Official U.S. State Dogs by State

Maryland blazed the trail in 1964 by becoming the first state to designate an official dog breed, choosing the Chesapeake Bay Retriever. The 'Chessie' has deep roots in Maryland history, tracing its origins to two Newfoundland puppies rescued from a sinking British ship off Maryland's coast in 1807. These dogs were bred with local retrievers, creating a new breed perfectly adapted to retrieving waterfowl from the icy Chesapeake Bay.

The Chessie's double coat repels water well enough to work in the icy bay conditions where most retrievers would quit. That resilience made the breed central to Maryland's commercial waterfowling trade in the 19th century. The Chessie also serves as the mascot for the University of Maryland, Baltimore County.

Pennsylvania followed in 1965 by designating the Great Dane, a choice that surprised some since the breed originated in Germany. However, the Great Dane has strong Pennsylvania connections — William Penn himself owned a Great Dane, and early settlers brought the breed as hunting and working dogs. Pennsylvania considered the Beagle but ultimately chose the Great Dane for its historical significance and the legacy of the state's founder.

Massachusetts designated the Boston Terrier in 1979 — one of the first dog breeds developed in America. The Boston Terrier appeared in 1869 from crossing English Bulldogs with English Terriers, creating a uniquely American breed. Boston College adopted the breed as its mascot in 1922, and the 'American Gentleman' remains a symbol of Boston's history.

North Carolina chose the Plott Hound in 1989, the only dog breed indigenous to the state. Johannes 'George' Plott brought wild boar hounds when he emigrated from Germany to North Carolina in the 1750s. The Plott family carefully bred these dogs in the Appalachian Mountains, creating a distinct breed renowned for tracking and treeing game. Plott Hounds are the only coonhound breed not descended from English Foxhounds.

Alaska designated the Alaskan Malamute in 2010, recognizing one of the oldest Arctic sled dog breeds. Malamutes have lived alongside Alaska's indigenous peoples for thousands of years, hauling freight across vast distances in conditions other breeds couldn't survive. The campaign was started by a kindergartener — but the breed's case rested on something more fundamental: it shaped Alaskan life long before statehood.

New Hampshire designated the Chinook in 2009, one of the rarest dog breeds in existence. Seventh-grade students at Ross A. Lurgio Middle School in Bedford led the campaign to honor this ultra-rare breed. Arthur Walden developed the Chinook on his New Hampshire farm in 1917, crossing a Greenland Husky with a St. Bernard/Mastiff mix. Admiral Byrd selected Walden's Chinooks to carry supplies during his 1929 Antarctic Expedition.

South Carolina chose the Boykin Spaniel in 1985, a breed that traces to a single stray spaniel named 'Dumpy' who approached a Spartanburg banker around 1905. This dog became an exceptional waterfowl retriever and founded an entire breed perfectly adapted to South Carolina's marshes and swamps. Boykin Spaniels have rich brown coats, webbed feet, and compact bodies ideal for navigating boats and retrieving in dense wetlands.

Texas designated the Blue Lacy in 2005, honoring a breed developed by the Lacy brothers who moved from Kentucky to Texas in 1858. The breed was built for ranch work — herding livestock, hunting, and treeing game — and remained largely unknown outside Texas until the designation drew wider attention. It is still one of the least-recognized state dogs on the list.

Louisiana designated the Catahoula Leopard Dog in 1979, the first state dog adopted in the South. The breed predates the Louisiana Purchase — Spanish war dogs brought to North America in the 1500s interbred with dogs kept by Native Americans near Catahoula Parish. The resulting breed became the standard working dog for herding wild cattle and hogs through bayou terrain that horses couldn't navigate.

Virginia chose the American Foxhound in 1966, a breed with presidential pedigree. George Washington bred American Foxhounds at Mount Vernon, crossing English Foxhounds with French hounds gifted by the Marquis de Lafayette. Washington's breeding program created dogs with superior stamina for hunting foxes across Virginia's varied terrain. According to a 1968 news article, when Virginia adopted the American Foxhound, residents of Rapahannock County joked that 'half the residents own hounds, the other half listen to them.'

Wisconsin designated the American Water Spaniel in 1985, recognizing a versatile hunting breed developed in the Great Lakes region during the 1800s. These medium-sized dogs with curly brown coats excel at retrieving waterfowl from boats and hunting upland game in Wisconsin's marshes and forests. The breed's rarity — fewer than 3,000 exist — makes Wisconsin's designation particularly important for preservation efforts.

Delaware made history in 2023 by changing its state dog from the Golden Retriever to simply 'Rescue Dog,' promoting animal adoption from shelters. The switch reflected a broader shift in how some states think about the designation — less about breed identity, more about making a policy statement.

Georgia designated 'Adoptable Dog' as its state dog in 2016, later amended to include shelter cats as state pets in 2018. New York designated 'Service Dog' in 2015 — working dogs trained to assist people with disabilities. Neither chose a breed; both chose a function.

New Jersey designated the Seeing Eye Dog in 2020, tying the recognition to The Seeing Eye in Morristown — the oldest guide dog school in the United States. Founded in 1929, The Seeing Eye has trained over 17,000 guide dog and handler teams.

Alaska's Alaskan Malamute designation began when kindergarten student Paige Hill at Polaris K-12 School in Anchorage petitioned the state legislature in 2007. Her classmates rallied support, writing letters and making presentations. Representative Berta Gardner sponsored the bill, and in 2010, Governor Sean Parnell signed it into law.

New Hampshire's Chinook designation came from seventh-grade students at Ross A. Lurgio Middle School in Bedford who launched a letter-writing campaign in 2009. The students researched the breed's history, created presentations, and testified before the legislature about the Chinook's New Hampshire origins and near-extinction status. The legislature unanimously approved the designation.

Alaska's bill passed in 2010, three years after Paige Hill first petitioned. New Hampshire's passed the same year. In both cases the students were long out of grade school by the time the governor signed — which is its own kind of civics lesson.

Thirty-three states still lack official state dog designations, though several have seen proposed legislation fail. Georgia considered the Golden Retriever in 1991, but the proposal failed when supporters of the University of Georgia's Bulldog mascot opposed it. Washington's House of Representatives rejected the Siberian Husky in 2004 (though Connecticut successfully adopted it twenty years later in 2024).

Minnesota partnered with charity Pawsitivity Service Dogs in 2019 to introduce legislation making the Labrador Retriever the state dog, but the bill didn't advance — Arkansas later became the first state to successfully designate the Lab. Maine proposed the Labrador Retriever in 2015 without success. Ohio also attempted to adopt the Lab that same year. Kansas residents suggested the Cairn Terrier because of its appearance as Toto in 'The Wizard of Oz,' but the proposal went nowhere.