How They Look

The Chesapeake Bay Retriever is a large breed with a coat that’s generally thick, short and somewhat harsh with a fine, wooly undercoat that’s well suited to wet, cold conditions. Color usually ranges from dark sedge to lighter brown shades with some flexibility. Solid colors are preferred but a white spot on the breast, belly, toes, or back of the feet is allowed. The hair coat should be slightly wavy and no more than 1 1/2″ long. Tails are left full and should be straight or slightly curved.

How They Grow 

Chessies are a large breed that tend to grow pretty quickly. For adult dogs, the height usually ranges from 21 to 26 inches from the ground to the highest point of the shoulders and weight usually ranges between 55 and 80 pounds. They can be pretty big eaters so it’s generally best to keep a close eye on food intake and monitor puppy growth carefully.

How They Hunt

The Chesapeake Bay Retriever is a tough breed that’s well suited to hunting in very low temperatures and snow or icy water. They’re a powerful and versatile hunting breed that should stay within gun range and retrieve naturally. They have large jaws to easily retrieve large game birds and are ideally suited for waterfowl but can hunt upland birds as well.

How They Behave

Chesapeake Bay Retrievers are usually bright and happy dogs and known to be affectionate. Not surprisingly, they love water and other outdoor activities. The breed is known to be loyal and they can be protective of home and family but don’t generally exhibit aggressive traits.

What To Feed

Chessies usually hold their weight pretty well, so we recommend Active 26K as the best starting point. If your dog does struggle to maintain weight when very active, we see great results from switching to the Power 30K formula.