Boreayl's Salishan of Rain

It is rare to find a Chinook that combines the intelligence I usually see only in females coupled with the good humor and easy going attitude that I typically see in males, all in one compact and very solid body.  That is our Salishan.  She is smart, observant, resilient, easy-going, and forgiving.  She is always happy and enjoys every human and dog she meets.  Kudos to her original breeder, Debbie Premus of Boreayl Chinooks and Siberians in Lebanon, Ohio.

I never really intended to get Shani.  I had been watching Debbie's website as the pups grew and was quite attracted to the one tawny female pup with the nice broad head.  I thought I was just calling Debbie to complement her on the nice litter but next thing you know I was picking up a pup at the airport.

Salishan is a very observant dog.  She quickly picked up the household routine by watching the other dogs.  Not that I had any routine.  Heck no, my house was up for sale in the early days of the housing market going bust.  So the only routine was that whenever I got a phone call that someone was coming to see the house, I packed up the dogs in the car and off we went until the coast was clear again.

I had no doubt that Salishan would pass her hip x-rays since I saw her  flying over 48" fences many times every day so she could visit her friend Rex the Lab next door.  She is one of the most athletic dogs I have ever met.  When she's not leaping fences, she's racing through the woods or climbing up on one of the many 10-foot diameter stumps that cover our property.  Considering that she is built like a tank, it often seems contradictory that she's so light on her feet.  Though she appears to be short at times, she's actually a perfect 8 t0 10 height-to-length ratio, with a gorgeous chest and well developed musculature both front and rear. 

Most of the time while outside Salishan is Taga's sidekick, following him through the woods as they hunt various critters.  (Don't worry, any critter other than squirrels, rabbits, and birds has long since moved off our property.  The most they ever find is the occasional mouse.)  They are quite a pair with tall lanky Taga and short stocky Salishan who can easily run right under his stomach.

Salishan is also a very affectionate girl though not needy or clingy.  She will sneak up behind my chair while I'm reading and next thing I know, I'm getting a warm ear nuzzle.  Or I'll wake up in the night to find that I didn't shut the door to her crate all the way and she's crept up onto the bed and snuggled in against my side.

Salishan has had three litters, the first with Frontier Brick Rafferty as her suitor, the second with Rain Mountain Potlatch Kodiak, and the third with Frontier.  She may not be a big Chinook where height is concerned but she has a lot to offer our breed in solid construction and a gait that can go all day, not to mention her wonderful temperament.  So far I'm told that all her pups seem to share her temperament and brains.