Chesapeake Bay Retriever" Edited by Eloise Heller and published by the American Chesapeake Club MCMLXVII.
"By l885, a very definite type of dog had developed and this type was known far and wide for the prowess it exhibited in the rough cold waters of the Chesapeake Bay. There were several differences between this dog and the present day type; the most noteworthy being the fact that the breed could be found in one color - dark brown shading into a sort of reddish sedge. The deadgrass color was unknown. The head was inclined to be of a more wedge-shaped type and the coats were longer and thicker than the best that can be found today.
Shortly before World War I, the Chesapeake began to take a great hold in the middle west and here the deadgrass was developed, a development which has been the source of much argument and misunderstanding. Whether the addition of the lighter coat really benefitted the breed and made it suitable for a wider variety of conditions is a debatable point, but certainly it is acknowledged that the coats of the Chesapeake suffered in this innovation. At the same time the size of the dog was decreased to cover the needs of shooting conditions of the middle west. In the meantime, the east while not tampering with color, did seem to increase the size of its dogs and so the eastern and western types found an almost irreconcilable breach between them.
Only since l930, has this gap started to close, and today the Chesapeake is fast coming back to a more definite type. There is a great improvement in the coats of the deadgrass dogs, and the color and weights in all parts of the country are once more returning from the extremes. Within the last few years the Chesapeake has not only developed into a more uniform type, but the average quality of the breed is vastly improved.
Early bloodlines, this is a most superficial discussion of important Chesapeake bloodlines, but the following brief summary be may helpful to new breeders.
Many famous Chesapeake lines were developed in the late l880s and thereafter including the famed Carrols Island Gun Club strain, the great dogs of Earl Henry (the founder of the western Chesapeake), the early representatives of the Chesacroft Kennels while under the ownership and management of William Hurst of Baltimore.
20th Century History
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Today the Chesapeake competing in the field trials and bench shows stem largely from four comparatively recent sources: Sodak's Gypsy Prince, Skipper Bob, Bud Parker, and the dogs of the eastern shore of Maryland.
Sodak's Gypsy Prince was bred by the late Father Joseph Schuster in Albertville, Minnesota, and was imported to the east at the time of the first retriever trail in l932. Prince was the first Chesapeake to win both bench and field trial championship. He was an exceptional stud dog and introduced to the breed a speed and style that became the foundation of the modern field trial Chesapeake. Crossed with the progeny of the great Skipper Bob, Prince's descendants for a time dominated the Chesapeake field trail scene. His better known decendants include the field trial champions Chesacroft Baron, Sodak's Rip, Shagwong Gypsy, Tiger of Clipper City and many others. His (Prince's) name is found in the pedigree of almost every Chesapeake placing in a field trial during the first fifteen years of field trials.
The great field trial Champion Skipper Bob was sired by Prince of Montauk, a descendant of the great Chesacroft dogs of William Hurst. Field Trial champion Montauk Pilot was a littermate of Skipper Bob. Skipper was the best known of all retrievers in the early days of field trials, and his brother Pilot while not as brilliant, was almost as successful. Crossed with Sodak's Gyps Prince strain through Princess Ann, Skipper Bob and his progeny produced many winners.
Skipper Bob's greatest quality (and one that has never been excelled and perhaps never equalled) was his ability to make the fall of his bird. In the early days of retriever trials, cripples wre purposely included in every open dog test, and if a dog failed to make his retrieve, the next dog in line was given a chance to 'wipe his eye'. Many of Skipper's greatest wins came from this uncanny ability to wait as long as one-half hour while another dog searched, and to go directly to the fall and come back with the bird.
The Canadian dog, Bud Parker, produced many of the greatest bench show Chesapeakes of modern times, and much of his stock can also be fond in the pedigrees of the field trial competitiors. Champion bud Parker's Ripple, Champion Bud Parker II, and Champion Airline Theresa are among the more outstanding of his bench show progeny.
All of these dogs stemmed from the Chesapeakes of the eastern shore of Maryland, and they and their progency were, in turn, bred back to the eastern shore Chesapeakes to produce the winners of the l940s and l950s.
The breed is today more uniform in looks, disposition, and working ability than it has been for many years, and with the efforts of Chesapeake breeders throughout the country who are now cooperating and exchanging ideas, even more progress will be made in the years to come.
