Chesapeake Bay Retriever Vs. German Pointer: What’s The Difference?

Chesapeake Bay Retrievers and German Pointers are amazing breeds for active owners and especially for avid bird hunters. Even though they are both high-maintenance dogs, they are very different, and, therefore, one may be ideal for your home, while the other is less appropriate.

Chesapeake Bay Retrievers are adapted to cold climes. German Pointers are pointing bird dogs and less adapted to cold. Chesapeakes are more stubborn, independent, and aggressive than German Pointers. German Pointers require more exercise than Chesapeakes. German Longhaired Pointers differ most from Chesapeakes.

There are actually three different types of German Pointer. There is the German Longhaired Pointer, the German Shorthaired Pointer, and the German Wirehaired Pointer. They have similarities, but they are different enough to be classified as separate breeds. This article will compare the Chesapeake Bay Retriever to each of these German Pointers.

It should be noted that the details below are based on the breed standards and the most commonly seen behaviors and characteristics. However, there are individual differences. Temperament especially is affected by other factors, such as personality, age, quality of breeding, socialization, training, history, and living environment.

Chesapeake Bay Retriever Vs. German LONGHAIRED Pointer

Classification, Lifespan, And Appearance

	CHESAPEAKE BAY RETRIEVER	GERMAN LONGHAIRED POINTER
AKC Classification	Sporting Group	Foundation Stock Service
Alternative Classification	Bird Dog – Retriever	Bird Dog – Pointer
Lifespan	10-13 years	12-14 years
Height	21-26 inches	22-28 inches
Weight	55-80 lbs	55-80 lbs
Coat Length	Short	Medium to long
Coat Characteristics	Thick and waterproof; wooly undercoat	Sleek with undercoat
Feathering	Little to none	Moderate; on ears, back of all legs, and tail
Hypoallergenic Coat	No	No
Ears	Hang down; short; un-feathered	Hang down; medium to long; feathered

Summary:

Chesapeake Bay Retrievers are retrieving bird dogs, bred to fetch the birds downed by their human hunting companions. The Chesapeake Bay Retriever is also adapted to retrieve waterfowl, even in colder weather. German Longhaired Pointers are pointing bird dogs, bred to find game and point them out to their hunting companion without disturbing the game until the hunter was in range.

Chesapeake Bay Retrievers are stocky, powerfully built dogs. Their rough outer coat and wooly undercoat sit short and dense all over the dog’s body. They have a no-nonsense, no-frills appearance. German Longhaired Pointers are built along more slender lines but are by no means dainty. Their long, sleek coat is actually only 5 centimeters over most of their body, although they have longer feathering over their ears, tail, and back of their legs.

Grooming Requirements

	CHESAPEAKE BAY RETRIEVER	GERMAN LONGHAIRED POINTER
Maintenance Intensity	Moderate	Moderate
Brushing	2-3 times a week	Weekly
Bathing	Occasional	Occasional
Shedding	Regular	Infrequent
Ears	Checked and cleaned weekly	Checked daily; cleaned weekly; brushed 2-3 time a week

Summary:

Chesapeake Bay Retrievers have shorter coats that are less likely to pick up debris and become tangled than German Longhaired Pointers’ coats. However, a Chesapeake Bay Retriever’s coat sheds frequently and requires more regular brushing than the German Longhaired Pointer, an infrequent shedder.

The long and feathered ears of the German Longhaired Pointer require more upkeep than those of the Chesapeake Bay Retriever.

Temperament

	CHESAPEAKE BAY RETRIEVER	GERMAN LONGHAIRED POINTER
General Temperament (AKC)	Affectionate; bright; sensitive	Versatile; calm; family-oriented
Affectionate (to family)	Yes; often prefers one person	Yes; often prefers one person
Independence	Moderate	Low
Intensity	High	Moderate
Sensitivity	Moderate	Moderate
Stubborn	Likely	Unlikely
Aggression Level	Moderate	Low
Timid	No	Unlikely
Energy Level	High	High
Attention Requirements	High	High
One-Person Dog	Likely	Likely
General Friendliness	Moderate	High
Child Friendliness	Moderate to high	High
Stranger Friendliness	Reserved	Friendly
Dog Friendliness	Low	Moderate to high
Cat Friendliness	Moderate if raised with them	Low
Protectiveness	High	Low to moderate
Prey Drive	High	High
Barking Potential	Moderate	Moderate

Summary:

Chesapeake Bay Retrievers are intense and independent dogs with a strong stubborn streak, a proclivity to be more aggressive and protective. However, they should not be inappropriately aggressive. German Longhaired Pointers are more emotionally dependent on their families. They are affectionate and docile (with the right amount of exercise).

