Chinook Dog

You can tell by looking at the Chinook that it was bred to work. It might be a rare breed, but it’s worth the search. Here’s everything you need to know about this dog breed.

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Chinook Dog Appearance

The Chinook has a thick double coat which is medium in length. The colors can range from light honey to a reddish gold. It has dark marking on the ears and muzzle and sometimes in the corner of the eyes and on the tail. It may also have some buff patches on the throat, muzzle, belly, toes, chest and cheeks.

The male Chinook stands about 24 to 26 inches in height, while the female is slightly smaller and stands at 22 to 24 inches tall. The weight of the male Chinook is 70 pounds, while the female Chinook weighs 55 pounds.

This breed is strong and stocky and has quite the speed. However, it is quite slow in reaching maturity. It does not reach its full weight and size until it’s about 4 years old.

This breed will have webbed paws with well-furred, thick pads. It does not have pricked ears like other dogs and its tail isn’t bushy either. It has almond eyes that are dark in color.

Chinook Dog Grooming

This breed of dog does not require a lot of maintenance. It will, however, shed heavily on certain times of the year. Its coat will require constant brushing at the time of shedding. It is important to brush its coat two to three times in a week to keep its coat and fur healthy and shiny. Its coat is not likely to get mats as is usually the case with other dogs that have double coats.

The Chinook does not need to be regularly bathed. It does like to dig and will require cleaning up once it is muddy.

Cleaning its ears is important as well. Check its ears on a daily basis for redness, odor or other signs of irritation. Cotton swabs should not be used to clean its ears. Get a solution that’s approved by your vet and use it with cotton ball.

Also, trim its nails regularly if they do not wear down on their own.

Chinook Dog Temperament

The Chinook has a gentle temperament, which makes it easy to train it. Due to its patient and calm nature, a Chinook is very easy to get along with. It is good with children and stranger and is not aggressive. Its even-tempered nature tends to please people and makes it very easy to keep it as a pet.

This breed does not make a good watchdog. However, it is a great pet for families that have children or are active. This breed enjoys companionship and does not thrive when subjected to loneliness for long periods of time.

The Chinook, like most dogs, needs exercise and socialization for its overall health. A lack of exercise may cause the Chinook to behave badly or affect its overall health.

Due to its good temperament, the Chinook has no problems making friends. While it will be wary of strangers at first, once adjusted, it will have no problem.

Chinook Dog Training

A Chinook is quite easy to train. It is a versatile and smart dog. However, it can be pushy due to its strong will. This can be corrected by training it right from when it’s a puppy. If this trait is not watched for, it may dominate the household.

It requires gentle but firm and consistent training by a trainer. Use positive reinforcement to train the Chinook. Using negative reinforcement like shouting or punishing the dog will make it fearful. Also, never lock up the dog alone as punishment. A Chinook cannot stay alone for too long. This will trigger anxiety and depression in the dog and may aggravate the issue. Using a gentle yet firm language to train the Chinook will get better results.

This breed needs constant exercise. Hence, you should only get it as a pet if you have the energy to take it for walks and regular exercises. A lack of exercise may cause it to become moody or aggressive in some cases.

Chinook Dog History

The existence of this breed has been linked to Arthur Treadwell Walden. Chinook was the name of Walden’s main dog, which was a cross between a Greenland Husky and a Mastiff. The control of the breeding stock was passed from Walden to Julia Lombard and so on.

The Chinook was registered with the UKC in the year 1991. The American Kennel Club recognized the breed in 2001. The Chinook became the 176^th breed of the AKC as a working dog. Some owners still use this breed for recreational dog sledding. They are also used for search and rescue and agility trials.