Chinook Owners Association Chinook Breed FAQs

1. Because this is a rare breed, how long does it take to get a Chinook puppy?

The wait for a Chinook puppy can take from 6 months to two years. If you have specific interests regarding gender, coloration, markings, you may have to wait longer to get the specific puppy wanted.

2. I live outside the United States. Is there a Chinook breeder in my country?

At this time, there are no Chinook breeders located outside of the United States.

3. What is the average cost for a purebred Chinook? A Cross? What will I spend per year to care for my dog?

On average, the price of a purebred Chinooks ranges from $800 to $1,000 dollars. Crossbred Chinooks sell from between $650 and $800. Some breeders may charge more or less, these are just averages. New owners are required to pay the cost of transportation of the puppy from the breeder to the new home. Many breeders will not ship by plane, while others do. It costs over $100 to ship a puppy in cargo. For those breeders who do not ship, an owner can fly the puppy in the cabin of the airplane under the seat in front of them. The cost of this is the cost of the plane ticket, plus an average charge of $75 for the puppy.

Breeders want to prepare purchasers to think about the costs of ownership before they purchase a dog and evaluate whether they can afford this potential expense. On average, a new puppy purchaser should be prepared to spend $500 per year for general maintenance of the dog – vet visits, heartworm, flea/tick products. However, owners should be prepared to spend up to $1,000 per year. Most dogs do not require this, but illness or an accident could require this amount of money. In addition, if the dog is a pet, the dog must be spayed or neutered. Breeders will expect new puppy owners to obtain certain health tests on their dog, regardless of whether the dog is a pet or a breeding dog. These include an eye examination – which cost between $25 and $100 depending on whether a vet visit is required and on what state you’re in – and a hip x-ray – which costs about $150 for both the x-ray and the OFA reading.

4. What type of temperament does a Chinook have?

Chinooks have gentle, calm, loving, happy temperaments generally. They are loyal and eager to please. Unlike other northern breeds, Chinooks are generally reliable off lead and are not runners – of course every dog requires training before they are allowed to be off lead, should always be supervised when they are off lead, and should never be allowed to be off lead in areas where traffic is present. Chinooks are considered a "reserved" breed, meaning they are friendly to strangers, but will generally be by their owner’s side. Puppies from all breeds must be properly socialized in order to ensure a healthy emotional development. If puppies of any breed are not exposed to children and other animals, they may be tentative with them as older dogs. Some Chinooks can be naturally shy, so early positive socialization is important. You should also choose a puppy from parents who are outgoing.

5. What health problems are in the breed and what sort of health certification should a purchaser be asking for?

Chinook breeders are striving to breed for health, but excellent health of the dam and sire does not always prevent problems in the offspring. While all breeders hope to produce only healthy puppies, new owners should be prepared to deal with any of the health issues known to the breed. The major health problems in the Chinook breed are: hip dysplasia, eye disease, seizures, shyness, and cryptorchidism. Minor issues include skin and gastrointestinal problems. Every purchaser should ask to see OFA/GDC/PennHIP (hip) certification and CERF (eye) evaluation on the dam and sire of the litter. Breeders should provide verbal assurances that, to their knowledge, the sire and dam are free of health problems. The breeder should disclose health problems with progeny from both parents and known health problems in both lines. For a more thorough understanding of health issues, please review the report from the 2003 Chinook Health Survey at http://www.chinook.org/FinalHealthSurvey.pdf

Test breedings: Sometimes a breeder will attempt a test breeding with a dog who is affected with a genetic disease. The most common examples of test breedings are dogs with mild dysplasia or cryptorchidism. The breeder should disclose the nature of the genetic disorder in the affected dog, and the reason for the test breeding. Limited test breedings are anticipated by the COA’s Breeder’s Code of Ethics.

6. What is the average size of males and females? What are the benefits/drawbacks to each gender?

Males can range from 60-90 pounds. Females are slightly smaller ranging from 50-65 pounds. Both females and males make excellent pets. Males tend to be slightly more affectionate and attentive than females. Females can be more independent and freethinking. Intact males can be dog aggressive toward other males, particularly intact males, if they are not adequately socialized to other males when they are maturing.

7. How much exercise do Chinooks require?

Chinooks need regular, vigorous exercise to stay healthy mentally and physically. Putting a dog in the yard by itself is not enough exercise. They need exercise where the human interacts with them. Long, daily walks, with frequent (at least 4 times weekly) trips to areas where they can safely free run. Thirty minutes to an hour of walking/running/working a day is sufficient enough to keep them happy and healthy.

8. Can a Chinook live in an apartment? Do I need a fenced in yard?

A Chinook can live in an apartment if adequate exercise is provided. Breeders will require written permission from landlord and will likely want to speak with the landlord before making a placement decision. Most breeders require new owners to have a fenced yard before they place a puppy. Fences provide a safe area for the dog to exercise and allow the owner the luxury of staying inside during inclement weather while toileting their dog. Several breeders do not recommend electronic fencing. This fencing does not keep other animals out, and will not keep a determined Chinook in. These dogs have a high pain tolerance and will go through an electronic fence if they feel they need to. In addition, someone who wants to steal your dog can easily remove the electronic collar from the dog. Ultimately, electric fencing is not as reliable as other types of structural barriers.

