History of the Chesapeake Bay Retriever

The following information I found to be interesting and included the dogs used to found the Chesapeake. I have over the years sought any documented information about these early American dogs. The information is from a 70’s Dog World and is taken from an article Written by Vadim A. Cher, concerning the St. John’s Newfoundland. He states that the Newfoundland is indigenous to North America and has the distinction of being one of the basic breeds.

Domesticated from the wild by the American Indian, the breed survived on the island of Newfoundland from which it drives its name. In the pre-Columbian era, prior to importation of the horse by the Spaniards, the dog was used for packing sledding and hauling travois throughout North America. With the advent of the horse the dog continued as a primary source of transportation only in the northeastern regions where the roughness of the terrain and weather made the horse impractical. Early naturalists of authority, such as F. Couvier and Desmarist, proclaim its American origin. It is substantiated by Archeological finds as far south as Kentucky, and the island of Newfoundland to the north. In fact the Executive Council of Newfoundland, in proclaiming the dog to be the emblem of the island, also made its origin a matter of record. In part, the proclamation, dated October 5 1972, reads as follows:

"The Newfoundland dog is indigenous to the island of Newfoundland. Documented proof shows that in 3000 B.C. the Maritime Archaic Indians in Newfoundland buried their dogs with their dead." The proclamation defines the size as being "not as large as Those of the present day". The breed was originally divided into two varieties – The Greater Newfoundland and the Lesser, or St. John Newfoundland. Both possessed natural water and life saving instincts. The St. John’s being slighter, shorter in coat and an extremely quick runner, diver, swimmer and retriever beyond compare.

Another source of information that I found is obtained from the book written by Jeff Griffen, The Hunting Dogs of America, copyright 1964. He describes This St. John’s Newfoundland – An early Breed. "One of the greatest water dogs man has ever possessed was developed here in North America, in and around the Isolated Fishing center of St. John’s in Newfoundland. Newfoundland was discovered by John Cabot in 1497, and St. John’s, because of its splendid horseshoe harbor that could accommodate the largest of ships, was settled as a British colony in 1583."

Within seventy-five years, fishermen from France, Spain, and Portugal were regular visitors. What scanty information we have indicates that the Indians had no dogs, though some historians feel that early Norsemen may have brought some. Most likely the original stock came from European sailors and settlers – probably the black St. Hubert’s Hound and the massive Great Pyrenees.

In time two distinct breeds arose , the large and powerful black Newfoundland, which pulled carts and carried burdens like a mule, and the St. John’s Newfoundland, a black water dog about the size of a pointer with a heavy oily coat that shed water like a greased balloon. Many claim the large Newfoundland, about the same as the dog we know today, was a great swimmer, known for his rescue work around wrecked ships. I find this hard to believe of so massive and ponderous an animal. In high seas I suspect he would have been clobbered, and suspect that in the confusion between the two breeds they have credited the wrong one. We shall never know, but in any case the Newfoundland of St. John’s, the smaller version, was a most practical dog. During the fall and spring when masses of migrating ducks and geese clogged the Island, he worked tirelessly with gunners as a retriever. By and large though he was a fisherman’s dog, working around the nets, on the boats, recovering anything that fell overboard, fetching a cod that slid back into the water as the fish were being transferred to the pier, swimming from ship to shore with a hawser line. In those days a dog was a handy asset, not only for companionship but for practical use.

He further goes on to say "We know that Lewis on his expedition west with Clark in 1802 had a Newfoundland, probably of the St. John’s type because it retrieved game, chased buffaloes out of camp and kept watch for grizzly bears. Scannon was his name and when the Indians stole him at one point, Lewis and Clark’s went on the warpath until he was recovered. All of which only goes to prove that the breed was well known."

While these articles seem to be somewhat conflicting they show origin and how the abilities of our modern dogs developed. There are many sources of how the Chesapeake breed was formed from the 1807 shipwreck forewards but I find these older histories very facinating. I have observed many of these traits to be prevalent in our modern Chesapeakes, the traits of the old St. John’s dog being highly desirable to me.

Sue Brown