States give themselves nicknames, “the Silver State,” “the Show Me State” and “the Sooner State,” to name a few. They also adopt animal mascots, “official” state critters such as California’s grizzly bear, Kansas’ bison, and Oregon’s beaver.
This raises the question, “Do all states have state dogs?” Only 11 states have chosen an official state dog breed. Some are easy to guess: the Malamute, the Chesapeake Bay Retriever and the Boston Terrier. Others are more arcane, among them the Catahoula Leopard Dog, the Chinook, the Plott Hound, the Boykin Spaniel and the Blue Lacy.
Three states have skirted around dog breeding, adopting the adoptables: adopted pets (California) and shelter dogs (Illinois and Colorado). Georgia may have the best breed-neutral idea; its state dog is the Adoptable Dog.
During the isolation caused by the COVID pandemic, many people adopted dogs to help cope with the loneliness of medically mandated house arrest. For a time, the shelters were nearly empty. We owe it to dogs to name more of them official State Dogs. As usual QuipTide has a few ideas:
The pit bull, official dog of New Jersey. The Garden State has a tough reputation, but most of it is as lovely as the nickname. You hear “New Jersey” and think: “Sopranos, Jersey Shore, Fuggedaboutit.” The pit bull, a much-maligned breed, is similar. Yes, they have powerful jaws and can inflict severe damage, but pits and New Jersey deserve a break. Next time think Menlo Park (the N.J. one), Princeton (the N.J. one) and Cape May, the California equivalents of Silicon Valley, Stanford and Carmel.
The Australian cattle dog, official dog of Nebraska, “the Beef State.” If you leave off “Australian,” the cattle dog is a fine avatar for the state: smart, hard-working and loyal (as are Australians). You might think Texas should have the cattle dog, but it chose the name of the Blue Lacy, so Nebraska wins by default.
The pug, official dog of Idaho. After looking at photos of many breeds, I picked the pug as most closely resembling a potato.
The Chihuahua, official dog of Rhode Island. A small dog for a small state. If every family in Rhode Island got a Chihuahua, they’d have to drop the last “hua” to make room.
The Jack Russell terrier, official dog of New York. They’re aggressive, hyperactive, brave, and they kill rats. Same as Jack Russells.
The golden retriever, the dog everyone wants. Too bad, folks. Delaware already snatched this official dog breed .
California poses a difficult dog-matching challenge. Before Californians are deemed worthy of a dog we must first discover our inner dog — that part of us that already acts like a dog. Only after our karmic canine manifests itself to us may we begin the spirit journey to true dogness. Having prepared our unworthy abode with multiple dog beds, dog chews and dog toys — even the obnoxious ones with squeakers —may we ascend to the next stage, when the dog chooses us. Over time we begin to recognize the Ultimate Truth: We are our own dogs.
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