Chesapeake Bay Retrievers are reserved with strangers and will not tolerate abuse from children, although their response is to walk away when they have had enough. They also tend not to get along well with other dogs unless they were raised with them. German Longhaired Pointers are friendly with strangers, children, and other dogs.

Exercise And Training Requirements

	CHESAPEAKE BAY RETRIEVER	GERMAN LONGHAIRED POINTER
Socialization	Required	Required
Intelligence Level	High	High
Endurance	Moderate to high	High
Eager to Please	Moderate	High
Exercise Needs	Moderate to high	High
Exercise Frequency	1-2 times a day	2-3 times a day
Exercise Duration	Min. 20 minutes per session	30-60 minutes per session
Exercise Intensity	High	Moderate to high
Owner Requirements	Active	Active
Exercise Companion	Good; needs to build up endurance	Good
Training Methods	Positive preferred; needs firm and consistent guidance	Positive preferred
Mandatory Training	Obedience	Obedience
Canine Sport Training	Encouraged	Eligible
Affinity for Water	High	High

Summary:

Chesapeake Bay Retrievers thrive when they have a task to do and can become restive without purposeful training and exercise. This makes them ideal candidates for canine sports. German Longhaired Pointers are happy with lots of yard play.

The stubborn streak of the Chesapeake Bay Retriever means that they require a strong and confident hand for training and exercise. German Longhaired Pointers are eager to please and intelligent, making them relatively easy to train.

German Longhaired Pointers have more demanding exercise requirements, although the Chesapeake Bay Retrievers still need plenty of exercise.

Adaptability And Living Environment

	CHESAPEAKE BAY RETRIEVER	GERMAN LONGHAIRED POINTER
Good for First-Time Owners	No	Possibly
Good for Single-Person Homes	Yes	Yes
Good for Multi-Person Homes	Possibly	Yes
Alone Time	Intolerant of extended periods of isolation	Intolerant
Indoor Living	Should be allowed indoors with family; not suitable for apartment living	Should be allowed indoors with family; not suitable for apartment living
Outdoor Requirements	Should have access to a secure yard; should be taken outside each day	Should have access to a secure yard; should be taken outside each day
Toleration of Cold Weather	High	Moderate
Toleration of Hot Weather	Moderate to high	Low to moderate

Summary:

Chesapeake Bay Retrievers are not suitable for novice owners. They are strong-willed and dominant and will take advantage of an unsure or inexperienced owner. German Longhaired Pointers are more suitable for novice owners, but they are still very high maintenance dogs that would require a particular novice owner.

German Longhaired Pointers are adapted to multi-person homes as they are happy to get involved in the lives of all family members. The Chesapeake Bay Retriever is more likely to be a one-person dog. They can still get along with the other members of the family, but they display a definite preference for their chosen human.

Both dogs are intolerant of being left alone, but, owing to its independent streak, the Chesapeake Bay Retriever is likely to do better with short periods of isolation than the German Longhaired Pointer.

While the German Longhaired Pointer is more adapted for cold weather than its shorthaired and wirehaired counterparts, it is less adapted than the Chesapeake Bay Retriever, who thrives in the cold.

Chesapeake Bay Retriever Vs. German SHORTHAIRED Pointer

Classification, Lifespan, And Appearance

	CHESAPEAKE BAY RETRIEVER	GERMAN SHORTHAIRED POINTER
AKC Classification	Sporting Group	Sporting Group
Alternative Classification	Bird Dog – Retriever	Bird Dog – Pointer
Lifespan	10-13 years	10-12 years
Height	21-26 inches	21-25 inches
Weight	55-80 lbs	45-70 lbs
Coat Length	Short	Very short
Coat Characteristics	Thick with wooly undercoat	Thick and coarse on body; thinner and softer on head and ears
Feathering	Little to none	None
Hypoallergenic Coat	No	No
Ears	Hang down; short; un-feathered	Hang down; medium to long; un-feathered

Summary:

Chesapeake Bay Retrievers are retrieving bird dogs adapted for working in colder climes. German Shorthaired Pointers are pointing bird dogs.

Chesapeake Bay Retrievers have a wooly undercoat, whereas the German Shorthaired Pointer has only a topcoat.

Grooming Requirements

	CHESAPEAKE BAY RETRIEVER	GERMAN SHORTHAIRED POINTER
Maintenance Intensity	Moderate	Moderate
Brushing	2-3 times a week	Occasional
Bathing	Occasional	Occasional
Shedding	Regular	Regular
Ears	Checked and cleaned weekly	Checked and cleaned weekly

Summary:

The Chesapeake Bay Retriever requires more regular brushing than the German Shorthaired Pointer.

