奇努克犬

奇努克犬是一种20世纪初源于新罕布夏州的罕见雪橇犬种，是该州州犬。

品种描述

外观

奇努克犬肩高应达到21至27英寸（53至69厘米），重55至90英磅（25至41千克），体态均称，肌肉发达。 联合犬业俱乐部 (UKC) 的品种标准则指，“理想中的颜色可以是淡蜂蜜色至带红色调的金色的黄褐色，眼睛内角最好有黑色标记，最好耳朵和口鼻上都有暗黄褐色至黑色的色调。不允许白色标记存在，但在脸颊、口鼻部、喉咙、覆盖腿部、爪子和下侧的米色标记则仍可接受。”其他不是黄褐色的颜色会被UKC视为瑕疵，而白化症犬只则会失格。而一些品种标准只要求有黄褐色中等长度的双层毛，口鼻部和耳朵有暗色阴影，不过依然不允许白色和其他毛色的狗。眼睛则是 棕色至琥珀色的，耳朵的形态可以随意，但以下垂为佳。至于头颅就该比其他雪橇犬种来得方正很多，而它们的尾巴则是与别种北极犬种常见的刷状或羽饰状尾巴不同，呈毛茸茸的军刀状。总括而言，奇努克犬看来比较像是承继了獒犬类血统多于貌似狼或者狐狸而多毛的狐狸犬类。

性情

奇努克犬感情深厚，对儿童尤其忠诚，同时又相当爱玩，是良好的家庭犬。但它们也乐于为了取悦人而工作，还会热心地学习，成为甘心顺服的工作犬。所以，它们相当容易训练和适应环境，因而多才多艺。在和其他狗的相处方面，由于奇努克犬天性合群，它们可以和不同血缘关系的同类一起顺利工作。不过，它们也是种庄重的狗，有部分会在陌生人面前表现拘谨，但那却不应是害羞或者具有侵略性的表现。

遗传性健康问题

奇努克犬一般只会存在癫痫，髋关节发育不良和先天性过敏症这一类常见的遗传疾病，不过在雄犬中隐睾症也相当常见，十只就有一只是该症患者。

历史

亚瑟·特兰德威尔·华尔登和奇努克在一起，摄于1922年。

奇努克犬的起源可以归功于新布罕夏州Wonalancet, New Hampshire的亚瑟·特兰德威尔·华尔登。它们的血统主要可以追溯到一只生于1917年同名的雄犬，是华尔登的领队犬和种犬，是一只曾参与皮里最后一次北极探险的母哈士奇和一只貌似獒犬的棕色大狗的后代，而从现存照片中可见，是一只具有獒犬典型的宽头和口吻的垂耳狗。华尔登把它和比利时牧羊犬，德国牧羊犬，加拿大爱斯基摩犬等各种犬只配种，并且回交以固化他想要的特质，使其遗传更为稳定。

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华尔登在育空有多年经验，是位经验丰富的狗橇驾驶；也曾是 Arthur Walden was an experienced dog driver with years of experience in the Yukon; he was the lead driver and trainer on Byrd's 1929 Antarctic expedition. He is credited with bringing sled dog sports to New England and with founding the New England Sled Dog Club in 1924. The 12-year-old "Chinook" was lost on the Byrd expedition.

Control of the core breeding stock passed from Walden to Julia Lombard and from her to Perry Greene in the late 1940s. Greene, a noted outdoorsman, bred Chinooks in Waldoboro, Maine, for many years until his death in 1963. Rare and closely held by Greene who was for many years the only breeder of Chinooks, the population dwindled rapidly after his death. By 1981 only eleven breedable Chinooks survived. Breeders in Maine, Ohio and California divided the remaining stock and managed to save the type from extinction.

The Chinook obtained registered status with the UKC in 1991; current numbers of registered animals are around 800. Only about 100 puppies are born annually worldwide. The registry has a cross-breeding program under which Chinooks are bred to individuals of other breeds thought to have contributed to Chinook development; fourth-generation backcross descendants of such crosses may be accepted as UKC purebred Chinooks if they meet the Chinook Owner Association's Cross Breeding Program requirements.

Chinooks joined the American Kennel Club (AKC) Foundation Stock Service in 2001 and were later added to the AKC's Miscellaneous Class in 2010. Finally, in January 2013 the Chinook became the AKC's 176th breed and joined the working group. Chinooks are still working for recognition from other major kennel clubs.

Working life

Although still used for recreational dog sledding by some owners, Chinooks today appear to be used largely as family pets. Individuals are also used for dog-packing, search and rescue, skijoring, and obedience and dog agility trials.