Chinook

The Chinook is a rare American sled dog with a single documented founder, and the state dog of New Hampshire.

History

Every Chinook descends from one dog — a tawny male named Chinook, born in 1917 to the New Hampshire driver Arthur Walden, who bred him to Belgian and German shepherd stock to produce a freight sled dog with more speed than a Malamute. Walden's Chinook was lost on Byrd's Antarctic expedition in 1929. The breed dropped to eleven breedable dogs in the 1980s and was rebuilt from them.

Temperament

The breed is known for being calm, gentle and notably good with children, friendly rather than protective, and quieter than most sled breeds.

Care and training

It needs substantial exercise and enjoys pulling work. Training suits gentle consistency; it is a sensitive dog. The double coat sheds seasonally.

Health

A gene pool rebuilt from eleven dogs carries the inbreeding caution that implies; hip dysplasia, epilepsy and a seizure-like collapse syndrome are documented in the breed. These are known patterns for the breed and a matter for a breeder and a vet; the measured facts are in the panel.