Tracking America's First Dogs
Carolina dogs, discovered in the Southeast woods, may provide clues to the primitive dogs that arrived with the first humans in America
- By Scott Weidensaul
- Smithsonian magazine, March 1999, Subscribe
It's not often that a registered breed of dog starts with a castoff that even the pound didn't want and a stray plucked out of the woods. But it is even less likely that such animals would provide one of those rare "Eureka!" moments in science, drawing back the curtain on both evolution and human culture, and providing clues to the mysterious origins of the long, fruitful partnership that exists between humans and canines.
I. Lehr Brisbin, a senior ecologist at the Savannah River Ecology Lab in Aiken, South Carolina, breeds and studies what he calls the Carolina dog: a scrawny, medium-sized animal with a reddish-yellow coat, upright ears and a whiplash tail curling up over its back — what rural Southerners have long called a "yaller" dog. Through his work with Carolina dogs, Brisbin hopes to gain a better understanding of their origins and possible relationship to other so-called primitive dogs throughout the world, such as dingoes in Australia, New Guinea singing dogs and the so-called pariah dogs of the Old World. His research on a group of Carolinas has revealed that they share traits and behaviors with the other primitive groups, and preliminary DNA studies reveal a possible linkage.
The size, appearance and behavior of the Carolina dogs also suggest they might be a relic of the first dogs to enter the Southeast region thousands of years ago. Early paintings and ancient rock art depict dogs with Native Americans that appear remarkably similar to the Carolinas.
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Comments (5)
I was also lucky enough to adopt a Carolina Dog at one of the local PetSmart's weekend adoption events. She was in a pen with a few other dogs as I was looking up and down the aisle at others when she bumped the pen 5" or so into my leg. I reached in to pat her and an assistant, describing her as a "Pit Bull/Corgi mix",let me take her outside. I expressed my interest in taking her when he advised she was going on a trial adoption the next Tuesday, but that they'd contact me if she was returned for any reason. She was, and they never did. About a month later, the same greeting from her pushing the pen into my leg happened again. I advised that I was never contacted about her being returned and that I was going to take her that day. They said that she'd been on many foster placements and adoptions and was always brought back. Her caretaker at the time told me she'd been living on the streets (in the wild?)in downtown Gainesville, FL and that he cared for her at home and brought her to the weekend adoption events. Also said that she was 1 of the 2 longest "adoptees" they ever had at those events. That was in 2008 when she was about 2-2.5 yrs old. She was "rough around the edges" attitude/obedience-wise, but I trained her myself. She's now a certified AKC Canine Good Citizen (CGC), and soon to be a certified Therapy Dog. She has all of the behavior and characteristics described in the articles I've read and on the Caroling Dog Association's website, among others. Absolutely the best dog of the many I've had in 46 of my 49 yrs on the planet.
Posted by John Bain on March 27,2013 | 06:05 PM
Im one of the fortunate ones as well. Tango was rescued in Atlanta and is pure CD. He's very much a one human dog; never leaves my side and gives me a nose tap to let me know he's there. Digs snout holes in bed or in snow and loves to roll and root on his back before crashing. He's an amazing animal but requires so so so much time. Endless energy. Can run or swim like a biathlete. There's not enough sun in CO during winter for this dog. Best animal ever. Period.
Posted by Tyler B on December 29,2011 | 08:11 PM
got a dog from the pound think that i was lucky enough that i have a carolina dog what a joy he is he digs the snout holes that you spoke of and is keen on playing with a pull toy that he can constantly try to grab from me as he is a year and a half now he usually wins very strong but so loyal i guess i would like to know if he is caronina dog although why i am blessed to have him dna stiil unconclusive let me know
Posted by martha zammarella on October 28,2011 | 02:09 AM
Our Carolina Dog has amazed us with his strength and agility. He easily clears a five foot fence, will trot for miles and swims a mile without hesitation or exhaustion. He is a bane to raccoons, hunting them fearlessly in the marshes and battling as readily in the water as on the bank. I have twice had to release a seven foot rat snake that he grabbed from the rocks along our causeway and it was obvious from his effortless handling of the powerful snake that he knew instintively how to kill it.
He is gentle and friendly with children and generally with other dogs unless they are aggressive toward him. His favorite misbehaviour is to escape over the fence or swim down the river to the five mile long beach and trot along the beach greeting one and all frequently joining a family or another dog for a short distance along the way. Our police station and fire station is at the half way mark and they joke that Scuppers frequently trots into the station to "turn himself in."
Despite his friendly manner, when at home he will eventually retreat to the house when a stranger is on the premises and his formidable appearance is sufficient to discourage approaching an entrance without our approval.
Posted by O. Grady Query on December 5,2009 | 03:37 AM
Litarature describes Carolina dogs habit of killing snakes by snapping them like a whip.When I was young in the 1940's in rural Georgia I saw kids and adults both kill dangerous snakes the same way.I was told everyone there learned trick when young.
Posted by ed l on March 3,2009 | 10:17 PM