Chinook

People usually search “Chinook breed” because they’re trying to identify a dog they’ve met, check expected size and temperament, or work out whether a rare working breed will fit their household. Getting it wrong can mean an under-exercised dog, a mismatched lifestyle, or avoidable health costs.

One quick correction before we go further: the Chinook is not a horse breed. It’s a rare sled-dog breed developed in the United States. The sections in the original draft about the Chinook people and Chinuk Wawa are real and important, but they’re a different topic to the Chinook dog. What follows focuses on the dog breed, with a short note at the end to clear up the name overlap.

Chinook at a glance

• Breed type: Working dog (sled and draft heritage)^{1, 2}
• Origin: United States (developed in New Hampshire in the early 1900s)^{2, 3}
• Height: males about 61–66 cm; females about 56–61 cm at the shoulder^{2, 4}
• Weight: commonly ~23–41 kg (many fall roughly 50–90 lb depending on sex and build)^{1, 4}
• Coat: thick double coat; straight, coarse outer coat with a dense, downy undercoat²
• Colour: tawny, ranging from pale honey to deep reddish-gold²
• Typical temperament: steady, intelligent, people-oriented; usually not sharp or reactive when well bred and well socialised^{2, 4}
• Life expectancy: around 12–15 years^{4, 5}

What a Chinook is like to live with

The Chinook was built for work that asks for stamina rather than frantic speed: steady pulling, long days, and good sense around people. In a home, that often shows up as a dog that enjoys being close to the household and is happiest with regular movement, training, and simple jobs.

They’re commonly described as moderate to moderately high energy. Think: daily walks plus something that uses the brain—obedience, scent games, hiking, or structured play—rather than endless high-impact sprinting.^{2, 4}

Exercise and enrichment

A Chinook tends to do best with consistent, predictable exercise, and a calm routine. Many owners find the breed settles well when it gets:

• a solid daily walk (often 40+ minutes as a baseline), and
• a second outlet most days—training, a sniffy trail walk, pulling sports, or a backyard session that involves thinking, not just chasing.⁴

Training and social behaviour

Chinooks are generally responsive to training and often enjoy working with people. Keep sessions short, clear, and upbeat. Quiet consistency usually beats heavy correction, especially in a rare breed where temperament can vary between lines.²

Coat, shedding, and grooming

The Chinook has a protective double coat designed for cold conditions. It’s not a “wash-and-wear” short coat, but it’s also not the constant matting coat of some long-haired breeds. Expect seasonal shedding, often twice a year, with lighter shedding in between.^{2, 5}

For most dogs, a weekly brush keeps the coat tidy and helps manage hair in the house. During heavy sheds, you’ll usually need to brush more often to keep the undercoat moving along.⁵

Health concerns to know about (and how to reduce risk)

Chinooks are often described as generally healthy, but—like many medium-large working breeds—there are a few conditions worth planning around.

Hip dysplasia

Hip dysplasia is an abnormal development of the hip joint, leading to looseness and, over time, osteoarthritis. It’s influenced by genetics and environment (including growth rate, weight, and exercise). Signs can include stiffness after rest, reluctance to jump, hind-limb lameness, or a “bunny-hopping” gait when running.^{6, 7}

If you’re buying a Chinook puppy, ask for proof of hip screening for both parents (for example, OFA or PennHIP results). Screening doesn’t guarantee perfect hips, but it meaningfully improves the odds over time when breeders select for better results.^{6, 8}

Eye disease

Eye disease is listed among the breed’s major health concerns by the Chinook breed community. Ask breeders what eye screening they do, and what they’ve seen in their lines over multiple generations.⁸

Seizure-like episodes (reported in the breed)

The Chinook breed community also notes seizure disorders as a significant concern in the breed. If you’re choosing a puppy, ask directly about any history of seizures or episodic movement disorders in both lines, and what the breeder does to avoid repeating patterns.⁸

Is a Chinook a good match for you?

A Chinook can be a strong fit if you want a large, trainable companion with working-dog steadiness, and you can offer routine exercise and plenty of time near the household. They’re often not ideal for homes where the dog will be left alone for long stretches most days, or where exercise is sporadic and unpredictable.⁴

Because the breed is rare, expect to wait for a well-bred puppy. Put your effort into the breeder’s health testing, temperament, and transparency—those details matter more than a quick availability timeline.

Why “Chinook” can be confusing (dog vs people vs language)

“Chinook” is also used in the Pacific Northwest of North America to refer to Indigenous Chinookan peoples, and to Chinuk Wawa (often called Chinook Jargon), a historic trade language that developed around the lower Columbia River and spread widely through regional trade networks.^{9, 10}

If you landed here looking for the Chinook people or Chinuk Wawa, you’re not off track—the name overlap is common. It’s simply a different subject area to the Chinook dog breed.

References

1. American Kennel Club (AKC) – Breed Weight Chart (includes Chinook)
2. American Kennel Club (AKC) – Meet the Rare and Versatile Chinook
3. Purina – Chinook dog breed information
4. Hill’s Pet Nutrition – Chinook breed profile
5. PetMD – Chinook dog breed: health and care
6. Merck Veterinary Manual (Pet Owner) – Hip dysplasia in dogs
7. Dogs Australia – CHEDS (Canine Hip and Elbow Dysplasia Scheme)
8. Chinook Owners Association – Breed FAQ (health issues and screening)
9. Chinook Indian Nation – Who we are
10. Encyclopaedia Britannica – Chinook Jargon