Dogs of the United States
Many of the dog breeds of the United States developed as the colonists and emigrants developed the land around them. Most of the breeds were used for hunting, and in later years some were companions. The United States also is the homeland of a few sled dogs and herding breeds, as well.
There are different types of hunting breeds that were developed in the United States, such as the coonhounds and retrievers. Five of the coonhound breeds can trace their ancestry back to the 1700s when the English Foxhound was brought to the colonies from England. The American Black and Tan, English, Bluetick, Treeing Walker, and Redbone Coonhound all share this common ancestry. Other dogs, commonly called curs, were used for treeing prey, such as the Black Mouth and Mountain Curs. Retrievers and Spaniels were also used, such as the Chesapeake Bay Retriever and American Water Spaniel. Many of these breeds are still used in the United States for hunting today.
Some companion breeds that we know today were always kept simply as pets, and others originally had working abilities. The Boston Terrier was always intended as a companion pet, and the American Eskimo Dog was as well, but was also once used in the circus. American Cocker Spaniels were at one time used for hunting fowl, as most spaniels are. Breeding has changed this dog so it retains little of its working ability, and the dog is now mostly kept as a pet. Toy Fox Terriers and Rat Terriers would kill rats and other vermin, but few are still used on farms scattered throughout the United States.
Other dogs from the United States include the sled dogs, the Alaskan Malamute and Chinook, the later being a rare breed, few people even in the country have heard of. The Australian Shepherd, a working farm dog was developed in California, contrary to its name. Lastly, there is the native breed, the Carolina Dog; some still live in the wild in the southern United States.
