Menu
Authored by the ACC Judge and Breeder Education Committee 2021
Melissa Schumann
Betsy Horn Humer, Chair
Angie Cox
Kathy Luthy
Polly Henshaw
Outline is the basic form of a dog in profile, and any judge, breeder, or fancier should immediately be able identify the breed from outline alone. For the Chesapeake Bay Retriever, originally developed as a water retriever and bred to hunt under the harshest conditions, the outline or silhouette should convey soundness, power, stamina, and overall balance.
The CBR head is distinctive from other retriever breeds with a broad, round skull, medium stop, and a tapered muzzle that is pointed but not sharp. The tapered muzzle, as opposed to square, lessens the amount of lower jaw submerged in water when performing water retrieves. The muzzle should be approximately the same length as the skull. Lips are thin, not pendulous, and ears are set well up on the head so water does not easily enter the ear canal when swimming. The neck is medium length but muscular to facilitate carrying birds of all sizes and weight on water and land, and should transition smoothly into the shoulders.
Body is of medium length and slightly longer than tall. The forequarters have strong, sloping shoulders with straight, medium-length legs showing good bone and muscle. Pasterns are slightly bent. A strong, short back is well-coupled at the loin. Stifles are well-angulated, with the rear showing as much power as the forequarters with no tendency toward weakness. Powerful hindquarters are necessary for swimming, especially under harsh conditions the Chesapeake is bred for, and working difficult terrain. The tail should be medium length with, as the Standard states, a “medium heavy base.” Standing, in outline or silhouette, the tail should appear straight or slightly curved with no tendency to curl.
The Chesapeake topline is unique when compared to the five other retriever breeds in the Sporting Group, all of which require a level topline. The CBR Standard allows the hindquarters to be as high or a trifle higher than the shoulder. Note the phrase trifle higher as the rise must not be excessive or extreme. For the Chesapeake Bay Retriever, a level topline is also acceptable, and both toplines are equally correct. The topline should not show any weakness such as a dip or swayback; topline should be straight and strong with the allowance of a slight rise toward the top of the hip. Coat can be thicker over the withers and hips which may cause an optical illusion of a dip, but physical exam and movement will determine correct structure.
In underline, the depth of chest should extend at least to the elbow or slightly below. Flank should be tucked up under the loin. Skirting or feathering at the flank may hide the tuck in profile, but that, along with a well-developed barrel ribcage, can be determined upon examination.
Outline reflects the entire dog by bringing together all parts that support a breed’s purpose. The outline should clearly convey overall balance and the hallmark characteristics required to perform the work the Chesapeake Bay Retriever was originally bred for and still excels at today.
Historic Glossary Notes
In the early 1990s, the AKC requested all parent clubs use the same format for their Breed Standards and included a section called Topline. By reviewing the definitions listed below, one can see a lack of consistency in the meaning of Topline. Topline should not be used interchangeably with the word “backline.”
The American Kennel Club. (1997). The Complete Dog Book – 19th Edition, Revised. New York: Howell Book House, p. 779.
“topline – the outline from just behind the withers to the tail set.”
Spira, Harold R. (1982). Canine Terminology. New York: Howell Book House.
“TOPLINE – Normally taken as a dog’s entire upper outline seen in profile, starting at the ears and ending at the tail, e.g. sloping topline (German Shepherd Dog, Alaskan Malamute). By that definition ‘level topline’ is an obviously incorrect and impossible demand of some standards, e.g. Australian Terrier, Papillon, Weimaraner, etc., in which ‘topline’ and ‘backline’ have been confused.” p.139.
“Backline – that portion of the entire topline of a dog, beginning at the rear end of the withers and ending at the tail.” p. 21.
Zink, Dr. Christine. (1992). Peak Performance: Coaching the Canine Athlete. New York: Howell Book House.
“Topline – profile line that goes from the dog’s shoulders to the base of the tail.”
Orlandi, Ph.D, Claudia Waller. (2004). ABC’s of Dog Breeding: What Every Breeder Should Know! USA: Author. p. 233.
“Topline is usually mistakenly used to describe dog’s backline. Technically speaking, the topline is the outline extending from the ears to the set on of the tail. The backline extends from the end of the withers to the tail.”