Chesapeake Bay Retriever

Bred around Maryland's Chesapeake Bay from two Newfoundland-type pups rescued from a sinking ship in 1807, the Chessie worked for market hunters who needed a dog to smash through ice and fetch ducks all day. Its wavy, oily coat sheds water like a duck's back, which is also why it smells faintly musky; bathe it rarely, since shampoo strips that oil, and simply rinse off salt and towel dry. Chessies are more protective and strong-willed than the other retrievers here, so they suit an owner who enjoys training, and breeders should test for exercise-induced collapse and progressive retinal atrophy.