Our State Dog: North Carolina's ... - Triangle Arts and Entertainment

The Plott hound is the only dog breed known to have originated in North Carolina. The history and evolution of this legendary hunting dog are explored in the small exhibit Our State Dog: North Carolina?s Plott Hound, opening Friday, Sept. 9, at the N.C. Museum of History. PHOTO: Bob Plott

The Plott hound is the only dog breed known to have originated in North Carolina. The history and evolution of this legendary hunting dog are explored in the small exhibit?Our State Dog: North Carolina?s Plott Hound, opening?Friday, Sept. 9, at the?N.C. Museum of History in Raleigh. This traveling exhibit from Western Carolina University will run through Sept. 30, 2012. Admission is free.

Plott hounds are smart, tough and relentless dogs that will chase game, including 200-pound bears, for days at a time. They are bred to hunt bears, raccoons, wild boar and other animals.

The history of the Plott hound begins in 1750, when Johannes Plott brought five dogs from Germany with him to America. These dogs, probably a mix of Hanoverian Schweisshund and other breeds, were bred to hunt wild boar.

By 1801 Johannes? son Henry owned land in Haywood County in western North Carolina, and this is where the Plott hound became a distinct breed. The Plott family continued to breed their dogs for work and to improve the breed. As did many North Carolinians, the Plotts needed fearless and strong dogs to hunt game and protect their livestock from predators. Survival depended upon the success of hunters and their dogs.

Our State Dog describes the Plott hound?s specific roles in a bear hunt, boar hunt and raccoon hunt. After Plott hounds were bred to hunt bears, they earned a reputation as bear dogs. In the early 1900s, bear hunts could last up to a week, and Plott hounds performed specialized, dangerous roles in them. Hunting hogs with Plott hounds required different skills, such as biting and hanging onto the hog until the hunter arrived. Exhibit visitors will see evidence of a hunt: the head of a feral boar killed in western North Carolina.

Five significant breeders of Plott hounds are highlighted in?Our State Dog. For example, Isaiah Kidd from West Virginia was the first scientific breeder of Plott hounds, and his work helped shape the standards for the breed. The United Kennel Club recognized Plott hounds as an official breed in 1946.

In 1989 North Carolina officially recognized the Plott hound as the state dog. ??Today the breed is known around the world, and Plott hounds have gained respectability in dog-breeding circles, winning trophies at dog shows across the country. However, the Plott hound will always remain, first and foremost, a hardworking dog.

On Saturday, Nov. 5, Bob Plott, a descendant of Johannes Plott, will bring a Plott hound to the museum for the Celebrate NC History Festival from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. This free event marks the opening of?The Story of North Carolina, the museum?s largest exhibit to date. Come enjoy the festival and see the museum?s exhibits. For details about the Nov. 5 event, go to?ncmuseumofhistory.org.

For additional information about the museum, call 919-807-7900 or access?ncmuseumofhistory.org or Facebook. The museum is located at 5 E. Edenton Street, across from the State Capitol. Parking is available in the lot across Wilmington Street.

Museum hours are Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday, noon to 5 p.m. The Museum of History, within the Division of State History Museums, is part of the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources, the state agency with the mission to enrich lives and communities, and the vision to harness the state?s cultural resources to build North Carolina?s social, cultural and economic future. Information is available 24/7 at?www.ncculture.com.

Source: http://triangleartsandentertainment.org/event/our-state-dog-north-carolinas-plott-hound/

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