奇努克犬

奇努克犬是一種20世紀初源於新罕布夏州的罕見雪橇犬種，是該州州犬。

品種描述

外觀

奇努克犬肩高應達到21至27英寸（53至69公分），重55至90英磅（25至41公斤），體態均稱，肌肉發達。 聯合犬業俱樂部 (UKC) 的品種標準則指，「理想中的顏色可以是淡蜂蜜色至帶紅色調的金色的黃褐色，眼睛內角最好有黑色標記，最好耳朵和口鼻上都有暗黃褐色至黑色的色調。不允許白色標記存在，但在臉頰、口鼻部、喉嚨、覆蓋腿部、爪子和下側的米色標記則仍可接受。」其他不是黃褐色的顏色會被UKC視為瑕疵，而白化症犬隻則會失格。而一些品種標準只要求有黃褐色中等長度的雙層毛，口鼻部和耳朵有暗色陰影，不過依然不允許白色和其他毛色的狗。眼睛則是 棕色至琥珀色的，耳朵的形態可以隨意，但以下垂為佳。至於頭顱就該比其他雪橇犬種來得方正很多，而牠們的尾巴則是與別種北極犬種常見的刷狀或羽飾狀尾巴不同，呈毛茸茸的軍刀狀。總括而言，奇努克犬看來比較像是承繼了獒犬類血統多於貌似狼或者狐狸而多毛的狐狸犬類。

性情

奇努克犬感情深厚，對兒童尤其忠誠，同時又相當愛玩，是良好的家庭犬。但牠們也樂於為了取悅人而工作，還會熱心地學習，成為甘心順服的工作犬。所以，牠們相當容易訓練和適應環境，因而多才多藝。在和其他狗的相處方面，由於奇努克犬天性合群，牠們可以和不同血緣關係的同類一起順利工作。不過，牠們也是種莊重的狗，有部分會在陌生人面前表現拘謹，但那卻不應是害羞或者具有侵略性的表現。

遺傳性健康問題

奇努克犬一般只會存在癲癇，髖關節發育不良和先天性過敏症這一類常見的遺傳疾病，不過在雄犬中隱睪症也相當常見，十隻就有一隻是該症患者。

歴史

亞瑟·特蘭德威爾·華爾登和奇努克在一起，攝於1922年。

奇努克犬的起源可以歸功於新布罕夏州Wonalancet, New Hampshire的亞瑟·特蘭德威爾·華爾登。牠們的血統主要可以追溯到一隻生於1917年同名的雄犬，是華爾登的領隊犬和種犬，是一隻曾參與皮里最後一次北極探險的母哈士奇和一隻貌似獒犬的棕色大狗的後代，而從現存照片中可見，是一隻具有獒犬典型的寬頭和口吻的垂耳狗。華爾登把牠和比利時牧羊犬，德國牧羊犬，加拿大愛斯基摩犬等各種犬隻配種，並且回交以固化他想要的特質，使其遺傳更為穩定。

已隱藏部分未翻譯內容，歡迎參與翻譯。

華爾登在育空有多年經驗，是位經驗豐富的狗橇駕駛；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.