Spotlight on the New AKC Breeds: The Chinook

photo courtesy of AKC

By Amy Fernandez

This uniquely American breed returned from near extinction to become AKC’s 176th recognized breed on January 1, 2013. Developed in the early 1900s, the Chinook is a newly minted purebred. However, it was created by famed musher Arthur Walden. Walden’s sled dog experience dated back to the Alaska Gold Rush. He was lead dog driver on Byrd’s 1927 Antarctic expedition and introduced sled dog racing to New England in the 1920s. He knew what he wanted from a good sled dog. And his concept for the Chinook combined the strength and stamina of freighting dogs, the speed of racing breeds, and a moderate, tractable temperament. Chinooks are still used for recreational dog sledding, but are also a popular choice for dog sports and search and rescue work.

This large, athletic dog displays both Spitz and Mastiff ancestry. Lean and muscular, with moderate, oval bone, it’s a slow maturing breed. Adult dogs measure 23 and 27 inches, weighing 70 pounds. Bitches measure 21 and 25 inches, weighing 55 pounds. The Chinook is rectangular in proportion in a 9:10 ratio, with plenty of forward reach and rear extension, and a tireless, ground covering gait. Its dense, medium-length double coat consists of a straight, coarse outer coat and a soft, dense undercoat. The Chinook’s tawny color is a distinct breed trait, ranging from light honey color to reddish-gold with black markings.

The breed’s name comes from its foundation sire, Chinook, whelped at Walden’s New Hampshire farm in 1917. Like many sled dogs, Chinook was a hybrid. His ancestry included Mastiff and Greenland Husky from Peary’s North Pole team. Despite his 100 pound size, Chinook was a remarkable lead dog with speed, strength, and endurance. He was also a prepotent sire. Walden used a combination of crossbreeding and inbreeding to stabilize type, adding German Shepherd, and Belgian Sheepdog to the Chinook’s foundation. In 1925, Walden’s homegrown breed made history as the first dog team to reach the summit of Mt. Washington. In 1927 Walden and 16 Chinooks accompanied Byrd’s first Antarctic expedition where they handily validated Walden’s concept of utilitarian sled dog type. This was the original Chinook’s last adventure, who was then twelve.

Perry and Honey Greene took over Walden’s kennel in 1939. They continued promoting the Chinook with record setting feats, but also maintained complete control of their stock, which prevented the breed from expanding beyond this family-run breeding program.

Greene died in 1963, and in 1965 the Guinness Book of World Records cited the Chinook as the world’s rarest breed with a population of only 125. It earned this title two more times before Neil and Marra Wollpert stepped in to save it in 1981. By then, only 11 breedable Chinooks remained. They founded the Chinook Owners Association and began working with UKC to salvage the breed and gain UKC recognition for it in 1991.

The Chinook entered the AKC FSS program in 2001. In 2009, it was named New Hampshire’s State Dog, and debuted in Miscellaneous in 2010. In 2012, AKC selected the Chinook Club of America as the official parent club and it joined the Working Group January 1, 2013. The Chinook studbook remains open until January 1, 2018.

For more information visit the parent club website at www.chinookclubofamerica.org/home.htm

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