Chinook
New Hampshire's state dog, and every one descends from a single sled dog named Chinook, born in 1917. It has come close to extinction twice.
Overview
The Chinook is an American sled dog developed in New Hampshire in 1917 by Arthur Walden, bred from a single dog named Chinook crossed with Greenland huskies and mastiff type dogs. It went to Antarctica with Byrd's 1929 expedition.
It is the state dog of New Hampshire and it is one of the rarest breeds in the world: at one point in the 1960s there were fewer than a dozen breeding animals left.
Temperament
Calm, friendly and unusually gentle for a sled dog. Chinooks are good with children, sociable with other dogs, and notably people oriented.
They are quieter and softer than most northern breeds, and some are shy, which is worth watching for and socialising against. They are trainable and they want to work with a person, which is unusual in the group.
Care and grooming
A dense double coat that needs weekly brushing and daily attention during the two heavy moults.
Hip dysplasia, epilepsy, cataracts and a breed specific seizure like disorder called Chinook seizures occur. The tiny founding population makes gene pool questions genuinely important, and reputable breeders track coefficients of inbreeding closely.
Living and exercise
Ninety minutes to two hours a day. They enjoy sledding, carting, hiking and skijoring.
They want to be with their families rather than kennelled. The breed is rare enough that a waiting list of a year or more is normal. Twelve to fifteen years is the expectation.
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