Savanna Rose

Carolina dogs are the last of the wild dogs in this country. There are still wild Carolina dogs that run in packs in some parts of the United States. The breed can be traced to Asia, where they traveled to the United States with merchants over 9,000 years ago. They also found buried bones of dogs thought to be Carolina dogs where Native Americans lived. They tend to be good hunters and no doubt helped with the hunt.

They are loyal, gentle, adaptive, reserved, and primitive. They are pack dogs so they do well with children as long as they feel they are part of the pack, and they are not naturally aggressive. They are usually light tan or ginger in color with white feet and white on their chest and face. Sometimes they have black hair on their tails and up their back, or sometimes just on their tails. Their hair is short and thick, but they also have a layer of under hair.

The Carolina dog is unknown except in the southern region of the United States. They need a strong leader so they know their role in the home. They are mid-sized dogs and tend to not be affected by some of the diseases and problems other purebred dogs encounter. They are usually not that affectionate until they bond with you, and can be distrustful of strangers. One of their best traits is how intelligent they are.

I adopted a Carolina dog from the shelter in Farmington, NM, where they had her listed as a mixed breed because they had no knowledge of Carolina dogs. They are often labeled as mutts because they don't have a lot of recognition in the western part of the country.

Her name was Azalya in the shelter, but I renamed her Savannah because she looked so elegant to me. I call her Vanny for short, and it really fits her. I adopted her when she was three months old and she is so intelligent it is frightening. She has the dark, almond shaped eyes of the Carolina dog, and she looks like she is wearing eye liner because of the black around her eyes. She is very vocal and lets you know when she wants something, barks constantly until you figure out what she wants. She thinks she runs the house, but then she is terribly spoiled.

I have learned so much about the breed since I adopted her, and I would highly recommend the breed as a pet. However, she is very strong, built rather stocky, and is determined in her pulling, so I would suggest someone be around who is strong enough to train a Carolina dog and control them until they learn manners.

I have learned they are very strong minded, and even though they understand what you are telling them to do, such as sit or stay, they only do it if they feel like it. That's why they are so difficult to train. They also have a very lovable, gentle side. I have a 16 year-old terrier mix, and she is not doing very well, but Vanny constantly checks on her, cleans her up, gives her kisses, and makes sure she is okay. She knows the older dog can't have a lot of water because she is diabetic, so when she gets near Vanny's water bowl, Vanny herds her into the next room.

I think the thing I love about Vanny is her kisses. She put her nose on your face and moves it around, sniffing lightly,,, and finally gives you a big lick on the mouth. She may gently bite your nose, but never hard or mean. She also likes to lick lipstick off my lips. I would not trade her for the world, and she has brought a lot of laughter, love, and lessons into my life.