MyDogBreeds
Ciobanesc de Bucovina is originated from Romania but Chinook is originated from United States. Ciobanesc de Bucovina may grow 9 cm / 4 inches higher than Chinook. Ciobanesc de Bucovina may weigh 49 kg / 109 pounds more than Chinook. Ciobanesc de Bucovina may live 3 years less than Chinook. Ciobanesc de Bucovina may have less litter size than Chinook. Both Ciobanesc de Bucovina and Chinook requires High maintenance.
The Ciobanesc de Bucovina is a breed that developed naturally in the Carpathian Mountains (Romania and Serbia) and some regions of Bulgaria. The breed was especially useful in the Romanian northeast regions, the county Bucovina and in the northeastern region of Serbia. These dogs are bred for guarding and herding of flocks as well as guard dogs for the family home.
When the area was split between Russian and Romania, the dog continued to thrive in the mountains because of the need that the shepherds had for this type of dog with the build, working ability and temperament of the Bucovina.
Finally, in the 20th century, Romania began to urbanize and industrialize. People moved to the cities from the hills and many brought their dogs with them. This allowed many non-mountain Romanians to come into contact with the Bucovina Shepherd for the first time. He became a great family dog and offered guard dog protection as well.
The Romanian Kennel Club accepted the Ciobanesc du Bucovina in 1982 and wrote the first standard then. It has since been updated in 2001 and 2002 with today’s standard. They are not accepted by the international clubs nor the big clubs in the US and Europe. This is one factor in keeping the breed rare because it is little known outside of Romania.
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.
Most large mountain dogs resemble the Bucovina Shepherd, but this breed is more slightly built and has a lighter coat than most of the mountain dogs. They are still a very large dog weighing in between 70 and 120 pounds. They are powerfully built even if more slender than other mountain dogs. They have a long thick coat that makes it difficult to see how their bodies are formed, but they are a very muscular dog.
Their large head does indicate how powerful a dog he is, and he has a wide muzzle that tapers off at the end. The breed has small eyes that are either hazel or brown and his v-shaped ears hang downward on the side of his head. He has a wide, black nose and thick, dark lips. His tail is bushy and long.
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.
Bred to herd and guard cattle against the wolves and bears, it is a very dominant, self-assured, breed. They are intelligent yet laid back when no threat is suspected. They love children but can be hard to train. A dominant adult is needed to train and control the Ciobanesc de Bucovina. They are quite protective of their families and will patrol the property if left outside at night.
The breed has a strong mistrust of strangers but loves his adopted family. Unless threatened the Ciobanesc de Bucovina is calm and chilled. He is loyal, affectionate and dedicated. They attempt to frighten strangers with barks and growls but will attack if necessary. They are also very driven to chase prey so make sure they are in a locked fence. They can be difficult to train and seem to need a strong, alpha adult presence.
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.
Not much has been done to study the health of this breed so not much is known for certain. It is known that they have good health as they have survived the harsh winters in the mountains while tending to the flocks.
Given their size and the history of mountain dogs, they could be susceptible to visual and skeletal amount of food and at the right times can prevent this. They could be susceptible to arthritis, knee and elbow dysplasia, and cataracts.
For the most part, the Chinook is a healthy dog. There are however some issues they do have to contend with including:
Sometimes know as Chinook seizures this is really a movement disorder and perhaps not a true epilepsy.
This dermatitis may be hereditary. It causes itchy skin and is actual an immune system issue.
Chinook are known for a variety of gastrointestinal disorders manifested by diarrhea and vomiting.
It is important not to over feed or to feed to much at one time. Even though they are large and powerful dogs, massive meals can cause bloat, so you are better off with 2-4 smaller meals per day. Also, don’t feed right before or right after strenuous exercise.
As previously mentioned this breed does not appear to have many health issues. As they developed naturally in the mountains they have not been exposed to many things there.
This was already mentioned but it is a very serious condition and requires veterinary assistance immediately under threat of death.
They can have either hip or elbow dysplasia. Can lead to arthritis of lameness.
This is a calm, even tempered dog not needing a lot of exercise. However, he is a big dog and can get obese without daily exercise. A large fenced in yard would be appreciated and a nice brisk walk every day. They would probably enjoy flyball and leurcatch. Any herding or hunting would be enjoyed.
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.
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.