Temperament

	CHESAPEAKE BAY RETRIEVER	GERMAN SHORTHAIRED POINTER
General Temperament (AKC)	Affectionate; bright; sensitive	Friendly; smart; willing to please
Affectionate (to family)	Yes; often prefers one person	Yes; often prefers one person
Independence	Moderate	Moderate
Intensity	High	Moderate to high
Sensitivity	Moderate	Moderate to high
Stubborn	Likely	Possible
Aggression Level	Moderate	Low
Timid	No	No
Energy Level	High	High
Attention Requirements	High	High
One-Person Dog	Likely	Likely
General Friendliness	Moderate	Moderate
Child Friendliness	Moderate to high	Moderate to high; better with older children
Stranger Friendliness	Reserved	Reserved to friendly
Dog Friendliness	Low	Low
Cat Friendliness	Moderate if raised with them	Low
Protectiveness	High	Moderate to high
Prey Drive	High	High
Barking Potential	Moderate	Moderate

Summary:

The Chesapeake Bay Retriever and German Shorthaired Pointer are more similar when it comes to temperament than are the Chesapeake and the German Longhaired.

Chesapeake Bay Retrievers are more aggressive than the German Shorthaired Pointer, but they should not be excessively aggressive.

The Chesapeake Bay Retriever is better with cats (that it was raised with), while the German Shorthaired Pointer has a very high prey drive and is unlikely to be suitable for a house where cats are already living.

Exercise And Training Requirements

	CHESAPEAKE BAY RETRIEVER	GERMAN SHORTHAIRED POINTER
Socialization	Required	Required
Intelligence Level	High	High
Endurance	Moderate to high	High
Eager to Please	Moderate	High
Exercise Needs	Moderate to high	High
Exercise Frequency	1-2 times a day	2-3 times a day
Exercise Duration	Min. 20 minutes per session	30-60 minutes per session
Exercise Intensity	High	Moderate to high
Owner Requirements	Active	Active
Exercise Companion	Good; needs to build up endurance	Excellent
Training Methods	Positive preferred; needs firm and consistent guidance	Positive yields best results; shorter duration is better
Mandatory Training	Obedience	Obedience
Canine Sport Training	Encouraged	Encouraged
Affinity for Water	High	Moderate to high

Summary:

German Shorthaired Pointers have a stronger eagerness to please than the Chesapeake Bay Retriever, but they are still strong-minded, so you need to be intentional about how you train them.

Chesapeake Bay Retrievers require ample exercise, but not as much as the German Shorthaired Pointer needs.

Adaptability And Living Environment

	CHESAPEAKE BAY RETRIEVER	GERMAN SHORTHAIRED POINTER
Good for First-Time Owners	No	No
Good for Single-Person Homes	Yes	Yes (if person can meet their exercise requirements)
Good for Multi-Person Homes	Possibly	Yes
Alone Time	Intolerant of extended periods of isolation	Intolerant
Indoor Living	Should be allowed indoors with family; not suitable for apartment living	Should be allowed indoors with family; not suitable for apartment living
Outdoor Requirements	Should have access to a secure yard; should be taken outside each day	Should have access to a secure yard; should be taken outside each day
Toleration of Cold Weather	High	Low
Toleration of Hot Weather	Moderate to high	Moderate to high

Summary:

Both dogs are intolerant of being left alone, but the Chesapeake Bay Retriever is likely to do better with short periods of isolation than the German Shorthaired Pointer.

The Chesapeake Bay Retriever is much more tolerant of cold weather than the German Shorthaired Pointer.

Chesapeake Bay Retriever Vs. German WIREHAIRED Pointer

Classification, Lifespan, And Appearance

	CHESAPEAKE BAY RETRIEVER	GERMAN WIREHAIRED POINTER
AKC Classification	Sporting Group	Sporting Group
Alternative Classification	Bird Dog – Retriever	Bird Dog – Pointer
Lifespan	10-13 years	14-16 years
Height	21-26 inches	22-26 inches
Weight	55-80 lbs	50-70 lbs
Coat Length	Short	Short (longer on belly)
Coat Characteristics	Thick with wooly undercoat	Straight, harsh, and wiry; undercoat is dense in winter and thin in summer
Feathering	Little to none	Little to none
Hypoallergenic Coat	No	No
Ears	Hang down; short; un-feathered	Hang down; short to medium; un-feathered

Summary:

Chesapeake Bay Retrievers are retrieving bird dogs adapted for working in colder climes. German Shorthaired Pointers are pointing bird dogs.

