Thirteen states of the United States have designated an official state dog breed. Maryland was the first state to name a dog breed as a state symbol, naming the Chesapeake Bay Retriever in 1964. [1] Pennsylvania followed the year after, naming the Great Dane as its official breed. [2] Dog breeds are mostly affiliated with the states that they originated in. North Carolina chose the Plott Hound as it was the only dog breed indigenous to the state. [3]
Other official state dogs also are indigenous to their state, including the Boston Terrier (Massachusetts) and the Alaskan Malamute (Alaska). [4] [5] Pennsylvania selected the Great Dane not because of its origin, but because it was introduced by early settlers in the state to be used as a hunting and working dog; [6] it was chosen over the Beagle, which was also proposed around the same time. [7]
Two of the more recent successful campaigns to name a state dog have been started by schoolchildren. In 2007, Alaskan kindergarten student Paige Hill's idea created the campaign for the Alaskan Malamute which would convince Representative Berta Gardner to support the bill in 2009, with it becoming law in 2010. [8] Elementary school students from Bedford, New Hampshire won their campaign for the Chinook to be accepted as a symbol of their state in 2010. [9]
There have been a variety of campaigns in other states to select a state dog. Georgia was undecided about choosing a state dog in 1991, with an attempt to make the Golden Retriever the official dog failing after a vote in the Georgia State Senate; an opposing campaign promoted the Bulldog, the mascot of the University of Georgia. [10] The campaign to make the Siberian Husky the Washington state dog failed in the Washington House of Representatives in 2004. [11] In January 2019, Minnesota partnered with charity Pawsitivity Service Dogs to introduce a bill to make the Labrador Retriever the State Dog. [12]
In 2006, New York State Assembly member Vincent Ignizio suggested that New York should adopt a dog as a state symbol, [13] and during the campaign to name the western painted turtle as state reptile for Colorado in 2008, it was suggested by local press that the Labrador Retriever would be suitable as a symbol, even though it is not native to the state. [1] While in Kansas as early as 2006, residents have suggested the Cairn Terrier as the state dog due to the breed's appearance as Toto in the film The Wizard of Oz . [14] In 2012, Representative Ed Trimmer tabled a bill proposing the Cairn Terrier as a state symbol. [15] In 2015, the "working dog", animals that have been trained for various service roles, was adopted. [16]
Although South Dakota does not have a state dog breed, it does list the coyote—a canine species related to the dog—as its state wildlife animal. [17] [18] In Minnesota, legislation has been proposed on six occasions to adopt the eastern timber wolf as the state animal. [19]
In 2013, Colorado listed rescue dogs and cats as the state pet, [20] [21] [22] as did Tennessee in 2014 [23] and Delaware in 2023 replacing the Golden Retriever. [24] California also named the shelter pet as its state pet in 2015 because of all the abandoned shelter pets each year. California's legislature hopes this will cause more adoptions of pets from shelters. [25] [26] In 2017, Illinois designated shelter cats and dogs as the state pet as well, [27] while in 2018, Georgia adopted "adoptable dogs" as its state dog. [28]
State | Dog breed | Image | Year of designation | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
Alaska | Alaskan Malamute | 2010 | [29] | |
Delaware | Golden Retriever | 2016 (expired on August 31, 2017, pursuant to 80 Del. Laws, c. 365, § 3). | [30] | |
Louisiana | Catahoula Leopard Dog | 1979 | [1] | |
Maryland | Chesapeake Bay Retriever | 1964 | [1] | |
Massachusetts | Boston Terrier | 1979 | [1] | |
New Hampshire | Chinook | 2009 | [9] | |
North Carolina | Plott Hound | 1989 | [1] | |
Pennsylvania | Great Dane | 1965 | [31] | |
South Carolina | Boykin Spaniel | 1985 | [32] | |
Tennessee | Bluetick Coonhound | 2019 | [33] | |
Texas | Blue Lacy | 2005 | [34] | |
Virginia | American Foxhound | 1966 | [35] | |
Wisconsin | American Water Spaniel | 1985 | [36] |
The table below shows the dog breeds which have been proposed to each state's relevant State Senate or House of Representatives, but either were not accepted as a state symbol or are still pending nominations.
State | Dog breed | Image | Year proposed | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
Connecticut | Siberian Husky | 2024 | [37] | |
Georgia | Golden Retriever | 1991 | [10] | |
Georgia | English bulldog | 2016 | [38] | |
Kansas | Cairn Terrier | 2012 | [15] | |
Maine | Labrador Retriever | 2015 | [39] | |
Ohio | Labrador Retriever | 2015 | [40] | |
Oregon | Newfoundland | 2015 | [41] | |
Washington | Siberian Husky | 2004 | [11] |
State | Designation | Image | Year of designation | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
Georgia | "Adoptable dog" | 2016 | [38] | |
New Jersey | The Seeing Eye Dog | 2019 | [42] | |
New York | Working dog | 2015 | [43] [16] | |
The Siberian Husky is a medium-sized working sled dog breed. The breed belongs to the Spitz genetic family. It is recognizable by its thickly furred double coat, erect triangular ears, and distinctive markings, and is smaller than the similar-looking Alaskan Malamute.
Pit bull is an umbrella term for several types of dog believed to have descended from bull and terriers. In the United States, the term is usually considered to include the American Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, American Bully, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, and sometimes the American Bulldog, along with any crossbred dog that shares certain physical characteristics with these breeds. In other countries, including the United Kingdom, the term is used as an abbreviation of the American Pit Bull Terrier breed specifically, while the Staffordshire Bull Terrier is not considered a pit bull. Most pit bull–type dogs descend from the British bull and terrier, a 19th-century dog-fighting type developed from crosses between the Old English Bulldog and the Old English Terrier.
