A number of US states have shelter pets as an official symbol, but there also are thirteen official state dogs, some of which I’ve never heard of before.
Are you familiar with:
1. The Chesapeake Bay Retriever
This is Maryland’s state dog:
🐕🐕🐕
2. Great Dane
Okay, everyone knows this one.
Beagles reportedly were nominated, too, but they couldn’t beat William Penn’s endorsement (see link) to become Pennsylvania’s state dog.
The AKC has some nice views of this beautiful canine in their breed series video:
More information:
- Wikipedia page
- PetMD on Great Danes
- Hollywood Danes on Facebook
🐕🐕🐕
3. The Plott Hound
“The what?” I said, not having spent much time in North Carolina:
More information:
🐕🐕🐕
4. Boston Terrier
Shouldn’t that be “Bahstan terrier,” Massachusetts?
More information:
🐕🐕🐕
5. Alaskan Malamute
Perhaps, like me, you’ve been calling Alaska’s state dog a husky — huskies are on this list, too, see #7.
Here’s the official word:
More information:
- AKC: From sled dog to pet.
- Wikipedia page
- Kids were in on it.
🐕🐕🐕
6. Chinook
Yet another sled dog boosted into state symbolhood with the help of kids — in New Hampshire!
More information:
- AKC page
- Dr. Wikipedia’s Chinook page
- The Spruce Pets on Chinooks
🐕🐕🐕
7. Siberian Husky
This is the country’s newest state dog, only since October 2024, and it symbolizes Connecticut — or rather, the UConn (pun intended) men’s basketball team mascot, on the other side of the continent from Alaska!
More information:
- Wikipedia page
- PetMD on Siberian huskies
- Heroic Togo and friends
🐕🐕🐕
8. Catahoula Leopard Dog
Moving to a warmer climate, it appears that Louisiana’s state dog is informally known as the Catahoula cur!
More information:
🐕🐕🐕
9. Boykin Spaniel
There are a lot of wonderful “whereas’s along the path to this dog’s selection as South Carolina’s state dog.
More information:
- AKC on the little-brown-dog phenomenon
- Wikipedia page
- Dogster on Boykin spaniels
🐕🐕🐕
10. Bluetick Coonhound
This dog breed reportedly also added “state symbol” to its role as sports mascot at the University of Tennessee.
🐕🐕🐕
11. Blue Lacy
This is another one of those dog breeds that I didn’t know was out there, working longhorns, deep in the heart of Texas:
That’s pretty short, so here’s another video:
More information:
- National Kennel Club page
- Wikipedia page
- PetMD on Blue Lacys
🐕🐕🐕
12. American Foxhound
Is it any surprise that a hound so closely associated with George Washington is Virginia’s state dog?
It’s a beautiful, friendly doggo, too.
More information:
- AKC: Is it a good fit for you?
- Dr. Wikipedia on American foxhounds
- Pet Health Network page
🐕🐕🐕
13. American Water Spaniel
According to the State of Wisconsin, kids were the moving force behind this floofy Fido’s selection as state dog.
Older folks like it, too:
More information:
🇺🇸🐕🇺🇸🐕🇺🇸🐕🇺🇸
While doing this post, I learned as many new things about my fellow Americans as I did about dogs.
Do you have a favorite? I can’t decide on one — the Catahoula Leopard Dog, perhaps, for the name and also those spots and unusual blue eyes. But that American foxhound is gorgeous and happy, and I’ve also always been a fan of Scooby-Doo (Great Dane).
What I like best is that, in all these videos, the real focus is somewhere in between a dog and a human being, and both are happy.
That’s a good point to close with.
Featured image: Tee Store/Shutterstock
Flight To Wonder 