Carolina Dog

The Carolina Dog is a non-FCI recognized dog breed from the United States that exists both in human hands and in the wild. The Carolina Dog is recognized as a breed by the United Kennel Club (UKC).

Nothing is known about the origin of these dogs. One theory is that they crossed the Bering Land Bridge with immigrants 8,000 years ago, making them one of the first dogs to set foot on American soil.

Pictures by European artists and cave paintings by North American natives show dogs which outwardly resemble the Carolina Dog. Fossils from ancient dogs of North America show similarities with the bones of the Carolina Dog. Whether these dogs are really related to these ancient dogs is still being investigated by DNA determination. Brisbin himself found similarities between the skulls of a 2,000-year-old dog and those of the Carolina Dogs, but felt the differences were too great to clearly state a relationship. These dogs may have been more widespread in the past and retreated to their current habitat after the natives were driven out.

Another theory is that they may have been an isolated population of European or other ancestry dogs; these would then only have arisen in the last few centuries. This thesis is supported by the fact that feral domestic dogs have survived in other parts of the world and developed similar behavior and appearance.

In the 1980s, most of these dogs were captured for study.

The Carolina Dog is known to be adaptable and, despite its wild origins, is a lovable pet if you respect its unique personality. You should also bring a large portion of dog sense with you if you get involved with a Carolina Dog. He is considered to be very intelligent, cheerful, eager to discover and easy to motivate. Due to his origin, he is very shy with a lack of socialization, with a good upbringing he is very friendly, but reserved towards all strangers.

These dogs form a close relationship with their owner and are cuddly, sensitive and very affectionate within the family. Like many dogs, they observe the facial expressions and gestures of their human pack members very closely and pay just as much attention to the pitch of their voices. As a result, they treat sick and needy people differently than healthy people.

The ARBA lists these dogs in the "Spitzer und Primordial dogs" group. The UKC has classified them as Pariah Dogs: Group 3. Sighthound and Pariah Dog. This group also includes, for example, the Basenji and the Thai Ridgeback.