The State of Maryland's legislature made the law that the Chesapeake Bay Retriever is the official state dog of Maryland. The Chesapeake Bay Retriever is an American breed of dog. It is sometimes called a hunting dog or a water dog. They are trained by sportsmen to swim in the water. Chesapeake Bay Retrievers have short hair with oils that protect the body. The oils protect the body from freezing temperatures. Some say that the oils make the dog "waterproof". The most common Chesapeake Bay Retriever has tan or light brown fur. Some may be straight haired and others may be curly. Some of the dogs may have white spots on their chests.

Chesapeake Bay Retrievers are extremely intelligent dogs. They are very strong swimmers and are easy to train. They are devoted to their masters and work very hard at their tasks. They make very good pets for children and are excellent watchdogs.