The Pilgrim Dogs on the Mayflower

The Pilgrims weren’t the only ones who arrived at Plymouth in 1620. They brought dogs on the Mayflower with them! These Pilgrim pups might have been present at the first Thanksgiving.

How do we know there were dogs on the Mayflower?

Thanks to journals the Pilgrims kept, we know that there were at least two dogs on the Mayflower: a Mastiff and a Spaniel. They traveled with a Pilgrim named John Goodman. Stories about these two dogs show up in the Pilgrims’ historical records, although we don’t know their names.

A Mastiff and a Spaniel

There are some good reasons why the Pilgrims brought a Mastiff and a Spaniel on the Mayflower with them.

Mastiffs descend from the Mollosus, a strong, heavy-boned war dog. This ancestry can also be seen in other large modern dogs, such as the Saint Bernard and the Dogue de Bordeaux. The modern Mastiff was bred in England in the 15th century. Their huge size makes them very capable guard dogs. Mastiffs are known for their protective instincts, so we can guess that this Mastiff was likely there for protection in the New World.

A Mastiff

We don’t know the names of these two dogs on the Mayflower, but we can use our imaginations. In fact, a children’s book called The Mighty Mastiff of the Mayflower imagines what life would have been like for this Mastiff who sailed with the…

The Pilgrim Dogs on the Mayflower. Retrieved November 12, 2021 from https://embarkvet.com/resources/blog/thanksgiving-dogs-on-mayflower/