The Chesapeake Bay Retriever
For more inofrmation on this breed contact the American Chesapeake Club, Inc. at www.amchessieclub.org
The following information is from the American Kennel Club.
Developed along the Chesapeake Bay and named the state dog of Maryland, the Chesapeake Bay Retriever is a truly American sporting breed and the toughest water retriever. He is a strong, powerfully built medium-sized breed with yellowish or amber eyes and a distinctive coat - a short, harsh, wavy outercoat with a dense fine wooly undercoat. His color can be brown, sedge or deadgrass and must be as close to that of his working surroundings as possible.
A Look Back
In 1807, an English brig shipwrecked off the coast of Maryland and two Newfoundlands were rescued from the cargo. When bred to local retrievers, including the English Otter Hound, Flat-Coat and Curly-Coated Retriever, the "Chessie" type developed. Bred to work on land and water, the Chesapeake Bay Retriever originally hunted waterfowl in rough and icy waters, often retrieving several hundred birds per day.
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The Golden Retriever
For more information on this breed contact the Golden Retriever Club of America www.grca.org
or locally contact the Valley Del Sol Golden Retriever Club at their website: www.vdsgrc.org
The following information is from the American Kennel Club site:
The Golden Retriever, with its intelligence and eager to please attitude, is one of the most popular breeds in the United States according to AKC® registration statistics. The working ability that has made the Golden Retriever such a useful hunting companion also make him an ideal guide, assistance and search and rescue dog. The golden-colored coat is the hallmark of this versatile breed, and can range from light to dark gold.
A Look Back
The Golden Retriever originated in the Scottish Highlands in the late 1800s and was used predominantly for hunting. The breed was developed by Lord Tweedmouth, whose goal was to create a superb retriever suited to the Scottish climate, terrain and available game. He crossed his original "Yellow Retriever" with the Tweed Water Spaniel (now extinct) found on his estate. Later integrations of Irish Setter, Bloodhound, and more Tweed Water Spaniel produced the retriever we know today.
The Curly-Coated Retriever
For more information on this breed contact the Curly-Coated Retriever Club of America at www.ccrca.org.
The following information comes form the American Kennel Club.
Though the correct origin of the Curly-Coated Retriever is unclear, there appears little doubt that he is one of the oldest of all breeds now classified as Retrievers. He is popularly believed to be descended from the 16th century English Water Spaniel, the St. John’s Newfoundland, the retrieving setter, and, in the late 19th century, the Poodle. The popular gun dog following the Old English Water Spaniel, the Curly was first exhibited in the mid-19th century at England’s Birmingham show. In 1889, specimens were exported to New Zealand, where they have long been used for retrieving duck and California quail. They are also very popular in Australia, where they are used in the swamps and lagoons of the Murray River on duck.
The Curly is admired as a steady and tender-mouthed retriever, quite unsurpassed in the water. The first breed club was established in England in 1896, and the breed was introduced to the US in 1907. The first AKC registered Curly-Coat appeared in 1924.
The Labrador
For more information on this breed contact the Labrador Retriever Club, Inc. at www.thelabradorclub.com
or locally contact the Papago Labrador Retriever Club at their website: www.papagolrc.org
The following information comes from the American Kennel Club website:
The gentle, intelligent and family-friendly Labrador Retriever from Canada continues to be the most popular breed in the United States, according to AKC® registration statistics. This versatile hunting breed comes in three colors – yellow, black and chocolate – and because of his aptitude to please his master they excel as guide dogs for the blind, as part of search-and-rescue teams or in narcotics detection with law enforcement.
A Look Back
Labrador Retrievers, originally from Newfoundland, were initially used in work alongside fisherman, helping to pull in nets and catch fish that escaped from fishing lines. After being crossed with Setters, Spaniels and other Retrievers, the Labrador Retriever honed its skills as a true retriever. From this point in the breed’s history, "Labs," as they are affectionately called, were bred primarily to perform as an efficient retriever of game, with a stable temperament suitable for a variety of activities beyond hunting.
The Flat-Coated Retreiver
For more information about this breed contact the Flat-Coated Retriever Society of America, Inc. at www.fcrsainc.org
The following information comes from the American Kennel Club.
Although his tail never stops wagging, the Flat-Coated Retriever is suited for hard work. Originally bred to flush and retrieve both upland game and waterfowl, he transfers his determination, desire and verve on the hunting field to everyday life, enthusiastically participating in family activities and in the show, obedience and agility rings. Slightly racier and more moderate in bone than other retriever breeds, the Flat-Coat has a solid black or liver-colored coat that protects him from the elements and lies straight and flat.
A Look Back
The Flat-Coat’s ancestry includes the "Retriever Proper," a cross-breed emerging from the Large Newfoundland, setter, sheepdog, and spaniel-like water dogs. These retrievers were invaluable to fishermen and often traded between Britain and North America, where they became known as generic "Labrador" dogs. Eventually, a breed known as the Wavy-Coated (subsequently Flat-Coated) Retriever appeared and became distinct to these "Labrador" dogs.
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The Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever
For information on this breed contact the Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever Club (USA) at www.nsdtrc-usa.org
The following information comes from the American Kennel Club.
Medium sized, powerful and compact, the Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever is the smallest of the retrievers. He developed in the early 19th century to toll, lure, and retrieve waterfowl. The playful action of the Toller retrieving a stick or ball along the shoreline arouses the curiosity of the ducks offshore. This lures them within gunshot range, and then the dog is sent out to retrieve the dead or wounded birds. Their water-repellant double coat is any shade of red, often with white markings.
A Look Back
There is no authentic record of the development of the Toller, but present day thinking is that the basic stock was the red decoy dog, probably brought to Nova Scotia with the early settlers from Europe. Crosses with other breeds, possibly spaniel and setter-type dogs, retriever-type dogs, and farm collie, produced today’s Toller. Originally known as the Little River Duck Dog after the district of Yarmouth County, or as a Yarmouth Toller, the Toller has now bred true for generations.
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