DOVER, Del. - Only 12 states have a designated state dog, but a state lawmaker in Delaware is hoping to make the First State the 13th.

Newark Representative John Viola thinks the golden retriever should be named as the official dog of Delaware.

A bill he introduced in the house this week lists several reasons for the choice, first and foremost that golden retrievers "came into prominence because of the desire for a medium-sized dog that would do well in wild-fowling."

Maryland lawmakers chose the Chesapeake Bay retriever as their state dog in 1964. Virginians have had the American foxhound since 1966.