Shep Rose explains Boykin spaniel connection

A familiar star and an adorable pup are the cover models of a Lowcountry pets magazine this month.

Bravo TV’s “Southern Charm” cast member Shep Rose appears on the cover of Lowcountry Paws with a Boykin spaniel named River. Rose is a descendant of the dog’s namesake, the Boykin family of Boykin, S.C.

Lowcountry Paws is a quarterly magazine published by The Post and Courier.

“My grandmother had a Boykin and a lot of my relatives in Boykin have Boykins,” Rose told Lowcountry Paws. “I guess that’s apropos.”

The Boykin spaniel was first bred by South Carolina hunters during the 1900s as the ideal dog for hunting ducks and wild turkeys in the Wateree River Swamp, according to the Boykin Spaniel Society. The Boykin spaniel became South Carolina's state dog in 1985.

Rose, who has been described as a “golden retriever personified” by various media outlets, has more in common physically with a lanky lab than a compact, chocolate-colored dog, but he still likes them.

“I think they’re really cool dogs,” he told Lowcountry Paws. “I might get one one day.”

This story was originally published February 2, 2016 at 4:29 PM with the headline "Shep Rose explains Boykin spaniel connection."