How Much Do Chesapeake Bay Retrievers Cost?
A dog can be an expensive investment, so you need to make sure you are ready to upfront the cost.
Every breed of a dog costs something different and some will be more expensive than others.
Knowing how much a dog costs can ensure you save up enough money to get them and all the things they need for proper love and care.
Before you set your heart on a Chesapeake Bay Retriever, you might want to find out if they’re in your price range first.
How Much Do Chesapeake Bay Retrievers Cost?
If you buy a Chesapeake Bay Retriever from a reputable breeder, you can expect to pay between $800 and $1,500. If you get a top-quality puppy, you might pay even more at $2,500. The exact price though will depend on the location of the breeder as well as the puppy’s age and sex.
If you are looking for the exact cost of a Chesapeake Bay Retriever, you need to contact breeders in your area.
If there are no breeders in your area, you might also need to check with breeders in other areas.
In this article, we will discuss all the different factors that can affect the pricing of a Chessie dog so you can be better prepared to buy one.
Where Should a Buy a Chesapeake Bay Retriever?
It can be harder to find a Chesapeake Bay Retriever than a Lab or a Golden Retriever since they are slightly less popular.
However, you can still find them at many different places including dog rescue organizations or breeders.
They are ranked as the 43rd most popular breed in the United States which makes them less common to find though than more highly ranked dogs.
Adopting from a Dog Rescue Organization
Some people will turn their Chessie over to a dog rescue organization if they find that they cannot handle the exercise needs.
Chessies also tend to have a more dominant and aggressive personality, which some people can’t handle if they did not train the Chessie correctly.
Some people are also forced to give their Chessie up if they had a change in family circumstances or if they no longer have time to properly care for them.
For all these reasons, you might find a Chessie at a dog rescue organization.
They might be cheaper here than from breeders, but you won’t know their complete history or have all their paperwork unless the previous family submitted it to the organization.
You also need to make sure that they do not have any behavioral problems.
If they do, make sure it’s something you can handle and that you have time to retrain them to fit into your family.
Adopting from Public Animal Shelters and Humane Societies
You can find a Chessie in a public animal shelter, but it’s rare.
Most of the time there are designated Chesapeake Bay Retriever rescue groups that will remove them from these shelters and put them into their own networks.
If you find a Chessie at an animal shelter, you probably won’t be able to know much about their background or their history.
You might want to spend time with them to see if they have a temperament you can handle.
Buying from a Dog Breeder
There are many different types of Chessie breeders you will find through the United States when you are searching for the one you want to buy from.
There are specific show breeders who meet a very strict standard for appearance because they are meant to be in the show ring.
You don’t have to put them in show business if you go this route, but it means they will have high-quality looks that allow them to be in show business if you choose to go this route.
You can also buy Chesapeake Bay Retrievers from performance breeders which will have more energy and will be bred for certain performance and hunting tasks.
These dogs are often better for those who want to take their dog hunting or want a high-energy dog that they can run with.
These dogs are also bred for field trials, dog agility courses, tracking, and flyball.
Performance Chessies belong in higher energy homes with lots of structure to keep them busy and motivated.
If you are easier going and don’t have time to exercise with the dog often, you might not want to go for a performance Chessie.
You might also find some breeders that are a combination of show and performance.
How the breeders will combine these goals though depends on the breeder and you might need to talk with them in further detail so you know for sure what kind of dog you are getting.
You also need to make sure you are going through a reputable breeder and not a random one you find on the internet.
When going through a breeder, you need to ask for certain paperwork.
Professional breeders should offer up these papers without any issues as they want you to know they are reputable breeders in the business.
Ask the breeder for papers on both of the parents of the puppy including:
- Certificate from the Canine Eye Registry Foundation or the CERF. It needs to be dated within the last year and it needs to state that the dogs are free of eye diseases
- Certificate from the Orthopedic Foundation of America (OFA) to show that dogs do not have diseases or problems with their hips
- Certificate from the Orthopedic Foundation of America (OFA) to show that the dogs do not have any diseases in their elbows
You also need to make sure that one parent of the puppy has a DNA test to show that they do not have PRA, which is a hereditary eye disease that can be very serious.
You can buy a puppy without these puppies, but you will not know their health background.
Without knowing their health background, you will not be able to prepare for potential issues that might come later on in their life as they age.
If you are buying from a breeder, you can expect to pay between $800 to $1,500.
How Much Do I Need to Budget for a Chesapeake Bay Retriever?
This depends on where you want to get the Chessie. Since finding them in rescue organizations can be rare, it’s best to budget for a breeder.
If you are not looking for a show-quality puppy, you need to budget for $1,500.
If you want a show puppy, you will need to budget for more money, as much as $2,500.
You also need to factor in travel costs. If there are no breeders in your area, you have to find a breeder and then travel to them.
While some breeders might offer to bring the dog to you or to transport it, you need to visit the dog and the breeder in person before you agree to take the dog.
This will ensure the dog has a temperament you like and that the breeder is trustworthy.
You can also see hard copies of the papers for the puppy’s parents rather than only seeing photocopies.
You also need to factor in the costs of the supplies you will be buying for them.
This includes food, bowls, toys, a crate, a bed, a collar, a name tag, and whatever else you might need.
The supplies can be costly, but you want to make sure your dog has everything they need to be comfortable and healthy in your home.
What Do I Need to Know Before a Getting a Chesapeake Bay Retriever?
Chessies tend to be dominant, and they want to be the pack leader. This means you need to be more assertive than them.
If you are not very assertive and you don’t have experience training dogs, you might need to consider taking them to dog school or having a professional trainer come to your house and work with you.
Chessies can also be big chewers so they have the ability to destroy things around your house.
Make sure you are creating boundaries with them and ensure they don’t have the opportunity to take shoes or other items and destroy them.
Chessies can also be suspicious of animals and guests inside the house.
Make sure they get early socialization so they don’t become aggressive with new people in the house.
Introduce them to other pets early so they can form healthy relationships.
Final Thoughts
Chesapeake Bay Retrievers usually cost between $800 and $2,500 depending on if you get a show dog or a performance dog.
They might also cost more or less depending on where the breeder is located.
The total cost is also more than this because you need to factor in the cost of supplies and travel to get the dog.
If you happen to find a Chessie in a rescue home or animal shelter, they can be cheaper.
Many people go this route if they want to spend less money and they are okay with not having the papers and the history of the dog.