Chinook breed guide

Chinooks are calm, people-oriented dogs with a special feel for children, trainable workers that aim to please. Males stand as high as 26 inches under a tawny coat, with a kindly twinkle in dark almond eyes.

Easy to train with positive reinforcement, they are reliable off leash unlike most sledding breeds, AKC says.

Chinooks live 12 to 15 years. AKC calls the breed robust but prone to hip dysplasia, cryptorchidism, gastrointestinal disorders and allergies.

Some suffer from Chinook seizures, thought to be a movement disorder and not true seizures.

The plush double coat is fairly easy to care for: weekly brushing removes dirt and loose hair, with longer daily brushing during the shedding seasons that come twice a year.

Though they often look relaxed and mellow around the house, Chinooks have a tremendous amount of energy and thrive on exercise and play. They bond strongly with their owners and make great companions on long walks, hikes, bike rides and camping trips. They enjoy swimming and boating.

Adventurer Arthur Walden of Wonalancet founded the Chinook. In 1896 the 24-year-old went to Alaska at the height of the Gold Rush and spent six years working as a prospector, stevedore, logger, riverboat pilot and sled-dog driver.

He came home a devoted musher determined to breed his own line of sled dogs from a mastiff-type dog and descendants of one of Admiral Robert Peary's Greenland huskies.