Chinook
Dogs
Chinook
Chinook |
A male Chinook
|
Alternative names |
|
Country of origin |
United States |
Common nicknames |
|
Classification and breed standards |
AKC: |
Working (FSS) |
|
UKC: |
Northern Breeds |
|
Not recognized by any major kennel club |
This breed of dog is
extinct |
Notes |
|
The Chinook is a rare
sleddog type
or variety developed in the
New
England region of the
USA
in the early
20th
century.
Appearance
Standing 21 to 27 inches (53-69 cm) in height at the
withers and
weighing 55 to 90 pounds (25-41 kg), the Chinook is balanced and muscular. The
medium-length
double
coat is “tawny” in colour, with darker shadings on muzzle and ears; white
dogs are not allowed, nor are other colours. Eyes are brown to amber in colour.
Ear carriage is variable, but dropped is preferred and the head more strongly
rectangular than other sleddog breeds. The tail is a well-furred saber and not
the usual brush or plume of
Arctic breeds.
Overall, the Chinook seems to owe more to
mastiff than
to spitz
ancestry.
Temperament
The breed is described as calm, nonaggressive and friendly, though sometimes
reserved with strangers. They are inherently gentle with children.
Health
Health issues in Chinooks are
epilepsy, canine
hip
dysplasia, and eye defects.
History
The Chinook owes its existence to one man,
Arthur Walden of
Wonalancet,
New
Hampshire. The breed derives principally from one male ancestor born in
1917, named
“Chinook,” who was Walden’s lead dog and stud. Chinook derived from a
crossbreeding of husky stock from the
Peary North Pole expedition with a large, tawny
Mastiff-like
male. Photos of “Chinook” show a drop-eared dog with a broad Mastiff head and
muzzle. Walden’s leader was bred to
Belgian Sheepdogs,
German Shepherd Dogs,
Canadian Eskimo Dogs and perhaps other breeds; the progeny were bred back to
him to set the desired type and was apparently a strong reproducer of his own
traits. Arthur Walden was an experienced dog driver with years of experience in
the Yukon; he was
lead driver and trainer on the
1929
Byrd
antarctic expedition. He is credited with bringing sleddog sport to New
England and with founding the New England Sled Dog Club in
1924. The 12-year
old “Chinook” was lost on the Byrd expedition.
Control of the core breeding stock passed from Walden to Mrs. Julia Lombard
and from her to
Perry Greene in the late 1930s. Greene, a noted outdoorsman, bred Chinooks
in
Waldboro, Maine,
for many years until his death in
1963. Rare and
closely-held by Greene who was for many years the only breeder of Chinooks, the
population dwindled rapidly after his death. By
1981 only eleven
breedable Chinooks survived. Breeders in
Maine,
Ohio and
California
divided the remaining stock and managed to save the type from extinction. The
Chinook obtained registered status with the
United Kennel Club in
1991; current
numbers of registered animals are around 400. The registry has a cross-breeding
programme under which Chinooks are bred to individuals of other breeds thought
to have contributed to Chinook development; fourth-generation backcross
descendants of such crosses may be accepted as registered Chinooks.
Working Life
Although still used for recreational dogsledding by some owners, Chinooks
today appear to be used largely as family pets. Individuals are also used for
dog-packing,
search and rescue,
skijoring,
and
obedience and
dog
agility trials.
Miscellaneous
Chinooks are slowly gaining recognition by major kennel clubs.
External link
Home | Up | Cairn Terrier | Canaan Dog | Canadian Eskimo Dog | Cane Corso | Cardigan Welsh Corgi | Catahoula Leopard Dog | Catalan Sheepdog | Caucasian Ovcharka | Cavalier King Charles Spaniel | Cesky Terrier | Chart Polski | Chesapeake Bay Retriever | Chihuahua | Chinese Crested Dog | Chinook | Chippiparai | Chow Chow | Clumber Spaniel | Cockapoo | Cocker Spaniel | Collie | Cordoba Fighting Dog | Coton de Tulear | Curly Coated Retriever
Dogs, made by MultiMedia | Free content and software
This guide is licensed under the GNU
Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia.
|