MyDogBreeds
Italian Greyhound is originated from Italy but Chinook is originated from United States. Italian Greyhound may grow 31 cm / 12 inches shorter than Chinook. Italian Greyhound may weigh 34 kg / 74 pounds lesser than Chinook. Both Italian Greyhound and Chinook has same life span. Italian Greyhound may have less litter size than Chinook. Italian Greyhound requires Low maintenance. But Chinook requires High maintenance
The Italian Greyhound is an ancient breed, a purebred originating in Italy but with evidence to suggest it was also to be found in Turkey and Greece.
It's a small breed dog that became popular with Italian royalty in the 16th century. Over the centuries, the dog's appearance has remain unchanged, although breeders tried to make it even smaller, leading to problems with the health of the dog.
Towards the end of the 1800s, it was fortunate that breed fanciers implemented breeding programs to restore the dog's look's and strength. The American Kennel Club registered the Italian Greyhound in 1886. Today the dog is a wonderful companion dog.
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.
The sweet Italian Greyhound is much like the regular Greyhound, just smaller but every bit as sleek, elegant and fine-boned. He stands at between 33 and 38cm at the withers and weighs just 3 to 7kg. He is slender and elegant.
He has long, fine-boned legs and his short, smooth coat makes him easy to groom too. The coat comes in a number of colors such as fawn, tan, grey, reddish, chocolate and black.
Described as sweet, intelligent and playful, the Italian Greyhound adapts easily to life in the city or to country life.
He is easy to train too, and even though he is small and amicable, it is still a good idea to have him trained and socialized as he is just a simple pleasure to have around then. He just loves the company of his human family and becomes a gentle friend to other dogs, to children in the home and to the elderly.
He is a frail toy dog, and he needs to be constantly watched over that he isn’t handled roughly by disrespectful children or from bigger pets. He is an active breed and will love to be played with and join you on your walks. Even though he is such a frail, fragile looking dog, he has a feisty, stubborn, defiant side to him and that is why training and socialization becomes important. He will be reserved around strangers.
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.
If you’re looking for a sweet, gentle canine friend, the Italian Greyhound promises to be just that. They just crave human companionship and are eager to please.
He isn’t the ideal playmate for children, simply because he is frail and can get hurt easily in rough play.
Small he may be, but he is intelligent and alert, and he will bark to warn you of strangers. They are essentially indoor dogs, and when you bring one of them into your home, you’ll be rewarded with a devoted, loving and loyal canine friend.
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.
Your small Italian Greyhound isn’t a sickly dog breed, and in fact, with the right care, he can live to be between 10 to 14 years of age.
As with any dog breed however, there will be some more common conditions to watch for in the Italian Greyhound. Some of these are epilepsy, hyperthyroidism and periodontal disease.
There are different types and causes of seizures, and there are actually no definitive tests for epilepsy. One seizure isn’t enough to make a diagnosis and more than one seizure is usually recorded before a diagnosis can be made and treatment prescribed.
These treatments don’t cure Epilepsy but rather control the symptoms and keep the dog seizure-free so that they can have a normal life.
Seizures are not all the same – some are life-threatening and advice from the internet can’t be looked upon as adequate. With a dangerous disease such as epilepsy, excellent and qualified veterinary help will be required.
Gum disease can be terrible for your pet. Apart from bone loss and loss of teeth, your pet will experience pain. Periodontal disease may well be common in dogs, but it can be prevented.
Once an animal has eaten food, particles of food, saliva and bacteria form plaque over the teeth and this doesn’t only cause damage to the teeth but to the entire immune system.
This disease can cause inflamed gums and loss of teeth. It is important to brush your pet’s teeth with special canine toothbrush and toothpaste.
The truth is, periodontal disease can cause more problems than just tooth pain which is bad enough. Dogs with gum inflammation may be at higher risk for heart- and kidney disease too. If you’re worried about your dog, take him in to your vet for an oral examination and teeth cleaning.
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.
The Italian Greyhound has a short, smooth, satin-type coat which is easy to maintain. Gently brush him once or twice a week, being careful not to press down hard as he has frail, bambi-like legs.
He also sheds little, making him a low maintenance breed. Because of the short coat, take particular care of him in the Winter and don’t allow him to become overly cold.
Your Italian Greyhound will require a diet rich in nutritional value, and if your particular dog is quite active you will need to feed him about 450 calories a day and sometimes more.
Each dog is an individual and will have different dietary needs. If you feed your pet a top quality commercially manufactured food, read the packaging for guidance on food portion sizes.
Speak to your vet if you are unsure how to feed your dog so that his food and the amounts you feed him contribute to his good health. He must always have access to fresh, cool water.
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.