The Chesapeake Bay Dog 327 



and tapering fore face, the high-set-on ears and the short neck, the yellow 

 eye and the long tail are not quality characteristics at all, and the gentlemen 

 who framed the standard missed an opportunity to set a far higher mark 

 for the dog. 



If we had the making of a standard we should frame it more on the 

 model of the description of the English retriever: The head of moderate 

 width and good length, with a strong, well-carried-out jaw and sound 

 teeth, evenly meeting. Eye dark hazel, and we should specify that the 

 yellow eye is a great detraction and must be got. rid of. Ears to be neat 

 in size, set on low, and without fold. Neck of good length, and, in place of 

 the upright shoulders which invariably accompany the short neck, we 

 should particularly specify the sloping position of the shoulders, without 

 which a dog cannot reach out with his feet when swimming. Then the legs 

 should not be short for a swimming dog, and to state that the feet have 

 to be webbed means only that they have to be ordinary feet, for all dogs' 

 feet are webbed. It is right that they should be large. The tail or stern 

 for such a dog should be only long enough not to look short, carried gaily 

 in a curve, but not over the back. It should be bushy, thicker in the middle, 

 and show no feather. With regard to the coat, our belief is in the kind that 

 has a crisp wave in it, as it is almost sure to be dense and close, and that is 

 what is wanted. But whether with this kink or not, the coat must be so 

 dense that, owing to the undercoat, it cannot be parted down to the skin. 



The desirable colour is a yellow liver, which goes by the name of 

 sedge. Liver is too dark for the correct thing, though there are doubtless 

 many good dogs nearly approaching that colour, and we do not think 

 colour should overrule everything. We also know very well that this 

 shade as well as the liver becomes weather bleached as it ages, and when 

 ready to shed it is many shades lighter than the incoming coat. Sedge is 

 most decidedly preferable, but not to the extent of knocking out a far better 

 dog of a darker shade. We mean that we could not put an open-coated, 

 badly made sedge dog over one good in these respects but dark in colour. 



The late Mr. Pearson was a recognised authority on the breed, and in 

 1882 wrote to the American Field supporting a previous communication 

 from a gentleman who roundly criticised the Baltimore show committee 

 for making two classes, one being for long, curly coated dogs. That 

 writer held that the Chesapeake was not a long-haired or curly dog, but 

 should have a short, close coat, "without a wrinkle in it." As usual with 



