Country/Date of Origin: USA/1800s
This is a made in the USA breed that was begun in 1807 from a pair of Newfoundland puppies that were rescued from a shipwreck off the coast of Maryland. No one knows which dogs were crossed with the original two but the result was a water fowling dog, capable of heavy duty work in cold water. Considered the best duck retriever of all time, the Chesapeake Bay Retriever ruled the blinds for a hundred and fifty years, fetching as many as three hundred ducks a day from the icy water. The days of plentiful game are gone but the Chessie's companionable qualities have kept the breed alive.