It takes a tough dog to hunt waterfowl in the rough and icy chop of Chesapeake Bay in Maryland. The Chesapeake Bay Retriever–nicknamed the Chessie — was born for these tough conditions. He’s believed to be descended from two Newfoundland puppies — Sailor and Canton–who survived a shipwreck in the area in 1807. They were found to have fine retrieving qualities and were bred to local dogs. The result was this brown dog with a thick, water-shedding coat, a bright and happy disposition, and intelligence and courage.