In case you have just happened upon this website and possibly think we are crazy for making a big thing over a dog that doesn't look like a fish and isn't a warm wind from the west, let me help you out.

A Chinook is am American breed of dog recognized by the United Kennel Club and listed with the American Kennel Club's Foundation Stock Service. They were developed to be a sled dog and were used for Admiral Byrd's South Pole expeditions. More information on the Chinook and it's history can be found on a few very helpful websites. More links are given in The View From Rain Mountain -- Articles and Links.  Here are the primary sites you'll want to visit to get more information.

Chinook Owners Association, UKC Parent Club of the Chinook As the parent club of the Chinook breed, the Chinook Owners Association (COA) website is a very thorough source of information on the breed.  Check out all the information on Chinook history here as it is very informative.
 
International Federation of Chinook Breeders & Exhibitors The IFCBE is a group dedicated to developing venues for Chinook activities other than with the United Kennel Club (that role is filled by the COA). The IFCBE is the contact club for the American Kennel Club's Foundation Stock Service listing of the Chinook. (Note the Chinook is not yet AKC recognized but is listed with the AKC's Foundation Stock Service as a preliminary step to AKC recognition.)

United Kennel Club The registering body for the Chinook, the UKC maintains the breed standard and sponsors activities for competing with our dogs in conformation, agility, obedience, and weight pulling.
 
Chinook Education Center This informative website gives added information on all things Chinook.

What They Are and What They Aren't

Sometimes it easiest to tell people what a Chinook is NOT. It's not an Alaskan Malamute or Siberian Husky. Yes, Chinooks are a northern breed and are close relations of both Malamutes and Siberians, but there are some differences. The Siberian is the racer of the sled dog breeds, along with the Alaskan Husky. The Malamute is a freighting dog. The Chinooks was designed to be "the gentleman's carriage horse" of sled dogs. They may not go as fast as a Siberian or Alaskan, nor pull as heavy a weight as the Malamute, but they are very capable of pulling a heavy load for a long distance at a very good clip.

The Chinook also differs from these breeds in temperament. In addition to the northern breeds in their background, herding breeds were also introduced in order to make them a more "biddable" breed. Northern breeds need to be very independent as they work perhaps thirty feet in front of the sled driver. But that independence can also be a challenge when you're not attached to a sled. By introducing genes from herding breeds such as German Shepherds and Belgian Shepherds, the Chinook became more people oriented. They love to be with their families and are known for not being dog aggressive. They take easily to training when it is handled in a positive fashion.

You'll also notice some physical differences between Chinooks and other northern breeds. The Chinook doesn't necessarily have erect ears. Rather our ears are all over the place. You will see Chinooks with up ears, down ears, one up and one down, and everything in between. Our saying is, "the ears don't pull the sled." You may also see a Chinook in your neighborhood and think, "That can't be a sled dog, it doesn't have enough hair!" Trust me, Chinooks have enough hair. Like other northern breeds, they have a thick double coat. But the Chinook's coat lies flatter to it's body and, when showing our dogs in conformation, we don't blow out the coat to make it look fluffier. One of the reasons that Chinooks make such great family pets is that they are adaptable and that includes not developing a heavy undercoat if the Chinook lives in a warmer climate. A Chinook that lives in Florida will never have as thick a coat as a Chinook that lives in Maine or Montana. Even here in the northern latitudes of Seattle, my Chinooks don't develop a very heavy coat unless we are having an exceptionally cold winter, despite the fact that they spend much of the day outside.

The Chinook temperament is what makes them so special and growing in popularity as family pets. I often explain them to people as "the golden Retriever of sled dogs." They love people, love to be with them, and are willing to both spend time playing in the snow or lying on the couch watching television.

Other Chinook Info:

• Chinooks bounce.  Though none of mine have been fence jumpers, they bounce when they are happy.  Even my 10 year old Chinook bounces like a puppy when she sees me getting her dinner ready.
• Chinooks have long tongues.  It seems that every time I'm ready to take a classy, dignified photo of one of my Chinooks, their tongue hangs out clear to the ground as soon as I snap the shutter.
  
  

  What could have been a dignified photo, Ch. PR Mystic Sahalee Rain (Photo by Linda Leeman)	Another great tongue, Holly's son, PR Rain Mountain Cowichen Gromit

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• Some Chinooks appear to have no neck bones.  Seeing this induces pain in me because I have had most of the vertebrae in my neck fused and can't even see what's on the top shelf in the kitchen.



Mahng Odei Outlaw Camas demonstrates
his lack of neck bones to Tom Christiansen


• Since they are a northern breed, they do have the instinct to dig a bed in the dirt.  They are not prone to as much digging as terrier breeds but be prepared.  My Chinooks and I have a truce -- I let them dig a two-dog underground condominium in their pen and they don't dig in my flower beds.
• Be prepared for a dog that puppy like enthusiasm and energy well into their twilight years.  They are not hyper and don't require excessive amounts of exercise, but they are active throughout their lives.
• As far as exercise, Chinooks are willing to pull a sled all day OR hang out and watch television.  But the more exercise you give your Chinook (or any dog for that matter) the better behaved they are.  A tired dog just doesn't get into trouble.  I also believe in giving them mental exercise as well as physical.  Thunder thinks a Buster Cube is the best indoor exercise while Holly likes to think of new and interesting places to hide bones.  Dog class, walks in our neighborhood, rides in the car, and frequent runs on my friends' farm help keep my gang in shape and mellow.
• The biggest grooming requirement with Chinooks is keeping their nails trimmed.  They have thick, strong nails that need to be trimmed frequently.  Otherwise their coat is very good at repelling dirt and odors.  (Though mine love to roll in anything stinky they find on walks!)  I bathe them about every two to three months (unless they have rolled in stinky things in which case a bath is immediate) and brush them daily when they are "blowing coat."
• As far as "blowing coat," Chinooks don't shed a lot on a daily basis but do shed all their coat at once once or twice a year.  That is when you'll realize just how much hair they really do have as your dust bunnies will be the size of a cat. While blowing coat, I brush them daily.  The rest of the year their shedding is minimal.
  

So I hope that this tells you a little about what a Chinook is and isn't. For detailed information on our breeds history, standard, and more, consult the websites given above. Or feel free to email questions.