Chinook

The Chinook originated in 1917 thanks to an adventurer, Arthur Treadwell Walden of Wonalancet, New Hampshire. In 1896, Walden joined the herds of prospectors heading to Yukon for the Klondike Gold Rush. During the 6 years he spent there, he gained experience as a sled driver and became familiar with sled dogs. Upon his return to New Hampshire, he decided he wanted to breed his own sled dogs. It is believed that he crossed mastiff-type dogs with Belgian Sheepdogs, German Shepherd Dogs, and Canadian Eskimo Dogs. The resulting puppies were effective sled dogs as well as gentle companions. Walden named the breed "Chinook" after his lead dog who died on Admiral Richard Evelyn Byrd Jr.'s 1929 Antarctic expedition. After Walden's death in 1947, the breed almost went extinct, but was eventually brought back by breed enthusiasts. Today, they remain one of the rarest breeds of dog.