Potential owners should beware that Chinooks do not do well living outside. They do not want to live separately from their family, and will develop behavioral problems if they are not integrated into the family. If you’re looking for a dog to live on a chain in your backyard, this breed is not for you.

9. Are Chinooks easy to train? What type of obedience training do they need?

Chinooks are very intelligent and learn quickly if training is consistent. Chinooks are sensitive dogs, so positive training methods work best for this breed. Owners are encouraged to redirect unwanted behavior. Most breeders require puppy purchasers to take their puppy to "puppy kindergarten" and basic obedience. Some even offer a rebate if a purchaser earns an obedience title.

10. Do Chinooks shed? What are their grooming/bathing requirements?

Some Chinooks shed more than others; most shed twice yearly and a bit daily. Vigorous brushing daily will help a lot with the shedding. Their double coats do not need regular bathing and actually are healthier with infrequent bathing. If you must bath them, a non-detergent shampoo works best. Be sure to rinse out all the shampoo. The biggest grooming requirement is keeping nails trimmed as they have thick, fast growing nails. Chinooks need to have their teeth regularly brushed.

11. I want a Chinook with down ears; what are the chances?

Chinooks ears come in three varieties: down, prick, or helicopter (flying). You will not know when you take the puppy home what the ears will do. It is not until after teething that you will know what the ears will do.

In the early 1980’s there were only 11 breedable Chinooks in the world. In order to increase genetic diversity and avoid significant in-breeding, breeders working to save the breed bred out to non-Chinooks from breeds that were part of the original formula in creating the Chinook breed. The idea was to breed these Chinook Crosses back to purebred Chinooks, creating new lines. Thus, in the late 1980’s and early 1990’s, there were several cross-lines in existence.

In the mid-90’s, the Chinook Owners Association, in cooperation with the United Kennel Club (UKC), codified a program to manage Chinook crosses and regulate future breeding of these dogs. The Cross Breeding Program recognizes the importance of the infusion of new genes into the Chinook breed. The program permits only breeds purported to be in the Chinook to be used as non-Chinooks, and requires at least four generations of breeding back to a purebred Chinook before a line can be considered purebred. At the final generation, the litter is not automatically accepted as purebred. Instead, individual dogs from the litter at two years of age may apply to be registered as a purebred. In order to qualify as purebred, the dog must meet the breed standard according to a UKC judge and must have passing hips and eyes by recognized hip and eye registries. One Chinook Cross line has already produced three purebred dogs, and several other lines will be offering dogs for examination in the next few years.

This is a unique program, and it has been recognized as a positive way to save rare breeds. The UKC allows intact crosses that are approved in the COA’s program to be registered in the UKC Limited Privileges Program. This allows intact crosses to participate in UKC venues. This is an exception for our program, as all other dogs in the LP program must be spayed/neutered. The COA holds a National Chinook Cross Specialty each year, and may provide other conformation venues for crosses.

Chinook crosses have the same superior qualities of purebred Chinooks. They are intentionally bred for the same appearance, structure and temperament. The 2003 health survey found no significant differences related to health, although Chinook crosses clearly had a lower incidence of eye problems. First generation crosses, dogs coming directly from the non-Chinook breeding, tended to have some of the breed qualities of the non-Chinook breed. For instance, a first generation Husky cross may have a tendency to run (a distinctly Husky trait) and a first generation German Shepard line may have more guarding instinct (a Shepard trait). These non-Chinook traits all but disappear in the second generation. Chinook crosses can participate in all UKC dog sports except conformation showing. As long as an owner does not want to participate in conformation showing, there is no difference in relation to access to dog venues. Crosses tend to have a little higher drive, so they may make better working dogs – they’ve had great success in sledding, agility and obedience.

Puppy buyers should always beware of unscrupulous breeders in every breed. There are people who may try to sell "unregistered" purebred or crossbred Chinooks. If a dog is "unregistered" there is no way for you to verify that you are getting a Chinook. If you are buying a Chinook for its characteristics but you don’t buy a registered Chinook, you may not get what you want.

There are only two registries for the Chinook breed, the United Kennel Club and the Chinook Owners Association. The United Kennel Club is the only national registry for the purebred Chinook. The AKC is considering acceptance of the breed, but has not accepted the breed as of yet. A UKC registered Chinook will have a pedigree issued by the UKC. The Chinook Owners Association acts as the registering body for Chinook Crosses. The COA issues a Certificate of Acceptance, signed by the COA registrar, to all crosses accepted into the Cross Breeding Program.

When buying a purebred Chinook, buyers should ask to see the UKC pedigrees from both parents. When buying a Chinook cross, buyers should ask to see the Chinook Cross’s COA Certificate of Acceptance and the purebred’s UKC pedigree. Most Chinook breeders are also providing DNA parent verification to demonstrate parentage and authenticity.