Thai Ridgeback vs Chinook - Breed Comparison | Petzlover

In the early 20th century, in the small town of Wonalancet, New Hampshire a new breed of dog called the Chinook was born. Developed by Arthur Treadwell Walden, the breed is named after the first male ancestor who was named Chinook. The breed is a rare sled dog and the official dog of the state of New Hampshire. The Chinook was born of a cross between a large Mastiff-like street dog and huskies that were part of the Peary North Pole expedition.

Walden was an experienced slender and looking for a dog that was stronger, faster and had more stamina than his current sled dogs. Walden had years of experience including being the trainer and lead on Byrd’s 1929 Antarctic expedition and plenty of Yukon experience. Once he had the male Chinook he bred him with German Shepherds, Belgian Sheepdogs and Canadian Eskimo Dogs at the very least. He then bred those puppies back to Chinook until he had the type and traits he wanted. Following Walden, Julia Lombard and then Perry Greene took over mastery of the breed. From the 1940’s until he died in 1963, Greene was the only person who was breeding Chinooks. So, there were few left after his death. The breed neared extinction by 1981 with only 11 Chinooks available to breed. These dogs were divided between three breeders who saved the breed from becoming extinct.

In 1991, the United Kingdom recognized the Chinook and they were also registered with the UKC. At that time there were about 800 dogs in the breed. To increase the breed, there was a cross-breeding program that took Chinooks and bred them back to the breeds they considered to be apart of the original Chinook lineage. These 4th generation dogs might meet the standards of the Chinook Owners Associations Cross Breeding Program and be accepted as purebred.

In 2001 the Chinook was entered into the AKC Foundation Stock Service and added to the Miscellaneous class of the AKC in 2010. In January of 20113, the Chinook was finally granted full recognition and breed status within the AKC in the working group. He is a large working dog, rugged, patience, loyal and intelligent. He is one of the rarest breeds in the AKC.

Until recently the Thai Ridgeback was not known outside of its native land. However, after being recently recognized as a standard breed, the dogs are getting some notice from the western world. They are one of three known ridgeback breeds with the ridge running the opposite direction of the rest of her fur. The other breeds with this characteristic are the better known Rhodesian Ridgeback and the even lesser known Phu Quoc Ridgeback.

The Thai Ridgeback is believed to have originated in eastern Thailand but there is no documentation of their actual history. The breed is thought to be descended from the Funan Ridgeback based on a genetic hypothesis. It is thought that the same Funan Ridgeback is an ancestor od the Phu Quoc Dog. This Funan Ridgeback lived over a century ago. Along with the Rhodesian Ridgeback, all have a common ridgebearing ancestor.

It is still unknown where the original ridge came from but it has been shown that all of the ridgeback dogs have the same genetic mutation and even though the Rhodisian is from Africa, there is not a parallel mutation. The Thai Ridgeback is an active, energetic, tough dog. He is loyal, intelligent, and has great jumping ability.

The Chinook is a muscular dog, making him a perfect fit to be a sled dog or a hauler of any type. He has a deep chest and powerful muzzle with enduring teeth. The ears can be pricked up or bent and wind-blown. The nostrils of the Chinook are solid black and wide, while the lips are black, the eyes look like almonds and are dark with intelligence in their glance. The feet are firm and oval, the pads cushioned and with dark pigmentation. The tail should not be docked.

The breed has a double coat and hair of medium length The undercoat is soft and thick while the outercoat is close to the body and coarse. The Chinook is usually a tawny, reddish color.

The breed is medium in size and muscular in body. They have a wedge shaped head, a short coat that is smooth and pricked, triangular ears. The ridge on his back is pronounced as the hair grows away from the rest of the coat from the hips to the withers. Puppies can be born with or without the ridge. They are extremely agile. With what is often called a sword tail being carried up, the Ridgeback has wrinkles on his forehead, a black tongue or the tongue has black marks, and almond shaped eyes.

The coat sheds minimally and is dense, while the eyes are usually brown – in blue dogs they can be amber. The color of the coat is fawn, red, black or blue with a black mask on the reds. There are 8 different ridge patterns: Feather, violin, saddleback, needle, arrow, bowling pin, lute, and leaf. The broader the ridge the better the dog is considered for show.

There are two epistatic genes that determine the ridge and its size. The more genes of this type the individual dog has, the broader the ridge will be. There must be a dominant gene for the ridge to appear at all.

This is a playful, affectionate and loyal breed. They have a special love for kids and always want to learn and please you. They are intelligent and very trainable. The Chinook is good with other dogs and as a sled dog they love to work in packs. They can be reserved but they are never aggressive or shy.

. Children friendliness – Must be well socialized into the family.

2.Special talents – jumping and agility.

3.Adaptability – not good. Needs a high, unclimbable fense.

4.Learning ability – can be stubborn and independent.

For the most part, the Chinook is a healthy dog. There are however some issues they do have to contend with including:

Epilepsy

Sometimes know as Chinook seizures this is really a movement disorder and perhaps not a true epilepsy.

Atopy

This dermatitis may be hereditary. It causes itchy skin and is actual an immune system issue.

Gastrointestinal disorders

Chinook are known for a variety of gastrointestinal disorders manifested by diarrhea and vomiting.

With such a mysterious origin, there are not a lot of documented episodes of genetic illness as the breed has been isolated in Thailand and natural selection has driven reproduction. There are only a few issues that they are genetically predisposed to. These include:

• Dermoid Sinus – this is a genetic skin condition known as pilonidal sinus as well. This is a defect in the neural tube and the sinus might be removed. If the sinus is wrapped around the spinal cord and cannot be removed it can be tied off.

• Hip dysplasia – can cause lameness and/or arthritis.

• Bloat – can be terminal if not treated as soon as possible. Bloat is a distension of the stomach and intestines which can twist and tangle, killing the dog almost immediately without veterinary attention.

Feeding

Don’t overfeed your dog. Based on how hard he is working for you feed twice a day. Dividing 3 to 5 cups into two meals.

Health issues

In addition to the health issues mentioned above, the Chinook might be prone to:

Hip Dysplasia

Can cause arthritis or lameness

Crytorchism

Only affects males as this is the absence of the testes in the scrotum.

Allergies

Ears should be washed on a regular basis to prevent allergies and infections.

Exercise and games

Although the Chinook is still active in recreational sledding, he is mostly a family pet these days. Given this the Chinook need a good deal of exercise and competition. They are great at search and rescue, dog packing, agility, obedience, herding, carting and skijoring. They need some form of solid exercise for 30 to 60 minutes every day.

1. Feeding the Puppy - Don’t over feed the puppy as they are inclined to become obese. Feed a high quality protein rich puppy for medium breeds. Feed in 3-4 smaller meals per day. As he grows be aware of bloat possibilities.

2. Feeding the adult dog - The risk of bloat is even greater in the adult and so is the risk of obesity. Don’t feed large meals and don’t feed before or after strenuous exercise. Feed in 2 smaller meals per day.

3.Points for Good Health - Agile and muscular.

4. Games and Exercises – Energetic and needs serious exercise. She loves to swim, retrieve, hike, hunt, and catch frisbees. Likes search and rescue and guard dog work.