Sixteen states of the United States have designated an official state dog breed. Maryland was first to name a dog breed as a state symbol, with the Chesapeake Bay Retriever in 1964, and Pennsylvania followed the year after with the Great Dane. Dog breeds are mostly affiliated with the states where they originated. North Carolina chose the Plott Hound as it was the only dog breed indigenous to the state.
Other official state dogs indigenous to their state include the Boston Terrier (Massachusetts) and the Alaskan Malamute (Alaska). Pennsylvania selected the Great Dane not because of its origin, but because it was introduced by early settlers in the state as a hunting and working dog; it was chosen over the Beagle which was also proposed around the same time.
Two 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 convinced Representative Berta Gardner to support the bill in 2009, with it becoming law in 2010. Elementary school students from Bedford, New Hampshire won their campaign for the Chinook to be their state dog in 2010.
Georgia's attempt to adopt the Golden Retriever failed a vote in the Georgia State Senate in 1991; an opposing campaign promoted the Bulldog, the mascot of the University of Georgia. The Washington House of Representatives rejected a campaign to adopt the Siberian Husky in 2004. In January 2019, Minnesota partnered with charity Pawsitivity Service Dogs to introduce a bill to make the Labrador Retriever the State Dog.
In 2006, New York State Assembly member Vincent Ignizio suggested that New York adopt a dog as a state symbol; in 2015, the "working dog"animals trained for service roleswas adopted. During the 2008 campaign to name the western painted turtle as Colorado's state reptile, local press suggested the Labrador Retriever as a suitable symbol, although not native to the state. Kansas residents suggested the Cairn Terrier as state dog in 2006 due to its appearance as Toto in the film The Wizard of Oz. Kansas representative Ed Trimmer tabled a bill proposing the Cairn Terrier in 2012.
South Dakota does not have a state dog but lists the coyote—a canine species related to the dog—as its state wildlife animal. Legislation has been proposed on six occasions in Minnesota to adopt the eastern timber wolfanother canine as state animal. Arkansas adopted the Labrador Retriever in April 2025.
In 2013, Colorado made rescue dogs and cats as the state pet, as did Tennessee in 2014, California in 2015 (to promote pet adoptions from shelters),spcala.com/press-release/legislature-declares-shelter-pet-as-official-california-state-pet/leginfo.ca.gov/pub/15-16/bill/asm/ab_0051-0100/acr_56_bill_20150420_introduced.htm Illinois in 2017, Georgia in 2018 ("adoptable dogs"), and Delaware in 2023 (replacing the Golden Retriever).
State dog breeds State Dog breed Image Year of designation Ref. Alaska Alaskan Malamute 2010 Arkansas Labrador Retriever 2025 Connecticut Siberian Husky 2024 DelawareRescue Dogs2023 Louisiana Catahoula Leopard Dog 1979 Maine Seppala Siberian sleddog 2025 Maryland Chesapeake Bay Retriever 1964 Massachusetts Boston Terrier 1979 New Hampshire Chinook 2009 North CarolinaPlott Hound1989 Pennsylvania Great Dane 1965 South Carolina Boykin Spaniel 1985 TennesseeBluetick Coonhound2019 Texas Blue Lacy 2005 Virginia American Foxhound 1966 Wisconsin American Water Spaniel 1985
Proposed dog breeds 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. Georgia Golden Retriever 1991 Georgia English bulldog 2016 Kansas Cairn Terrier 2012 Ohio Labrador Retriever 2015 Oregon Newfoundland 2015 Washington Siberian Husky 2004
Designations other than breed State Designation Image Year of designation Ref. Georgia "Adoptable dog" 2016 New Jersey The Seeing Eye Dog 2019 New York Working dog 2015
See also List of U.S. state mammals Dogs in the United States
References