The Chinook is a velcro breed and is very social. Chinooks crave the company of their people and can suffer from separation anxiety if left alone. Many owners either work from home or take their Chinook to work with them. Some with jobs that won't allow a pet at work will have a neighbor or relative stop by during the day to play with and exercise their Chinook. This attention is especially important during the puppy stages. A second companion for your Chinook will help provide needed company and Chinooks get along well with cats if raised with them. Chinooks thrive in a household with other dogs and it is not unusual for an owner to have two, three or more Chinooks in their home. If you must leave your Chinook alone for long periods of time, the Chinook breed is not a good match for you.
Training is important and starts with the breeder and continues when your Chinook puppy goes home with you. We start training our pups to respond to a whistle at about three weeks when they are starting on solid food. All Chinooks should be trained with positive methods and do especially well with clicker training. Most love to work for food and treats as rewards. Chinooks were bred to pull sleds and they will pull on their leash if they don't learn the art of polite leash walking. They can learn not to pull on the leash and still pull a sled, so don't worry that leash training will break their sled pulling spirit! Early leash training will help your puppy learn to walk politely on leash - it is much easier to leash train a puppy then a large and powerful full grown adult Chinook!
Many people interested in the Chinook are looking for a canine companion to share their outdoor activities with. They are rightfully attracted to the Chinook Breed because of the Chinook's athleticism. Chinooks need and enjoy exercise. Chinooks are an all purpose working breed and need a job to do. Mental exercise such as training or therapy work can be as tiring and satisfying to a Chinook as running 10 miles on the trail. Playing with the children in their family is also a favorite pastime and a great mental and physical workout! Each Chinook is different and will let you know what they excel in and what they enjoy for work. They do require exercise and activity so plan on this with you Chinook. Unlike some other active breeds, the Chinook has an off switch and they love their couch and cuddle time.
Tips for Future Chinook Owners
Is a Chinook the right breed for you?
Polite Leash Walking with Ursa
Ursa is also an accomplished sled dog!
You've decided that a Chinook
is the right fit for you, your family, and your lifestyle,
but how to decide between
a male or female?
Is there any difference between male and female Chinooks?
Rule of thumb: the Chinook boys are more like your kids,
and the girls just assume
that they are your equals!
Chinooks need puppy play. Early and frequent safe socializing with dogs of all sizes and breeds, and with people of all ages (kids and men!) will teach your puppy to be confident and social. A well adjusted adult Chinook is a pleasure to live with! But a word of warning: socialize your pup at his or her own pace. Some Chinooks are bold and fearless and some are soft and shy so be sure to protect your puppy from any situation that is overwhelming to him or her.
Chinook mates Doonerak and Tug produced a litter in 2008. Zeb, seen in the photo below is one of their kids. Female Chinooks are distinctly feminine and males are masculine in appearance.
For helpful ideas on training your Chinook, visit our link:
How much does a Chinook puppy cost? The cost of a purebred AKC registered Chinook puppy is around $2500 to $3000 (2022 numbers) and is influenced by the breeder's expense to produce the litter. Dog breeding is extremely scientific these days and a lot of planning takes place to produce a litter of Chinook puppies. It may take a few breeding attempts before a Chinook litter comes to full term and reaches 8 weeks old, with expenses incurred for each try. Some of a breeder's costs include multiple health screenings on the sire and dam, their littermates, and offspring, coat color, coat length and genetic testing of the parents and litters, costs to put titles on the sire and dam prior to breeding them, travel expenses to breed the female, reproductive expenses such as progesterone and LH tests, semen collection, evaluation, storage and shipping fees, (surgical) artificial insemination, ultrasound of the litter, pre-whelping xray and exam, perinatal services including rental of fetal doppler and contraction monitor, C-section surgery, emergency hospital care for mom or her pups, pet health insurance, registrations and costs for puppy health, conformation, and temperament screenings.
This is Forever Greene Zeb. When Zeb was a puppy he was nicknamed "Meatball". Zeb grew up to be a 90 lb Chinook!
Puppy News
Look for future breedings from these Chinook kennels:
Oregon: Pacific Skye Chinooks
New Hampshire: Ferncroft Chinooks
Connecticut: Intervale Chinooks
For Chinook Puppy Info Contact:
A 'Nook Pile with Penny and mom Jazz
The Chinook Breed Standard
A Breed Standard identifies the ideal animal.
If you'd like to learn more about the Chinook's purpose, temperament, traits and distinctive characteristics,
the Chinook Standard is a must read!
You can find the Standard on the AKC website:
Training Tip:
Chinooks love to pull! Here is a helpful article on
teaching loose leash walking:
Chinooks CAN walk politely on a leash AND pull a sled
with enthusiastic delight. These are two different behaviors that need to be trained for.
If you are looking for a training aid to help teach loose leash walking, look into the Walkeez Fleece-lined Harness as found on CleanRun. This harness works!
Copyright Intervale Chinooks
For helpful ideas on training your Chinook, visit our link: "Training tips for your Chinook"
Chinooks and their Friends
An often asked question about Chinooks: How does the Chinook get along with cats?
They love to cuddle!
Intervale Emma and Luna snooze with their kitty.Tsuki
Intervale Koda shares the couch with his kitty
