While my own house might have its own official dog breed (We have an American Staffordshire Bull Terrier and my car has a sticker proudly proclaiming that I love my pit bull,) I was unaware until today that there are actual official dog breeds named by several states in the US.

That's right. State Legislatures actually took time to pass resolutions to name certain breeds of dogs the "official" state dog.

While it's a bit more personal than a state flower, bird, rock, or even mythological animal, in the case of the Cowboy State, the idea of an official state dog is less prevalent than the others.

Alaska has the obvious choice of the Alaskan Malamute as their state dog, with Maryland choosing the Chesapeake Bay Retriever for similar obvious reasons. Colorado, California, Illinois, Tennessee, and Georgia all chose the same for their state dog: Shelter dogs. Except for shelter pit bulls in Colorado apparently. Yes, Denver, I'm still salty about that ban.

Unfortunately, Wyoming has yet to choose an official state dog, so I want to know, what breed would you choose? A ranching dog breed like a Border Collie? Maybe a tough-looking dog like a rottweiler? Or a mountain-loving dog like a St. Bernard or Newfoundland? Let me know in the comments.

 

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