Bostons, Boykins and Blueticks: Let’s Give Thanks for the American Breeds
by DAN SAYERS continued
Tan is tireless while in pursuit and can travel many miles through the night without tiring. John W. Walker and George Wash- ington Maupin are given credit for the development of the Treeing Walker Coonhound. Bred in Kentucky, the hounds both men produced have gener- ally been referred to simply as Walker Hounds. Accepted into AKC’s Hound Group in 2012, this “hot-nosed” breed was first recognized by the UKC in 1945 as a variety of the English Coonhound. The American English Coonhound is capable of hunting fox during the day and raccoon at night. Sometimes referred to as the Redtick Coonhound, the breed was recognized by the UKC in 1905 as the English Fox and Coon- hound. Possessing extraordinary agility with the ability to climb trees, this racy breed was granted full AKC recognition in 2011. The Bluetick Coonhound originat- ed in Louisiana where breeders com- bined local “curs” with the Bleu de Gascogne, English and American Fox- hounds and Brooke’s original Virginia Hound. Sleek and Racy, the Bluetick is speedy and ambitious with a “bawl” or “bugle” voice. A subgroup of this breed is known as the American Blue Gas- con Hound which is heavier in appear- ance and slower on the trail. The Blu- etick was fully recognized by the AKC in 2009. The foundation of the Redbone Coonhound was laid by Scottish immi- grants who brought red-colored Fox- hounds to America in the 18th century. Named for Tennessean Peter Redbone, the breed was developed for speed through the introduction of Irish-bred Foxhounds. Crosses were also made with the Bloodhound to improve nose. Originally sporting a black saddle, this solid-colored hound entered AKC’s Hound Group in 2009. In 1750, Johannes Plott emigrated from Germany with five Hanoverian Hounds that would become the founda- tion of the breed known simply as the Plott. The breed has been bred for more than 250 years for its stamina in pursuit of wild boar and bear. A single breeding with a “leopard spotted dog” appears to be the only documented cross. In 2006, the state dog of North Carolina received full AKC recognition.
The Alaskan Malamute is very like- ly the oldest and only landrace breed hailing from the United States. Named for the community of Inuit people liv- ing along the shores of the Kotzebue Sound, the breed is thought to descend from wolf-dogs brought to the area from present-day Russia more than 4,000 years ago. Recent examination of the Malamute’s genetic markers demon- strates an East Asian origin and a rela- tionship with the Siberian Husky. The breed has been recognized by the AKC since 1935, 24 years before its namesake territory was admitted for statehood. Making its entry into AKC’s Foun- dation Stock Service just this year, the Carolina Dog was “discovered” in the 1920s living wild in isolated stretches of cypress swamp by Dr. I. Lehr Brisbin. Studies of the breed’s autosomal, mito- chondrial and Y-chromosome diversity reveal a partial pre-Columbian ancestry. Although not entirely an indigenous breed, the Carolina Dog does appear to share a relationship with the Peruvian Inca Orchid and the Chihuahua. And as with each of the recognized American breeds, the AKC’s most recent arrival is a combination of qualities from dog breeds brought to this country from around the world. In this way they are just like us and that is something for which we can all be thankful.
The Catahoula Leopard Dog is Loui- siana’s state dog. In the Choctaw lan- guage, Catahoula translates to “sacred lake,” a reference to the breed’s genesis around the region’s many waterways. Several theories exist as to the breed’s origin, including the mixing of local dogs with Mastiffs and Greyhounds brought to the area in the 16th century by Hernando de Soto. French settlers likely added the Beauceron, lending that Herding breed’s coloration to the Catahoula’s coat. In 1996, the breed was first recorded in AKC’s Foundation Mr. Arthur Treadwell Walden devoted his life to the creation of New Hampshire’s state breed, the Chinook. This canine is named for Walden’s lead sled dog that was a com- bination of Husky stock and Mastiff blood. Crossed with the German Shepherd Dog, Belgian Sheepdog and the Canadian Eskimo Dog, Chinook was bred back to his progeny to fix type. Although the breed’s founda- tion sire died while serving in Admi- ral Byrd’s Antarctic expedition, his legacy continued when the breed that bears his name was granted AKC recognition in the Working Group in 2010. Stock Service. CHINOOK
The Alaskan Malamute is likely the oldest of the ‘American’ breeds.
146 • S HOW S IGHT M AGAZINE , N OVEMBER 2017
Powered by FlippingBook