Chesapeake Bay Retriever

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Chesapeake Bay Retriever Chesapeake Bay Retrievers. Information about the breed in art and history. Information about the breed

The Tenacity of the Chesapeake“ The Scars of Timmie” Thirty-seven of the ninety-five ducks Timmie retrieved were cripple...
02/04/2025

The Tenacity of the Chesapeake
“ The Scars of Timmie”

Thirty-seven of the ninety-five ducks Timmie retrieved were cripple and one of them was a large Canadian red leg which is a real prize in any hunter’s bag. That was shot down with a broken wing and landed in a swamp which was thick with rushes and what we called cripple brush. This brush grows from four to six feet high, is very thick, spreading out with short limbs growing through each other, creating a barrier which is almost impossible to walk through. Timmie started out fast on order to fetch and was soon out of sight in the direction of the duck the fell. Minutes went by and we heard or saw nothing of the pup. I was worried about the pup and I told the two hunters who were with me I was going in to find my dog. I started into the swamp. The water was about two feet deep with a muck bottom that made every step hard labor. So with two hips boots full of water I reached the place the duck fell. A wounded black duck will go to the deepest point to put distance between himself and the hunter. I would listen for some sound that might direct me and after reaching the middle of the swamp, I began to call “Come Timmie, my boy”.
No longer was I interested in the big northern cripple but was sweating with the thoughts of the numerous things that could have happened to an 8 month old pup. I cursed myself for leaving his collar on and could picture him choked to death of drowned by being hung up. Over an hour had elapsed since his departure and a thousand things could have happened in that length of time. Calling Timmie again and again- begging and pleading with him to come, to do what I was sure was impossible by this time. I gave up hope of his ever returning.
Sitting atop a muskrat house, thinking of many things, calling his name again and again, I heard a splash off to the right, almost 70 yards. I tried to run and I was completely wet from head to foot, my clothing freezing. I kept telling myself that splash might have been a duck or a rat. Again I called and the splashes were much louder. I knew then that I had found the pup and at least his was alive. I found Timmie. He was holding the big five and half pound red leg firmly in his mouth and was so tangled up in a loose roll of abandoned barbed wire that it was out of the question for him to ever get out of it alone. How he ever crawled into it will always be a mystery unless he followed the cripple and found him hidden there. I tried to make him let go of the duck, but even though exhausted from struggling to keep his head above the water and trying to escape the unintentional death trap with 14 rusty barbs deeply imbedded in his flesh, a 2 inch rip in his foreleg that let tendons and muscles be plainly seen, and numerous other barbs pressing painfully against him, it did not make him forget that he had been scolded severely for dropping a bird until he hunched down and was ordered to give.
Walking around in front of him, spreading out the wires to get hold of the duck, saying “Give”, satisfied him that his work was done on that retrieve. After several minutes of bending and breaking the rusty wire the pup was loose. Then he staggered toward the duck, half wading and half swimming through the muck. He picked up the duck slowly and returned it to me, hunched down half submerged in mud and water, he made a perfect delivery. With the duck in my belt and a very tired and bloody pup in my arms, I returned to the blind, packed up my gun and wrapped him my hunting coat and returned home.
After a 10 day lay-up, Timmie went back to work with a slight limp and finished the hunting season is good shape. The winter of 45 and the summer of 46 repaired the damage and this season he worked fine with only a few scars as reminder of the swamp mishap. To me, each scar is a tribute to a dog with a great heart and unexcelled courage. He is not for sale. Ray Poquette.
Field and Stream Sept 1947

We are most familiar with the Ch Barnum painting by J M Tracy retrieving a goose. However there is another painting of B...
09/02/2025

We are most familiar with the Ch Barnum painting by J M Tracy retrieving a goose. However there is another painting of Barnum, which I found in an ad in Town & Country 1930's for Chesacroft Kennel-Tony Bliss Jr. I had not seen before so decided to share with the Chesapeake community.

Chesapeakes have rescued their owners and family a number of times.  This is the story of Pal and the rescue of Charles ...
08/02/2025

Chesapeakes have rescued their owners and family a number of times. This is the story of Pal and the rescue of Charles Edwards of Mentor MN.