Neither of these dogs has a smooth, silky coat, but the German Wirehaired Pointer has the harsher coat. Both have undercoats, but the German Wirehaired Pointer’s undercoat has seasonal variations in thickness.

Grooming Requirements

	CHESAPEAKE BAY RETRIEVER	GERMAN WIREHAIRED POINTER
Maintenance Intensity	Moderate	Low
Brushing	2-3 times a week	Weekly
Bathing	Occasional	Occasional
Shedding	Regular	Regular
Ears	Checked and cleaned weekly	Checked and cleaned weekly

Summary:

The Chesapeake Bay Retriever requires more grooming overall than the German Wirehaired Pointer.

Temperament

	CHESAPEAKE BAY RETRIEVER	GERMAN WIREHAIRED POINTER
General Temperament (AKC)	Affectionate; bright; sensitive	Affectionate; eager; enthusiastic
Affectionate (to family)	Yes; often prefers one person	Yes; often prefers one person
Independence	Moderate	Moderate
Intensity	High	Moderate to high
Sensitivity	Moderate	Moderate to high
Stubborn	Likely	Possible
Aggression Level	Moderate	Moderate (dog aggression)
Timid	No	No
Energy Level	High	High
Attention Requirements	High	High
One-Person Dog	Likely	Likely
General Friendliness	Moderate	High
Child Friendliness	Moderate to high	High (can be too boisterous)
Stranger Friendliness	Reserved	Reserved
Dog Friendliness	Low	Low
Cat Friendliness	Moderate if raised with them	Low
Protectiveness	High	High
Prey Drive	High	High
Barking Potential	Moderate	Moderate

Summary:

The Chesapeake Bay Retriever and German Wirehaired Pointer are more similar when it comes to temperament than are the Chesapeake and the German Longhaired.

The Chesapeake Bay Retriever is better with cats (that it was raised with), while the German Wirehaired Pointer has a very high prey drive and is unlikely to be suitable for a house where small pets are already living.

Exercise And Training Requirements

	CHESAPEAKE BAY RETRIEVER	GERMAN WIREHAIRED POINTER
Socialization	Required	Required
Intelligence Level	High	High
Endurance	Moderate to high	High
Eager to Please	Moderate	High
Exercise Needs	Moderate to high	High
Exercise Frequency	1-2 times a day	2-3 times a day
Exercise Duration	Min. 20 minutes per session	30-60 minutes per session
Exercise Intensity	High	High
Owner Requirements	Active	Active
Exercise Companion	Good; needs to build up endurance	Excellent
Training Methods	Positive preferred; needs firm and consistent guidance	Positive preferred
Mandatory Training	Obedience	Obedience
Canine Sport Training	Encouraged	Encouraged
Affinity for Water	High	High

Summary:

The German Wirehaired Pointer has extremely demanding exercise requirements. The Chesapeake Bay Retriever still needs ample exercise, but not near as much.

Adaptability And Living Environment

	CHESAPEAKE BAY RETRIEVER	GERMAN WIREHAIRED POINTER
Good for First-Time Owners	No	No
Good for Single-Person Homes	Yes	Yes
Good for Multi-Person Homes	Possibly	Yes
Alone Time	Intolerant of extended periods of isolation	Intolerant of extended periods of isolation
Indoor Living	Should be allowed indoors with family; not suitable for apartment living	Should be allowed indoors with family; not suitable for apartment living
Outdoor Requirements	Should have access to a secure yard; should be taken outside each day	Should have access to a secure yard; should be taken outside each day
Toleration of Cold Weather	High	Moderate to high
Toleration of Hot Weather	Moderate to high	Moderate to high

Summary:

Chesapeake Bay Retrievers are less likely to need or desire the company of anyone other than their chosen person. In contrast, a German Wirehaired Pointer will still be happy to interact with each family member, even with a favorite.

Chesapeake Bay Retrievers tolerate the cold slightly better than the German Wirehaired Pointer.

Conclusion

There are three different breeds of German Pointer. The German Longhaired Pointer differs from the Chesapeake Bay Retriever in more ways than the German Shorthaired Pointer and German Wirehaired Pointer.

Chesapeake Bay Retrievers are affectionate with their family but are not a dog who should be pushed. They have a tendency towards aggression, but this should never be excessive and is directed into reservation with strangers and protection of their family.

German Pointers are less aggressive overall, although the Wirehaired Pointer displays dog-dog aggression. German Pointers are less protective but not unprotective.

German Pointers have higher energy and exercise requirements than the Chesapeake Bay Retrievers.

All of these breeds are not appropriate for novice owners. They require strong-minded owners who are extremely active and will invest lots of time and effort into training and exercising their dogs.