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List of U.S. state dogs facts for kids

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Official Dog States
A map of the USA showing in red which states have a specified dog breed as an official symbol

Did you know that many states in the United States have an official state dog breed? Just like states have official birds or flowers, some also have a special dog! These dogs are chosen for different reasons. Sometimes, it's because the dog breed first came from that state. Other times, it's because the breed is important to the state's history or culture.

Maryland was the very first state to pick an official dog. They chose the Chesapeake Bay Retriever in 1964. Pennsylvania followed soon after, picking the Great Dane in 1965.

Some states choose a dog breed that started there. For example, North Carolina picked the Plott Hound. This is because it's the only dog breed that originally came from North Carolina. Other dogs that are native to their state include the Boston Terrier in Massachusetts and the Alaskan Malamute in Alaska.

The Great Dane was chosen by Pennsylvania, not because it started there, but because early settlers used these dogs for hunting and working. It was picked over the Beagle, which was also considered at the time.

Kids Help Choose State Dogs!

Sometimes, kids play a big part in choosing a state dog! In 2007, a kindergarten student named Paige Hill from Alaska had an idea. She wanted the Alaskan Malamute to be the state dog. Her idea led to a campaign, and in 2010, it became law!

Also, elementary school students from Bedford, New Hampshire helped make the Chinook their state dog in 2010. This shows that young people can make a difference!

Other States and Their Dog Ideas

Many other states have tried to choose an official dog. In 1991, Georgia thought about making the Golden Retriever its state dog. But it didn't pass. Another idea was the Bulldog, which is the mascot for the University of Georgia.

In 2004, the idea to make the Siberian Husky the state dog for Washington didn't pass either. More recently, in 2019, Minnesota worked with a charity to suggest the Labrador Retriever as their state dog.

In 2006, a politician in New York State suggested they should have a state dog. And in Colorado, people thought the Labrador Retriever would be a good choice, even though it's not from Colorado.

In Kansas, some people have suggested the Cairn Terrier as the state dog. This is because a Cairn Terrier played Toto in the famous movie The Wizard of Oz. In 2012, a bill was proposed to make it official.

Animals That Are Not Dog Breeds

Some states have chosen other types of animals related to dogs. For example, South Dakota doesn't have a state dog breed. But it does have the coyote as its state wildlife animal. Coyotes are wild relatives of dogs. In Minnesota, people have tried several times to make the eastern timber wolf the state animal.

State Pets and Rescue Animals

Some states have chosen "state pets" instead of a specific dog breed. These choices often help animals in need.

  • In 2013, Colorado named rescue dogs and cats as their state pet.
  • Tennessee did the same in 2014.
  • California named "shelter pets" as its state pet in 2015. This was to encourage people to adopt animals from shelters.
  • In 2017, Illinois also named shelter cats and dogs as their state pet.
  • In 2018, Georgia adopted "adoptable dogs" as its state dog. This means any dog that can be adopted from a shelter.

Official State Dog Breeds

Here is a list of the states that have an official dog breed:

State Dog breed Image Year of designation Ref.
Alaska Alaskan Malamute A white and grey husky-like dog faces left. Its tail curves over its back. 2010
Delaware Golden Retriever A golden fluffy colored medium-size dog faces left in a woodland setting. 2016 (expired on August 31, 2017, pursuant to 80 Del. Laws, c. 365, § 3).
Louisiana Catahoula Leopard dog A mottled brown dog with a white chest faces right. It wears a red collar. 1979
Maryland Chesapeake Bay Retriever A brown dog faces left. 1964
Massachusetts Boston Terrier A brown and white dog turns to face the camera. Its ear's stand up on top of its head. 1979
New Hampshire Chinook A light brown dog stands in woodland. It faces left but has turned its head to face the camera. 2009
North Carolina Plott Hound A dark colored mottled dog faces right while sniffing the ground. 1989
Pennsylvania Great Dane A large white dog with black patches stands next to a trophy. 1965
South Carolina Boykin Spaniel A brown spaniel faces the camera in the snow. 1985
Tennessee Bluetick Coonhound BluetickCoonhound.jpg 2019
Texas Blue Lacy A dark grey colored dog faces just to the right, it wears a large tag on its collar. 2005
Virginia American Foxhound A mostly white dog with black and brown markings faces left with its head turned to the camera. 1966
Wisconsin American Water Spaniel A curly coated dark brown colored spaniel stands next to its owner. 1985

Proposed Dog Breeds

Many dog breeds have been suggested to become a state's official dog, but not all of them were chosen. Here are some of the breeds that were proposed:

State Dog breed Image Year proposed Ref.
Connecticut Siberian Husky A dark grey and white wolf like dog faces left in profile. 2024
Georgia Golden Retriever A golden fluffy colored medium-size dog faces left in a woodland setting. 1991
Georgia English bulldog A stocky brown and white dog. 2016
Kansas Cairn Terrier A small mottled brown dog. 2012
Maine Labrador Retriever A black Labrador Retriever at a conformation show 2015
Ohio Labrador Retriever A black Labrador Retriever at a confirmation show 2015
Oregon Newfoundland Black Newfoundland 2015
Washington Siberian Husky A dark grey and white wolf like dog faces left in profile. 2004

Other Dog-Related Designations

Some states have chosen special types of dogs or dog-related roles as their official symbol, rather than a specific breed.

State Designation Image Year of designation Ref.
Georgia "Adoptable dog" "Dog in animal shelter" 2016
New Jersey The Seeing Eye Dog "A Seeing Eye Dog" 2019
New York Working dog "A labrador retriever in service as a guide dog" 2015

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Razas caninas oficiales en estados de Estados Unidos para niños

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