“B” is for Boykin spaniel

“B” is for Boykin spaniel. The Boykin spaniel was originally bred in South Carolina before the 1920s. This amiable, small, dark brown retriever is a superb hunter and loving family pet. It was bred to provide an ideal dog for hunting fowl in the swamps along the Wateree River, which demanded a sturdy, compact dog built for boat travel and capable of retrieving on land or water. Lemuel Whittaker “Whit” Boykin, a planter and sportsman from the Boykin community near Camden, tested many dogs to answer these needs. With the luck and selective breeding, the multipurpose retriever was bred to type by the 1920s. The Boykin Spaniel Society was founded, with headquarters in Camden, in 1977. In 1985 Governor Richard Riley signed into law an act making the Boykin spaniel the official South Carolina state dog.