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Chinook

The breeds · working

AKC Working · UKC Northern Breed

Chinook.

AKC standard: developed in the United States as a sled dog 'whose unique function was both drafting and sled dog racing', bred to combine the power of freighting breeds with the speed of the lighter racing sled dogs; works well in teams and within family packs. UKC: a large dog 'capable of pulling light to heavy loads', bred to combine the strength of the large freight dog with the speed of the smaller racing sled dogs, set records in the early 1900s for distance, loads carried and running time; bred to work in teams. Chinook Club of America: a working breed; the original Chinook and 15 of his sons went to Antarctica with Admiral Byrd in 1928-29. AKC Expert Advice: the first Chinook led Walden's team, credited with introducing sled dog racing to New England. AKC agility interview: 'lighter and faster than malamutes but heavier and draftier than the Siberian Huskies'. No FCI standard..

Breed sets the odds. The parents set the dog. Every number here shows its source, its spread and how sure we are. Nothing on this page is a prediction about one dog.

0INHeightdogs null, bitches null. An ideal from the standard, not a range.
50–90LBWeight, all linesbreed dogs 55 to 90 lb; breed bitches 50 to 65 lb.

The body

What the breed is built like. Registry standards give an ideal, not a range.

Height at the shoulder

dogs 22 to 27 in · bitches 21 to 25 in

Breed clubAKC breed standard, 2021

No single ideal is printed; low and high span the AKC standard, AKC breed page and UKC. AKC standard and AKC breed page differ at the top (25 vs 24); both stand.

Weight

dogs 55 to 90 lb · bitches 50 to 65 lb

Breed clubAKC

Low and high are the AKC breed page header; UKC prints an average (55 lb), not an ideal, so center is blank.

Coat

AKC: thick double coat lying close to the body; outer coat straight, strong and coarse; undercoat short, dense and downy; shown naturally, trimming (even whiskers) severely penalized; feels soft and plush, thinner and coarser in seasonal shed. UKC: double coat of medium length, less dense in very warm climates; faults include lack of double coat in cold climate. Tawny color, honey to deep reddish-gold, with darker ears and muzzle; any other color disqualifies (AKC). AKC Expert Advice: only occasional brushing, twice-yearly seasonal shed.

Breed clubAKC breed standard, 2021

Shedding

Shedding 3 of 5 (AKC breed page trait score)

Breed clubAKC

AKC breed page trait score, 1 to 5: a breed-club tendency, never a measurement.

Heat tolerance

3 of 5 · Thick double coat lying close to the body, outer coat straight and coarse, short dense downy undercoat (AKC); dense medium-length double coat, less dense in very warm climates (UKC).

DerivedAKC breed standard, 2021

Derived from the coat description (medium close-lying double = 3). No measured data.

The dog at home

What the breed asks of a day. The first thing most homes get wrong.

Energy

AKC breed page: Energy Level 3 of 5, Mental Stimulation Needs 3, Trainability 4, Barking 5, Affectionate With Family 4, Good With Other Dogs 5, Openness To Strangers 3, Watchdog/Protective Nature 4. AKC standard: slow maturing, often not mature before 4 to 5 years; affectionate, playful, special devotion to children, sometimes reserved with strangers, gregarious with other dogs.

Breed clubAKC

AKC bands and standard text, not measured.

Grooming load

3 of 5

Breed clubAKC

AKC breed page trait score, 1 to 5: a breed-club tendency, never a measurement.

Grooming

AKC breed page: Coat Grooming Frequency 3 of 5, Shedding Level 3, Drooling Level 1. AKC Expert Advice: occasional brushing, twice-yearly shed, more often when spayed or neutered.

Breed clubAKC

AKC bands and editorial.

The work

What it was built to do in the field, and what a test or trial asks of it.

Role

AKC standard: developed in the United States as a sled dog 'whose unique function was both drafting and sled dog racing', bred to combine the power of freighting breeds with the speed of the lighter racing sled dogs; works well in teams and within family packs. UKC: a large dog 'capable of pulling light to heavy loads', bred to combine the strength of the large freight dog with the speed of the smaller racing sled dogs, set records in the early 1900s for distance, loads carried and running time; bred to work in teams. Chinook Club of America: a working breed; the original Chinook and 15 of his sons went to Antarctica with Admiral Byrd in 1928-29. AKC Expert Advice: the first Chinook led Walden's team, credited with introducing sled dog racing to New England. AKC agility interview: 'lighter and faster than malamutes but heavier and draftier than the Siberian Huskies'. No FCI standard.

Breed clubAKC breed standard, 2021

Middle of the sled-dog range by design: freight power with racing speed. Editorial views are shown beside the standards, labelled.

Also used on

Chinook Club of America: a hard-working all-purpose dog that thrives on sledding, skijoring, hiking and biking, obedience, agility, herding and lure coursing. AKC Expert Advice: dog sports and anything involving pulling, such as sledding. AKC agility interview: 'excel at multiple dog sports, in the show ring, on farms, and in the home'.

Breed clubChinook Club of America

Breed-club presentation plus editorial.

Cold water

4 of 5 · Thick insulating double coat (AKC); UKC faults a lack of double coat in cold climate; the breed went to Antarctica with Admiral Byrd (Chinook Club of America). No source read describes water work.

DerivedAKC breed standard, 2021

Derived from the coat plus the breed's cold-weather sled work. Cold weather, not water: no source describes swimming or water work.

How common the problems are

Evaluated dogs skew toward breeding stock; the numbers are still the best there are.

Hip dysplasia

15.1% · OFA all-data: 1,199 evaluations, 15.1% dysplastic (mild 8.8, moderate 5.4, severe 0.8); normal 83.2%. Rank 86.

MeasuredOrthopedic Foundation for Animals

OFA submissions skew to breeding stock and under-report affected dogs, and the US registry population differs from a UK or field population; the all-data pull is undated (current all-data, accessed Oct 9 2026). Small, rare breed: n is modest.

Elbow dysplasia

0% · OFA all-data: 194 evaluations, 0.0% abnormal (normal 100%). Rank 162.

MeasuredOrthopedic Foundation for Animals

OFA submissions skew to breeding stock and under-report affected dogs, and the US registry population differs from a UK or field population; the all-data pull is undated (current all-data, accessed Oct 9 2026). Only 194 evaluations: a very small sample.

More

akc bands

AKC breed page trait scores (1-5): Energy Level 3; Mental Stimulation Needs 3; Trainability Level 4; Barking Level 5; Watchdog/Protective Nature 4; Good With Young Children 5; Openness To Strangers 3; Good With Other Dogs 5; Shedding Level 3; Coat Grooming Frequency 3; Drooling Level 1; Affectionate With Family 4; Playfulness Level 3; Adaptability Level 4.

Breed clubAKC

Fourteen AKC bands in one row; the selector reads each by name. Breed-club ratings: a tendency, never a measurement.

What to ask a breeder for

The health clearances the breed’s own club and registry name. Reference only: what to ask for, never a statement about any dog’s health.

How to read this page

Every value carries a label. Measured means peer-reviewed data on many dogs. Studied means peer-reviewed, smaller or indirect. Breed club means a club or registry states it. Editorial means expert opinion with no measurement behind it. Where two good sources disagree, both are shown and neither is averaged.

Published when the entry rests on the best information available from no fewer than three independent sources, checked by a second pass that did not write it. 5 sources on this page. Found something wrong? Tell us and the correction is logged with its date.

Also called
New Hampshire state dog

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All published breeds

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