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A
Chesapeake should very seldom be given a bath with shampoo. This is a
breed that is generally considered spray and go. The dense, harsh,
short-haired coat is easy to groom. Brush with a firm bristle brush to
remove the dead hairs. While the Chesapeake needs the occasional bath to
prevent any noticeable odor, they should not be bathed so often that the
oily texture is stripped out. The oily coat helps protect it from icy
waters.
In
the Spring, when the Chesapeake starts to shed their winter coat, give
them a good healthy washing with a good conditioning shampoo and rinse
very well. This helps to take out the dead hairs left behind from
shedding.
Chesapeakes
do shed their coats out twice a year, a process that generally takes
about 3 weeks and is an average shedder. The Chesapeake can dry his coat
with one vigorous shake! His coat is thick, short, and oily with a dense
undercoat that is almost waterproof. Except during this time, grooming
is minimal.
Although
it is technically true that CBRs do not shed long coats and do not
require professional grooming, they do "blow coat" at least
twice a year and your house will be full of brown "dust
bunnies" tumble weeding their way about your house.
If
you are fastidious about the neatness of your home then CBR’s unique,
water-repellent coat and his love of playing in water combine to make
him a highly efficient transporter of dirt into your home, depositing
same on your floors and rugs and possibly also on your furniture and
clothes. I don't mean to imply that you must be a slob or slattern to
live happily with a Chesapeake, but you do have to have the attitude
that your dog's company means more to you than does neatness and you do
have to be comfortable with a less than immaculate house.
You
must realize that you should be prepared to get wet when you and your
Chesapeake are near water. Because of their love of water, 20 minutes of
water retrieves is usually much more intense work than an hour walking
around the neighborhood nicely on the leash.
To
clean a coat that has a slight odor, use a good conditioner. I suggest
of Mane and Tail Conditioner. Dilute 2 parts water to one part
conditioner. Cover his coat with diluted mixture then rinse it out very
well.
Before
a dog show
Rinse coat out
well with water and diluted conditioner at least 3 days before the show.
The night before the show, rinse coat out well with cool water, and let
dry. Trim eyebrows, muzzle and any long whiskers around their face. Trim
nails and clean ears. Trim tip of tail to a slightly rounded trim and
only the very tip of the hair on the tail.
The day of the show spritz coat with water and lightly rub with a towel
about 1 hour before going into the show ring.
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