(We thank Mr. Bliss for permitting us to use his material on the early development of the breed).
Russ Iorns, a former vice president of the Club, was curious as to when the first Chesapeake was registered in the US. So he wrote a letter of inquiry to the AKC. They replied telling him that the first Chesapeake Bay registration was in l878, under the name of "Sunday", number l408, and was owned by G. W. Kierstead of La Porte, Indiana. The dog was born in October l875 and was bred by O.D.Foulkes.
By l934, there were l03 Chesapeakes registered with the AKC out of a total 283 retrievers, In l940, there were 327 Chesapeakes registered in a total of l022 retriever, in other words approximately one-third of all retrievers were Chesapeakes. By l945, although Chesapeake registrations had increased to 427 dogs total retriever registrations went up to l955 dogs. Chesapeakes were one-fourth of the total. In l950, although Chesapeakes registrations had increased to 628, the total retriever registration was now 4208. By l955, Chesapeake registrations number 746 in a total of 7763 - only one-tenth were Chesapeakes. In l966, 972 Chesapeakes were registered, 5644 Goldens and l3,686 Labradors - the total being 20,302 retrievers. So although we have increased the number of our dogs registered each year, we occupy only third place in total retriever registrations and fifty-fourth place in the ll2 AKC recognized breed.
Although less than a l,000 registrations per year does not seem like a lot geographically our breeders are well distributed throughout the country.
Authors Update on Chesapeake Registrations. In 1995, 5,096 Chesapeakes were registered in 42nd place of 140 AKC recognized breeds, 64,107 Goldens in 4th place, and 132,051 Labradors in 1st place - only one-fortieth were Chesapeakes.
On the east coast the Daniel Horns, whose permanent home is New Jersey, have developed the famous Eastern Waters' strain which has produced several successive generations of bench and obedience champions.
The August Belmonts of Long Island, New York, have maintained their South Bay Kennels and have produced a line which traces back to field champion and amateur field Champion Atom Bob.
In the central part of the country William Hoard, Jr. of Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin, has specialized in a deadgrass hunting straing of great prowess. His dogs go back to his field trial and amateur field champion Deerwood Trigger.
P. J. Gagnon of Robbinsdale, Minnesota has bred the well-known Deerwood strain for many years.
In Ohio, Ralph Mock's Chesapeakes are famous for their hunting ability as well as their good looks. They originated with his Amabeur Field Champion Chuck's Rip Joy.
Hack Woodall of Wilmington, Illinois, and his father Fred, before, have also produced a wonderful strain of dogs.
In Michigan, Marjorie Reynolds has an excellent line whose bloodlines contain much of the best from Canada.
Tom Bomford of Miami, Oklahoma is still raising Chesapeakes with our vice president Robert Ray, Jr. of Hastings, Nebraska and has always been one of the breed's most ardent supporters.
In southern parts of the country, Mary Pantzer of Vienna, Virginia raises dogs of bench and obedience stock. Vachel Downs of Centeville, Maryland, enthusiastically promotes the breed in his area and also tries to convince the Maryland owners to register their dogs. Unfortunately in Maryland this custom has been neglected and one sees many fine specimens who ancestry can no longer be traced due to this careless attitude on the part of owners.
In Florida, Mildred Buchholz of Merritt Island is one of the most energetic and successful breeders and exhibitors, specializing in obedience and bench.
In the west, Dr. John Lundy has been a mainstay of the breed for many a year. His dog's trace to his fine field champion and amateur field champion Atom Bob. Dr. Miles Thomas and Winston Moore also of Boise have been active breeders and supporters of the Chesapeake.
In the state of Washington, the William Reids are well know bench and obedience exhibitors in the northwest and in western Canada.
In California, the E.C. Fleischmanns have had a field trial strain for many years which traces to their dual champion and amateur field champion Mt. Joy's Mallard.
Your editor has also developed a field trial strain stemming from field champion, amateur field champion, and Canadian field champion Nelgard's Baron, CD, his son dual and amateur field trial champion Baron's Tule Tiger, CD and now a third generation stud, Champion Tiger's Cub.
l967. The Michigan Chesapeakes were in Utica Michigan and had the kennel name of Silverdart.
