Show Update – Maryland: Chesapeake Bay Retriever – CoolWater’s The Tide Is High

GCH CoolWaters The Tide Is High - "Jesse"

GCH CoolWaters The Tide Is High – “Jesse”

It’s been awhile since Jesse has been out on the show circuit. She took several months off and just stepped back into the ring mid-February. Unfortunately, this meant she missed Eukanuba at the end of 2012 and Westminster in early February (2013). Taking the time off, affected her overall ranking for 2012. Regardless, we’re very proud of how she ended the year – Jesse was the #11 Chesapeake (breed points) for 2012.  This is very good considering she wasn’t shown for several months.

So, onto 2013..

Jesse’s first weekend out in 2013 didn’t disappoint. Saturday, Jesse took Best of Breed over 12 other Chesapeakes under judge Marianne Reder. On Sunday, she took Best Opposite Sex.  The judge was extremely complimentary to Jesse and couldn’t say enough nice things about her. Of course, we love judges who love our dogs. 🙂

Chesapeake Coat

The Chesapeake coat is double coated—that is, it has both a soft wooly undercoat and a coarser topcoat (outer coat).

Shedding

Many people ask me “Do Chesapeakes shed?” Yes, Chesapeakes shed and some shed a lot. If you’re looking for the next non-shedding, low maintenance dog then a Chesapeake is not for you.

Most Chesapeakes shed their undercoat twice a year and regrow it again as colder weather comes in; this is also referred to as blowing coat. In many climates, the topcoat and undercoat might shed continuously in greater and smaller quantities all year.

The pattern in which a Chesapeake may shed its coat will vary from dog to dog. Some, will shed minimally but continuously; others, will shed in patches while others will go nearly bald all over.

To help the shedding process you can:

1. Give the dog warm baths to help remove the undercoat
2. Brush (I do this outside) with a Zoom Groom type brush

If your dog’s hair does not start growing back after a month or two, then the shedding might be caused by nutrition or some underlying medical issue. Nutrition plays a big part in coat and each dog is different. For example, my oldest girl goes nearly bald (sheds much more) when she eats ProPlan dog food. However, my youngest does very well on it. A common medical issue in Chessies, thyroidism, can also cause hairloss.

Colors

There are three basic colors in the breed Brown, Sedge and Deadgrass. Brown, is from a very light, silvered brown to a rich deep dark bittersweet chocolate. Sedge is from a reddish yellow through varying chestnut shades to a bright red. Deadgrass varies from faded tan to a dull straw color.  The difference between Sedge and Deadgrass is that Deadgrass contain no significant amount of red, while Sedge does.

Some Chesapeakes have varying degrees of other markings such as: masking on topskull, brindling (a striping effect of light & dark through the body and on the legs), distinct & indistinct saddle markings, agouti coloring and tan points. All are acceptable, but are not preferred, and should not be disqualified in the conformation ring.

There are two color disqualifications in the breed: black coloring and white on any part of the body except breast, belly, toes or back of feet. White which extends above the point of the sternum, whether connected or unconnected to white below, is a disqualifying location. Premature graying does occur in Chesapeakes and should not be cause for disqualification. White is also allowed on the toes and on the back of the feet. Legal white can also occur on the sheath of the penis. The preputial region is a subregion of the pubic portion of the abdomen, in common terms belly.

Puppies

COMMITMENT


Making a commitment to obtain a Chesapeake Bay Retriever puppy shouldn’t be taken lightly. It is a long-term commitment as the average lifespan for a Chesapeake is 8-15 years.

The Chesapeake Bay Retriever is a hardy active breed. As puppies, Chesapeakes requires a lot of socialization, basic obedience, and a firm but honest owner. If you cannot provide these basic items, then a Chesapeake puppy might not be for you.

Chesapeakes are best suited with a job to do – whether it be retrieving the morning paper to retrieving ducks from a blind to obedience work to agility trials. If you aren’t sure whether a Chesapeake Bay Retriever is right for you, but you’d like to learn more, please contact me. I’m happy to help guide you through making the right decision for you and your family.

For more information: [email protected]

SPRING 2022 BREEDING

Sire TBD x Salty

Sire TBD x Pond Hollow Sea Swept to CoolWater

Salty

Pond Hollow Sea Swept to CoolWater

SPRING 2022

OFA Hips: Good EIC: Clear PRA: Clear DM: Clear Salty is a 24″, 85 lb light sedge girl. She has excellent substance, a thick heavily waved coat, great depth of body and sound movement. She is PERSONALITY PLUS-sweet, intelligent, sassy, easy to live with and HAPPY. Salty has never met a stranger and is a HUGE smiler and will regularly Roo Roo Roo when she’s happy had has something to tell you. Salty is a strong swimmer and a fast stylish retriever. She produces puppies with good conformation, excellent bone and substance, great coats and wonderful dispositions. While we do not place puppies based on color, we anticipate all colors will be possible.