© 2024 South Carolina Public Radio
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

"B" is for Boykin Spaniel

South Carolina From A to Z
SC Public Radio

    "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 hunting dog for hunting fowl in the Wateree River swamps. A sturdy, compact dog built for boat travel and capable of retrieving on land or water was required. Lemuel Whitaker “Whit” Boykin, a planter and sportsman from the Boykin community near Camden tested many dogs to answer these needs. With luck and selective breeding, the multipurpose retriever was bred to type by the 1920s. The popularity of the breed grew steadily, and the Boykin’s ability in the field and amiable nature brought the dog praise in all forms. In 1977, the Boykin Spaniel Society was founded, with headquarters in Camden.

Stay Connected
Dr. Walter Edgar has two programs on South Carolina Public Radio: Walter Edgar's Journal, and South Carolina from A to Z. Dr. Edgar received his B.A. degree from Davidson College in 1965 and his Ph.D. from the University of South Carolina in 1969. After two years in the army (including a tour of duty in Vietnam), he returned to USC as a post-doctoral fellow of the National Archives, assigned to the Papers of Henry Laurens.