The Chesapeake Bay Retriever is an American creation valued as a superior water-dog, bred for versatility rather than for elegance. The Chessie's origin is claimed to be two Newfoundland pups rescued in 1807 from an English brig shipwrecked off the Maryland coast. Today, hunters speak in glowing terms of the Chesapeake's remarkable endurance and boundless enthusiasm. Many believe the breed is without peer in rough water.