Dogs Make For Cool Symbols Trivia Quiz

Answer: Alaskan Malamute

Alaska chose the Alaskan malamute as the state dog breed in 2010. It is an arctic breed, related to the other breeds listed. It is a close relative of the wolf, and as such is one of only fourteen ancient dog breeds in existence.

Answer: Chesapeake Bay Retriever

The Chesapeake Bay retriever was developed in the 19th century in the area of Maryland near the bay itself. The breed was bred as a dog that could retrieve waterfowl in the Chesapeake Bay. It became Maryland's state dog in 1964.

Answer: Boston Terrier

The Boston terrier, known as the "American gentleman", was registered as a breed in 1893. It was developed in Boston, tracing back to a dog named Hooper's Judge. The breed was officially chosen as the state dog breed of Massachusetts in 1979.

Answer: Chinook

Walden lived in Wonalancet, New Hampshire, when he became the sole developer of the rare (less than 100 are born in a year) Chinook in 1917. The original Chinook was Walden's lead dog, born in 1917 and named Chinook. The breed only became registered with the AKC in 2013. It was in 2009, though, that it became the state dog breed of New Hampshire.

Answer: Plott Hound

The Plott Hound's lineage is difficult to trace, but seems to have been used to hunt boar in Germany in the 18th century. In 1750, the breed was brought to the United States by a man named Plott, and the breed was kept with the family for years and was only crossbred a few times. The breed became North Carolina's state dog in 1989.

Answer: Great Dane

The Great Dane dates back centuries, possibly as far back as 3,000 BC. The dog is one of the largest in the world, reaching heights of nearly four feet (Zeus was 44 inches tall!). In 1965, the breed became Pennsylvania's state dog.

Answer: Boykin Spaniel

The Boykin spaniel was developed in the early 20th century by South Carolina hunters for use in the Wateree River Swamp. The dog is used in bird hunting. It was used as a retriever, hunter, and toller, as well as flushing birds into flight. It is not a pointer, however. The breed became the state dog of South Carolina in 1985.

Answer: Blue Lacy

The Blue Lacy was originally developed in Texas in the 19th century. It was named after the Lacy brothers, because the brothers developed the dog to match their needs (herding free-roaming hogs). In 2001, the Blue Lacy was called "a true Texas breed", and in 2006, it was declared the official state dog breed.

Answer: American Foxhound

The American foxhound, bred to hunt foxes, is related to the English foxhound. The dogs were brought to the United States in 1650 by Robert Brooke. The Brooke family kept the dogs for nearly 300 years. The breed was recognized by the AKC in 1886, and became the Virginia state dog breed in 1966.

Answer: Kansas

"Toto, I've a feeling we aren't in Kansas anymore". The cairn terrier was proposed as the official state dog breed for Kansas because of Toto, the lovable dog from "The Wizard of Oz", who happened to be a cairn terrier. Cairn terriers are a Scottish breed, around at least since the 1500s (though under the name 'short-haired Skye terrier'). They were called cairn terriers in 1909.

"The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" by Baum does not specify Toto's breed, though it wouldn't have called him a cairn terrier since the novel was written nine years prior to the naming. However, the famous 1939 film used a cairn terrier breed.