A local favorite along the East Coast, the Chesapeake Bay Retriever was bred as a companion dog to accompany the hunter as he stalks his prey in local area inlets. Today, the Chessie has legions of fans who appreciate how easily the dog can be trained and how well they will respond to specific kinds of hunting commands. Chesapeake Bay Retrievers do well in many kinds of dog sporting competitions, consistently demonstrating an innate ability to meet the goals set forth on all kinds of tests. The breed also does extremely well in other tests such as knowing when to be quiet and knowing when to bark to communicate with their owners.