Carolina Dog

European encounter

An article by Glover Morrill Allen in 1920 was among the earliest publications to document the "Indian" dogs of North America. Allen proposed that these "Larger or Common Indian Dogs" descended from Asian primitive dogs, citing late nineteenth-century studies of skeletal remains from Alaska to Florida, the Greater Antilles, and the Great Plains, excavated from Indian mounds. I. Lehr Brisbin Jr., a senior research ecologist at the University of Georgia's Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, first encountered a Carolina dog while working at the Savannah River Site, an area depopulated and secured from trespass and traffic for decades beginning in 1950.

Establishment and recognition

Since 1996, the United Kennel Club (UKC) has allowed registration of Carolina dogs and published a formal breed standard, categorizing them in their "Sighthound & Pariah Group" alongside the Basenji and Thai Ridgeback. The American Rare Breed Association (ARBA) also issued a breed standard, placing the Carolina in Group 5 with the Canaan dog and New Guinea singing dog. In July 2017, the American Kennel Club (AKC) accepted the Carolina Dog breeding program into its Foundation Stock Service (FSS), listing the dog under the "Hound" group.

Description

The Carolina dog is a medium-sized breed, standing between 18 and 24 inches tall and weighing 35 to 50 pounds. Its most notable feature is its long, erect ears, which are slender and taper to fine points; these ears can move independently to catch sounds, giving the dog exceptionally sharp hearing. The body type varies from lean and graceful to a bit sturdier, but always athletic, with strong yet elegant legs and a firm, narrow rear. The paws are fairly large, and the face, with its pointed snout and elongated ears, has a spitz-like look.

The tail typically curves upward and often has a distinct hook or kink. The short, smooth coat suits a warm climate. Colors include reddish ginger, buff, fawn, black-and-tan, or piebald, sometimes with white markings on the toes, chest, tail tip, or muzzle.

The almond-shaped eyes sit at a slant and are usually dark brown or medium to dark orange, often rimmed with a black "eyeliner" that stands out on lighter coats. Even in pale dogs, the lips are frequently black. Puppies commonly have a dark facial mask that fades as they mature.

DNA evidence

The idea that some Carolina dog ancestors arrived with prehistoric Americans was first suggested in 1997. A 2013 analysis of mitochondrial DNA from Carolina dogs revealed that 58% carried common haplotypes found globally (A16, A18, A19, and B1), 5% had haplotypes linked to Korea and Japan (A39), and 37% possessed a previously unknown haplotype (A184) belonging to the a5 sub-haplogroup, which originated in East Asia. In comparison, the Australian dingo and New Guinea singing dog belong to haplotype A29 in the a2 sub-haplogroup, indicating no recent maternal genetic link.

Another study that same year examined several American breeds, including the Carolina dog, Peruvian Hairless Dog, and Chihuahua, and pointed to an ancient migration from East Asia. A 2015 study using mitochondrial, Y-chromosome, and autosomal markers across thousands of purebred and village dogs found no native Y-chromosome haplotypes in North American dogs outside the Arctic, but the Carolina dog’s mitochondrial DNA showed 10%–35% pre-Columbian ancestry (haplotype A184), clustering with East Asian dogs.

A 2018 study comparing ancient and modern dog DNA suggested that dogs entered North America from Siberia about 4,500 years after humans, were isolated for 9,000 years, and were nearly eliminated after European contact. Three Carolina dogs in that study had up to 33% pre-contact or Arctic lineage, though admixture with modern Arctic breeds could not be ruled out. A 2020 analysis of nuclear SNPs found that the Carolina dog’s genetic makeup is best explained as 36% New Guinea Singing Dog, 62% European, with the remainder mostly from the Old World, offering little support for a Baikal or American contribution.

Did You Know?

• Despite the name, it is not the state dog of North Carolina (Plott Hound) or South Carolina (Boykin Spaniel).
• Female Carolina dogs have three estrus cycles in quick succession, which settle into seasonal reproductive cycles when there is an abundance of puppies.