I am eight years old today and as a way of celebrating, I’m featuring my breed all week on this here blog. Chesapeake Bay Retrievers are not as well known as say, Labradors, so I’m here to educate y’all on some of our great, and not so great, qualities.
Let’s kick off the week with how I look. I am 56, you know, and I think I look darn fine. But I want to talk about a Chessie’s characteristics.
See those green eyes above? As a puppy, chessies have either green or blue eyes which will eventually turn to a golden hazel. These eyes make it difficult to take indoor photos, as illustrated below in the before pic. But once those humans of yours figure out how to REALLY use the camera they have, you can get a nice representation of what a chessie’s eyes look like.
Frequently on walks, other humans will say “What a beautiful chocolate lab!” I’ve seen A-Dog and Shoes-on-the-Floor react differently each time to this misinformation. They used to get a little huffy and try explaining what breed I was and see how my hair is wavy in places. Then it moved to a quip, “She’s something like that.” Now they just smile. Do I get offended by some human’s ignorance of my breed? Not in the least. If I’m out for a walk and seeing other people and dogs, Dude! I’M OUT FOR A WALK! Who cares what people call me?
If you look closely, my coat is distinctive. We Chessies come in a variety of warm, earthy browns. But we all have this wavy look because we have a double coat. The top coat helps us repel water with its slightly oily texture and the undercoat stays kind of dry to help us swim in any temperature water. You can find me at any time of year swimming. It’s what I’m built for with my webbed feet and crazy desire for waterways. And yes, Chesapeake Bay Retrievers are named for that waterway in Maryland.
So, come on back all week for more fascinating tidbits about Chessies.
And Happy Birthday to me!
