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In 1807, near the coast of Maryland an English brig run aground. The crew of the brig were taken off as were two Newfoundlander pups. The dog, Sailor, was a dingy red color and the bitch, Canton, was black. They had thick, short haired coats and were not particularly large but looked strong. Both had yellow eyes. Sailor had an uncommonly thick coat, being more like coarse fur than hair and he had a full tail with long hair.
Sailor and Canton proved to be outstanding water dogs. Canton performed extraordinary feats of endurance, particularly when pursuing wounded swans, which she would follow for miles. Shot ducks presented few problems as she retrieved them from the ice, often in fog and darkness. Both dogs soon acquired a reputation among the fowlers in the Maryland (Chesapeake Bay) area.
The American Indian word “chesepiook”, meaning “many big rivers”, gave Chesapeake Bay its name and the breed of dog that became the wild fowler’s companion.
The Chesapeake Bay had been home to huge numbers of waterfowl that were a source of food for the Indians and the first settlers in the area. It was not surprising that a distinctive breed of dog developed in the Chesapeake Bay area. Though until the appearance of Sailor and Canton there was little attempt to create a standard. There were differences in color and weight, while coats varied from straight to curly. However, the dogs were united in two virtues: temperament and ability. Pointers, Flatcoats, Setters, Coonhounds and Irish Water Spaniels were among the outcrosses used and as the blood mixture varied, so did the resultant types. On the Eastern shore was the Sailor strain, the Chesapeake Bay duck dog. This was a large, reddish animal with long hair and a heavy head. It was a dog that owed much from its Newfoundland origins.
On the Western shore was a strain, stemming from Canton, known as the gunpowder river dog. This dog had webbed paws and a course, heavy coat. The owners of these Chesapeake Bay type dogs were ruthless in disregarding any that showed signs of weakness or lack of ability. As a results, a tough courageous dog emerged, bred for strength, ability and endurance. They often made mile-long swims in pursuit of wounded fowl, sometimes retrieving more than 200 a day. Their marking ability was fantastic and they were in their element in cold waters and freezing conditions.
By the 1870s, two important strains of Chesapeake had developed. In 1876, they were shown for the first time in a Baltimore bench show. However, the two types were dissimilar and it was soon decided to standardize the breed -- dividing it into three types: the otter dog, curly haired dog and straight coated dog. In the 1885, a definite type had evolved and in 1890, the first standard for the breed was developed by the Baltimore Chesapeake Bay Dog Club. Many famous Chesapeake Bay lines were then developed. A deadgrass color strain was developed suitable for the middle West prairies where the dog was becoming popular. The size of this western Chesapeake was also reduce in contrast to the eastern dog which was becoming larger and retaining the reddish (sedge) coat color. In fact, the sedge-grass color proved a source of contention as its detractors claimed that the quality of the coat was suffering.
In 1918, the American Chesapeake Club was started with a membership of 14 to make the breed more uniform and to emphasize the breed’s working ability. A new standard was drawn up and continues to evolve to this day.
Chesapeakes were brought in to Britain by American military personnel during World War II. The present day Chesapeakes in Britain owe much to Margaret Izzard of Ryshot Gundogs who, in 1967, imported a male puppy, “Ryshot Welcome Yank”. She later imported a bitch, “Eastern Waters Ryshot Rose”, which died shortly after having a litter in 1947. The first success in a European field trial was recorded in 1985, when “Arnac Bay Dawnflight of Penrose”, a Chesapeake owned by Janet Morris earned a third place in an “Any Variety” field trial class.
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