1Maryland’s official state animal is its own breed of dog, the Chesapeake Bay retriever. 2The breed, America’s only native hunting dog, and was bred especially for bay conditions. 3Early settlers around the Chesapeake Bay liked to hunt, especially for ducks.
4The Chesapeake Bay retriever is thought to have originated with a shipwreck. 5In 1807, the crew of a Baltimore ship the Canton saw an English ship sinking at sea. 6The sailors of the Canton rescued the crew and two puppies aboard the English ship. 7The puppies, a type of Newfoundland breed, were given the names Sailor and Canton.
8Sailor and Canton were bred with other dogs. 9For the next seventy years, sportsmen and dog fanciers called Sailor’s and Canton’s descendants “Chesapeake Bay ducking dogs.” 10The breed’s most distinguishing characteristic, its short, thick hair, helps the dog withstand the bay’s tough conditions.