The Chinook is considered to be one of the rarest breeds today. In 1981 they were considered by the Guinness Book of World Records to be the rarest dog breed in existence when only 28 of them remained. The Chinook has since increased in number as certain individuals took to saving the breed after this report was made, however, they are still very difficult to find.
The history of this breed began in the mountains of New Hampshire in 1917 when a farm dog was mixed with a Husky. One of the puppies in the litter, named Chinook, stood out from the rest and became the father of the Chinook breed. These dogs are best known for being the sled dogs of the famous polar explorer Admiral Byrd. These dogs assisted Byrd in his quest to Antarctica in 1928, and his dog pack even consisted of Chinook himself, who was 12 at the time. The famous sled dog did not make it to the end of the trip as he wandered away at some point and did not return.
These working dogs weigh between 55-70 pounds and are known to have very easy-going personalities. They tend to be friendly toward everyone they meet, so giving them the duty of guarding the house is probably not the best idea. They may not be the best watchdogs, but they do make amazing family pets. They adore being with their family and especially love to play with children. The Chinook is a pack dog at heart and they get along great with other dogs as well.
These dogs are extremely intelligent but require consistent training to become obedient. They need an owner that will be patient with them through the training process as they are very sensitive and will not respond well to harsh training methods. The Chinook is a sweet breed that is eager to please its people and will display as much affection as they can offer. While there have been many close calls of this breed going extinct, there always seems to be someone ready to take the call and make an effort to keep them around. The reason for this is because of their loving personalities that have touched the lives of just about everyone lucky enough to come across them.
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