From American Field June 11 1932  Sandy and hunting in Iowa     Hazelton  "Amusing Anecdote of the Chesapeake Bay Dog"
02/01/2025

From American Field June 11 1932 Sandy and hunting in Iowa Hazelton "Amusing Anecdote of the Chesapeake Bay Dog"

On of our duck hunting presidents ! Benjamin Harrsion
29/12/2024

On of our duck hunting presidents ! Benjamin Harrsion

Gunning Club Dogs  Butch Goodwin ACC Calendar 2001
29/12/2024

Gunning Club Dogs Butch Goodwin ACC Calendar 2001

Another bit of history as I go through files.   Text by Butch Goodwin for 2001 ACC Historic Calendar   Dyane Baldwin Col...
29/12/2024

Another bit of history as I go through files. Text by Butch Goodwin for 2001 ACC Historic Calendar

Dyane Baldwin Collection

06/02/2024

The site for the first American Chesapeake Club's Working Certificate Stake was historically appropriate. Marshy Point figured prominently in the early development of the breed.

MARSHY POINT
Marshy Point was the last remaining old time ducking clubs (founded 1854) on the western shore of the Chesapeake used for that purpose into the end of the 1970’s. The original club was part of the Cadwalader holdings on the Chesapeake. Chesapeakes had been bred at Marshy Point for many generations, since the earliest days of the development of the breed. Records show “Marshy Point Jack” was born in 1885 at Marshy Point. Here was another connection to the iron workings that were popular in late 19th century as the Weiskittel name was associated with a stove foundery business. In 1922, the property passed into the ownership of the Weiskittel family who continued breeding Chesapeake Bay retrievers. Marshy Point was the Weiskittel gunning point on the western shore from 1922 until its sale in 1982. More information on Marshy Point including photos of the club house and famous people who hunted there can be found in The Canvasback Fall 1998- publication of the Havre de Grace Decoy museum. It was the site of the FIRST Working Dog Certificate stake held by the American Chesapeake Club-April 7th, 1973.
The last breedings done under the name were by Harrry C Weiskittel III. He bred under this name continuing the tradition of his parents and their ancestors. For a number of years, the American Chesapeake Club held it’s annual independent National Specialty on the grounds-last one in 1978. It was sold in 1982 and today it is a nature center run by Baltimore County. [Dyane Baldwin 2024}
Information on Harry Weiskettel III- https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/baltimoresun/name/harry-weiskittel-obituary?id=10640495
Marshy Point Nature Center, a Baltimore County Department of Recreation and Parks facility, opened in the Spring of 2000.
The center is located on land acquired by the County in 1982 from the Weiskittel and Zielinski families. The area around Marshy Point has a rich tradition of waterfowl hunting, and winter still brings rafts of ducks, geese, and tundra swans to area creeks. . The development of Maryland’s state dog, the Chesapeake Bay Retriever, took place at the Marshy Point Ducking Club, and President Benjamin Harrison, Babe Ruth, and Annie Oakley all hunted here. Fishermen have long explored the waters around Marshy Point in search of rockfish, chain pickerel, perch, catfish, and blue crabs.

Anton Weiskettel
1825 -1884
Born in Dassel, Landkreis Northeim, Lower Saxony (Niedersachsen), Germany

Dyane Baldwin 2024.

06/02/2024

A bit of History today. The Chesapeake Bay retriever has always been valued by its owners as a working dog. Staying true to its purpose has kept consistent to its roots and remains little different from its early breed founders from over 100 yrs. ago. For the most part there is little difference between working and conformation dogs (although the glory of show wins has been creeping in).

In 1973 the American Chesapeake Club started a program of Working Dog Stakes to recognize innate retrieving ability. The FIRST ACC WORKING DOG TEST was held April 7th 1973 in conjunction with the 1973 National Specialty Show at Marshy Point Farm Chase Maryland. Judges were: Elmer "Mo" Shaffell and Art Sampson-FT judges. There were 36 entered with 18 passing for the title certificate. Today the American Chesapeake Club offers three levels of titles-Working Dog (WD), Working Dog Excellent (WDX) and Working Dog Qualified (WDQ).