A dog breed is a particular type of dog that was purposefully bred by humans to perform specific tasks, such as herding, hunting, and guarding. Dogs are the most variable mammal on Earth, with artificial selection producing upward of 360 globally recognized breeds. These breeds possess distinct traits related to morphology, which include body size, skull shape, tail phenotype, fur type, body shape, and coat colour. However, there is only one species of dog. Their behavioral traits include guarding, herding, and hunting, and personality traits such as hyper-social behavior, boldness, and aggression. Most breeds were derived from small numbers of founders within the last 200 years. As a result of their adaptability to many environments and breedability for human needs, today dogs are the most abundant carnivore species and are dispersed around the world.
The American Kennel Club (AKC) is a registry of purebred dog pedigrees in the United States. In addition to maintaining its pedigree registry, this kennel club also promotes and sanctions events for purebred dogs, including the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, an annual event which predates the official forming of the AKC, the National Dog Show and the AKC National Championship. The AKC is a non-member partner with the Fédération Cynologique Internationale. The AKC recognizes 200 dog breeds, as of 2022.
The Airedale Terrier, also called Bingley Terrier and Waterside Terrier, is a dog breed of the terrier type that originated in the valley (dale) of the River Aire, in the West Riding of Yorkshire, England. It is traditionally called the "King of Terriers" because it is the largest of the terrier breeds. The Airedale was bred from the Old English Black and Tan Terrier and the Otterhound and probably some other Terrier breeds, and has contributed to other dog breeds, such as the Yorkshire Terrier.
The Staffordshire Bull Terrier, also called the Staffy or Stafford, is a purebred dog of small to medium size in the terrier group that originated in the northern parts of Birmingham and in the Black Country of Staffordshire, for which it is named. They descended from 19th-century bull terriers that were developed by crossing bulldogs with various terriers to create a generic type of dog generally known as bull and terriers. Staffords share the same ancestry with the modern Bull Terrier, although the two breeds developed along independent lines, and do not resemble each other. Modern Staffords more closely resemble the old type of bull terrier, and were first recognised as a purebred dog breed by The Kennel Club of Great Britain in 1935.
The Alaskan Malamute is a large breed of dog that was originally bred for its strength and endurance, to haul heavy freight as a sled dog, and as a hound. It is similar to other arctic breeds such as the husky, the spitz, the Greenland Dog, Canadian Eskimo Dog, the Siberian Husky, and the Samoyed.
The Yorkshire Terrier, also known as a Yorkie, is a British breed of toy dog of terrier type. It is among the smallest of the terriers and indeed of all dog breeds, with a weight of no more than 3.2 kg (7 lb). It originated in the nineteenth century in the English county of Yorkshire, after which it is named. The coat is tan on the head and dark steel-grey on the body; no other colour is accepted by either The Kennel Club or the Fédération Cynologique Internationale.
The Lakeland Terrier is a dog breed, which takes its name from its place of origin, the Lake District in England. The dog is a small to mid-size member of the Terrier family. While independent in personality, it interacts well with owners and all family members. In the United Kingdom, the Lakeland Terrier is considered a vulnerable dog breed at risk of going extinct through low levels of breeding, according to The Kennel Club. In the United States, the Lakeland Terrier ranked 148 out of 193 breeds by number of American Kennel Club puppy registrations in 2019.
Toy dog traditionally refers to a very small dog or a grouping of small and very small breeds of dog. A toy dog may be of any of various dog types. Types of dogs referred to as toy dogs may include spaniels, pinschers and terriers that have been bred down in size. Not all toy dogs are lap dogs.
The United Kennel Club (UKC) is a kennel club founded in 1898 in the United States. In contrast with the American Kennel Club, which is non-profit and which only clubs can join, the United Kennel Club is a profit-making corporation, open to individuals.
The Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show is an all-breed conformation show, held annually in the New York metropolitan area.
Weight pulling is a dog sport involving a dog pulling a cart or sled loaded with weight a short distance across dirt/gravel, grass, carpet, or snow. It is a modern adaptation of freighting, in which dogs were used as freight animals to move cargo.
The Moscow Water Dog, also known as the Moscow Diver, Moscow Retriever or Moskovsky Vodolaz, was a little-known dog breed derived from the Newfoundland, Caucasian Shepherd Dog and East European Shepherd. It is now extinct, but was used in the development of the Black Russian Terrier. The Moscow Water Dog was produced only by the Red Star Kennels, the state-operated organization chartered to provide working dogs for the armed services of the Soviet Union. The breeding program was discontinued as the dogs would attack drowning victims instead of saving them.
The potcake dog or American Village Dog is a mixed-breed dog type found on several Caribbean islands. Its name comes from a traditional local dish of seasoned rice and pigeon peas; overcooked rice that sticks to the bottom of the cooking pot is commonly mixed with other leftovers and fed to the dogs. Although appearance varies, potcakes generally have smooth coats, cocked ears, and long faces.
The Golden Retriever is a Scottish breed of retriever dog of medium size. It is characterised by a gentle and affectionate nature and a striking golden coat. It is a working dog, and registration is subject to successful completion of a working trial. It is commonly kept as a pet and is among the most frequently registered breeds in several Western countries; some may compete in dog shows or obedience trials, or work as a guide dog.
Dogs in the United States have significant popularity and status – they are often treated as family members. Currently, the American Kennel Club is the largest registry of pure breed dogs across the world.
The Alaskan husky is a breed of medium-sized working sled dog, developed specifically for its performance as such.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)