Carolina Dog

This post may contain affiliate links to our partners. Purchasing through these helps us further the A-Z Animals mission to help us educate about the world’s species so we can all better care for them.

The Carolina Dog is a popular dog to keep as a pet. While is wary of strangers, it is incredibly loyal and will form a strong bond quickly.

As strong as the bond may be, they are very reserved and won’t offer much physical attention to show their love.

The quiet, gentle dog can be traced back to Asia where the breed traveled to North America with merchants over 9,000 years ago. It slowly moved to South United States, living in the wilderness for hundreds of years before it was domesticated.

Not only is it a good guard dog, but the Carolina Dog is also strong, quiet, brave, and resourceful. It can adapt to any lifestyle and climatic condition as it has lived in the wilderness for many years.

Owning a Carolina Dog: 3 pros and cons

Pros!	Cons!
Easy to groom These dogs clean themselves as cats do, but they require regular grooming sessions and will need their nails trimmed no less than twice monthly.	Needs exercise! This breed was used to running around in the wild, so domestic life needs to include about an hour of exercise every day. Without this exercise, many dogs start to feel restless and cause unnecessary damage to their surroundings.
Bonds quickly The Carolina Dog is a pack animal. So, it will easily and quickly form a close bond with family members.	Not friendly with smaller animals Unless socialized early to live with smaller animals like cats, they could attack. After all, they are natural hunters.
Quiet The dog will only bark when there is a valid reason. Considering how protective they can be of their family, pet owners that hear this bark can restassured that they are acting out of this desire.	Not a lap dog! This dog is not overly affectionate. Don’t expect to be licked and smothered all the time, but that doesn’t mean that they aren’t loyal and loving. They just show affection differently, like in the way that they guard their owner.

Carolina Dog Size and Weight

The Carolina Dog is of medium size, with an average height of 17-19″ for males and 16-18″ for females. Fully grown males weigh 30-45 lbs. while fully grown females weigh 25-35 lbs.

Height (male)	17″-19″
Height (female)	16″-18″
Weight (male)	30-45 lbs., fully grown
Weight (female)	25-35 lbs., fully grown

Carolina Dog Common Health issues

Carolina Dogs are healthy and could live up to 15 years. Some studies have shown that the breed is sensitive to ivermectin, an ingredient found in medication to treat mites and parasites. Consult a vet before administering it.

The breed is also prone to Hip Dysplasia, a condition that leads to misalignment of the leg bone, hip bone, and hip socket. Most of the time, a dog with hip dysplasia will start favoring their other legs that are less painful to walk on.

The dog could also suffer from Elbow Dysplasia, which is a growth of tissue outside the elbow. This can result in stiffness and discomfort for your dog. Your veterinarian needs to check for this condition during examinations.

In sum, the common health issues with the Carolina Dog are:

• Sensitivity to ivermectin
• Hip Dysplasia
• Elbow Dysplasia

Carolina Dog Temperament and Behavior

Carolina Dogs have a reserved personality. When they are socialized as puppies, their behavior is friendly, and pack oriented. They are good with other dogs, children, and cats, but their natural desire to hunt means that smaller pets (such as snakes and mice) would not likely be safe around them. Make sure to spend a lot of time with them, as they will exhibit pack behavior; isolation will not suit them well.

The breed is intelligent and eager to please but has a stubborn personality. Offer the dog treats and use positive reinforcement to encourage certain traits. With a little patience, Carolina Dogs have the potential to excel in hunting games and competitive activities.

These dogs are gentle and have a quiet personality. They can adapt to a lot of environments as long as they have company and get plenty of physical activity and engage in regular exercise. Without it, destructive behavior may ensue.

How to Take Care of Carolina Dog

For anyone who wants to own a Carolina Dog, consider a range of factors. Whether it is the sensitivity to certain anti-parasitic medications, consistent grooming, or the abundance of exercise, the Carolina Dog has breed-specific needs that will need to be accommodated for a healthy and full life.

Carolina Dog Food and Diet

Carolina Dogs, including puppies, have different health needs from other dogs. For a puppy. the main difference is the amount of protein in the food. A puppy’s food should have more protein than adult food to facilitate its growth. Check the dog food package to ensure that it meets the AAFCO standards of growth.

As for adults, seek out high-quality dog food, whether you prepare it at home with your vet’s approval or if it is commercially manufactured. The dog food should mainly be with meat to provide them with necessary amino acids.

For both ages, the dog will require fresh water every day. Though some treats are acceptable, overindulgence can lead to obesity.

Carolina Dog Maintenance and Grooming

Carolina Dogs do not require much grooming to remain clean. Just like cats, they regularly clean themselves. However, they will need the occasional bath. No special techniques or tools are needed – simply brushing the dog’s coat and trimming its nails is enough.

The breed generally has a short to medium coat length and is not prone to fur conditions. This dog does not shed much.

Carolina Dog Training

A Carolina Dog is eager to please so you can easily train it. In comparison with other breeds, these dogs are often stubborn, so following through is where the difficulty lies.

When training them, focus on hunting games and competitive activity because that is what they are naturally good at. Some Carolina Dogs respond to treats, so use them when training.

Carolina Dog Exercise

To keep your Carolina Dog healthy, daily exercise is a must. The dog needs a lot of space, so an ideal environment for it would be a fenced backyard or regular walks. Encourage playtime with different activities, such as retrieving flying disks or balls. Outdoor activities such as hiking, and swimming would be a good way for your dog to exercise.

Carolina Dog puppies

Feed a puppy of 3 -6 months three times a day. When they are 6-12 months old, feed them twice a day. After these puppies reach adulthood, one meal is enough.

Carolina Dog and Children

This breed of dog is very friendly and good with children. As a pack animal, it is used to the company so children might be this dog’s best companions. It also has a lot of energy to spend playing with them.

Dogs similar to Carolina Dog

Other similar dogs to the Carolina Dog are the Basenji, Working Kelpie, and Canaan dog.

• Basenji: Shares several similarities with the Carolina Dog including grooming themselves, being quiet, 16-17 inches at the shoulder. They also have short hair and do not require a lot of grooming.
• Working Kelpie: This medium-sized, active dog works a lot. It needs a companion and regular exercises, games, and walks. Much like the Caroline dog, this breed is also very good with children.
• Canaan Dog: This is an excellent guard dog as it is wary of strangers so it will alert you when one is around. They are intelligent, not aggressive, and good with children.

Famous Carolina Dogs

The best know Carolina Dog is Horace, the first domesticated dog of this breed. A family found Horace at a dump in South Carolina and brought him home.

Popular Names for Carolina Dog

• Percy
• Ryder
• Jaxson
• Reagan
• Jack

View all 65 animals that start with C