The "pioneers" Ch Native Shore Musketeer (oldest dog to pass); Ch Eastern Waters Gold Honey, Ch J & J's Queen Biscuit CD; Ch Breakwaters Smiling Jack CD, Ch Teal's Aleta of Breakwater, Breakwaters Seek-Ret Weapon, Breakwater Tina of Windsor, Ch Al's Chesbay Wave , Ch Crosswinds Flying Beryl CD, Crosswind Flying Baby Ace, Eastern Waters Independence CD, Ch Eastern Waters Dark Hazard, Fid's Bullhead of Spring Cove, Dawn of Shawnee, Ch Eastern Waters Oak CD, Smokey Glen's Mister Dirty, and Lady Merriman.

The Start of the Field Trial Game. AKC Gazette Freeman Lloyd 1935.  It is true that the first retrieving trials were hel...
08/01/2024

The Start of the Field Trial Game. AKC Gazette Freeman Lloyd 1935.

It is true that the first retrieving trials were held in conjunction with the different varieties of land spaniels. It is believed that the first retrieving from water trials were originated by Eltinge Warner, publisher of Field & Stream. This was in 1914-these informal competitions involved many sporting breeds and pictured are the contestants at one of these trial. Mr. Warner had, at that time, established with William Hand of East Hampton, the Cash Box Kennels, breeding and handling Chesapeakes and Pointers.
The first field-or perhaps it would be better to style it "water" trial were held on Georgica Pond, East Hampton, Long Island, New York, the ducks being released from docks. The handler took his dog into the blind; the bird was killed, and the dog not released until the judge ordered the handler to do so. In other words these proceedings with their sequences when reduced to writing and cold print grew into something approximating the present rules and regulations that govern water competitions at trials for all sorts and sizes of retrieving dogs of the retriever and spaniel breeds. These Warner-Burke-Hand home made and enjoyed Chesapeake water trials continued until 1932 at East Hampton.
Then came along the Labrador Club of American with its important backing-the patronage of affluent sportsmen, not only fond of dogs and shooting, but owners of vast sporting estates. Thus it was that the Labrador and Chesapeake Bay Dogs' trials held during the season that closed in 1934, were patronized by the "best people", while the galleries were made up of influential persons of both sexes. Reports of the results of these were carried in all the major newspapers and the galleries sometimes numbered 500 or more.
It seemed fitting that water and field trials for Chesapeakes should be held in "My Maryland" where this breed was nurtured and brought into deserved prominence as an Amercian gun dog. So in December 1934, the Specialty Retriever trials were held on the estate of R.R. M. Carpenter, Benton, Town's Point near Elktown.
The Chesapeake Bay Club and its supporters were well represented on the judging list, those officiating being Dr. G. Wheelwright, John Hurst and Thomas Keating.
Once again that wonderful game shot, Eltinge Warner, was behind the gun. The weather was cold and boisterous; but the shooting good. Anthony Bliss remarked on the surroundings and conditions of the sport. "It was so natural", he said " and befitting the sporting birth place of the now famous race of Chesapeake dogs." These were in their element in more ways than one. The waves were so high and strong that they cast over and backwards the brave dogs that swam out and combatted the billows, because it was their duty to do so.
The ducks were shot at, downed or pricked by the gun who shot off shore at a distance of nigh 200 yards. This made the retrieving more difficult for the dogs placed in blinds on the shore. As for the work on pheasants, it was managed in such a way that the dogs were not confused by previous falls, and the lasting scent of the earlier winged birds that had taken to their fast running feet.

03/01/2024
Another find that I forgot I had !  Brochure The Chesapeake by Jack Fred Woodall Alpine Kennel.  He has some interesting...
30/12/2023

Another find that I forgot I had ! Brochure The Chesapeake by Jack Fred Woodall Alpine Kennel.

He has some interesting comments on the breed. When I get the chance I will post.

The pewter statue was owned by Mr. Woodall. Wonder where it is now ???

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