Last Updated on December 9, 2019
The Buckeye State is considering a law to establish something most states in the union have managed not to have so far: an official state dog breed.
My home state of South Carolina is one of a few states that actually has named a state dog breed.
Ohio is on the side of states that has no such designation for man’s best friend. A lawmaker is now trying to change that with a new bill.
Things must be very good in Ohio if that’s a priority for anyone.
It must be nice.
The plan is designate the Labrador Retriever as the official state dog of Ohio. My dad had a black Labrador Retriever years ago. It was a character of a dog.
If the bill passes, Ohio would become the 13th state to have a state dog.
When Maryland named the Chesapeake Bay Retriever its state dog in 1964, the state became the first in the nation to have such a designation.
Not to be outdone, Pennsylvania followed with the Great Dane.
Alaska’s state dog is, appropriately enough, the Alaskan Malamute. North Carolina chose the Plott Hound. In both cases, those dogs are indigenous to those states. In North Carolina, it turns out the Plott Hound is the only breed indigenous to the Tarheel State.
South Carolina’s state canine is the Boykin Spaniel. Louisiana selected the Catahoula Leopard dog. Massachusetts named the Boston Terrier as its official dog.
Texas lawmakers appointed the Blue Lacy to the role of official breed while Virginia chose the American Foxhound.
Wisconsin chose the American Water Spaniel. New Hampshire named the Chinook its official dog.
And for a year, Delaware had an official breed: the Golden Retriever. Though the bill that designated the breed was signed in 2016, it expired a year later and no breed has since been named.
As fine a breed as the Labrador Retriever is, I’m a little surprised that by now no state has named the Rough Collie as its official state dog. It would have been a fine choice for Texas, since the Collie is the mascot for Texas A&M.
Of course, I’m biased when it comes to that particular breed. I grew up with a Collie who thought she was Lassie and treated me like her puppy. I’ve loved the breed ever since.
On the other hand, it’s hard to argue the popularity of the Lab. Last year, the American Kennel Club named the breed the most popular in the United States for the 26th year in a row.
Maybe Ohio is on to something after all.