ceremonial burials of these dogs, indicating their presence as valued companions of Native Americans long before the arrival of Europeans on this continent.
In the 1970s, Dr. I.Lehr Brisbin noted and trapped free-ranging dogs in some of the natural habitats of the southeastern United States and they were named “Carolina Dogs”. It was hypothesized that these dogs could be descendants of the canines that originally crossed the Bering Land Bridge. Additional studies support this hypothesis although additional ancestry and genetic studies are needed to reach a fully definitive conclusion about their origins. These free-ranging dogs noted by Dr. Brisbin had the general appearance of most middle eastern pariah dogs, and both their behavior and general ecology were consistent with a derivation from such free-ranging dogs. Pariah dogs, also known as village dogs, exist all over the world living on the fringe of human civilization. They commonly have upright ears, pointed snouts, lean bodies and fish- hook tails. The distinctive characteristics of the Carolina Dog breed are those that confer survival advantages under free-ranging conditions in the remaining remote areas of tall grasslands, bottomland swamps, deserts, and forest habitats of the southern United States. GENERAL APPEARANCE The Carolina Dog is a generally medium-sized dog, light to medium boned, possessing the appearance of a small jackal or wolf , in combination with many features of a medium-sized sighthound . The body is rectangular exhibiting a medium length straight back. The waist is distinctive and sets off a deep brisket from a highly tucked-up loin. The tail is distinctive in its fishhook shape at the end, giving rise to a pump handle appearance when in a natural relaxed state. Tail carriage is variable depending on mood. The tail often has a white tip. The medium to large, upright ears and long, graceful neck are distinctive features , and suggest the appearance of a medium-sized versatile, and resourceful predator, well adapted to surviving on its own in a natural habitat. In ideal conditions, a Carolina Dog should appear thin and tight . It is not inappropriate, for example, for the ribs to show slightly as in a well-conditioned racing sighthound. Individuals that are greatly overweight or which have a thick, stocky build should be penalized. The dog is to be shown in a natural condition, with no evidence of grooming or scissoring. Whiskers are not to be removed. A generally shy and suspicious nature is often characteristic of this breed, but excessive fear and aggression or resistance to examination is not desirable. No individual should be expected to be friendly and outgoing, or to enjoy physical contact with strangers.
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