362 THE AMERICAN BOOK OF THE DOG. 



there. When he does get there, if the duck proves to be a 

 cripple, he has the sticktoitiveness to follow the trail until 

 he picks up Mr. Cripple. He also has a nose that does not 

 require him to go chasing all over the marsh in the hope 

 of running onto the duck he goes directly to it and 

 retrieves it. Many men are of the opinion that the Chesa- 

 peake depends largely on sight to secure his game. It is a 

 mistaken idea. His nose is equal to that of either the Set- 

 ter or Pointer. 



Dr. James Norris, of Baltimore, Md., writing of the 

 intelligence and sagacity of a noted dog of this breed, says: 



There are many wonderful exploits attributed to this famous animal, 

 which pass the supposed bounds of animal instinct and enter the domain of 

 human reason; and although substantiated by living witnesses, I would hesi- 

 tate to repeat them, lest they might be pronounced, at least, apocryphal. 

 There is one of his performances, not only well authenticated, but so fre- 

 quently imitated by some of his offspring that I will relate it. When retriev- 

 ing ducks, after a successful shot over decoys, he would not only pass the 

 dead, but those that were severely wounded, and pursue those that were only 

 slightly hurt and that human reason alone would teach that unless immediately 

 pursued would escape. After securing these, he would collect the remainder, 

 deposit them at his master's feet, and quietly resume his position ; his eyes, 

 barely above the front of the blind, gazing as eagerly and intently as the 

 sportsman at the approaching game. 



The Chesapeake has a coat the like of which is possessed 

 by no other known breed; it must be seen to be appreciated. 

 In color it is dead grass or sedge, a reddish-brown or 

 brownish-red not liver-color. In length the hair is from 

 half an inch to an inch and a half; is very dense and 

 wavy not curly. In the fall of the year it looks as 

 much like an old, faded-out buffalo-robe as anything one 

 can imagine. Like all other haired animals, the Chesa- 

 peake Dog takes on a fall or winter coat. With this 

 new coat each fall comes what we shall call a filling coat, 

 that in a great measure protects the skin from coming 

 in contact with the water. They will come out of the water, 

 give one or two shakes, and I will defy any man to find one 

 of them wet down to the skin; or even take them before 

 they shake, and you can not. This filling coat can be 

 detected best by taking a clip of the coat and looking at the 



