Developed along the Chesapeake Bay and named the state dog of Maryland, the Chesapeake Bay Retriever is a truly American sporting breed and the toughest water retriever. He is a strong, powerfully built medium-sized breed with yellowish or amber eyes and a distinctive coat - a short, harsh, wavy outercoat with a dense fine wooly undercoat. His color can be brown, sedge or deadgrass and must be as close to that of his working surroundings as possible.