Chinook Breed Conservation Program (CBCP)

The Chinook Breed Conservation Program (CBCP) is a program developed by the Chinook Owners Association (COA) in partnership with the United Kennel Club, Inc. (UKC) to maintain a healthy, genetically sustainable Chinook population, with the breed’s historical temperament, working ability, structure, and appearance.

Program Objectives

  • Develop and manage a sustainable gene pool for the Chinook
  • Improve the health and longevity of Chinooks by reducing inbreeding
  • Decrease average coefficient of inbreeding (COI) of litters born from 37.4% to below 15% by 2030
  • Decrease average five generation pedigree COIs to 3% by 2030
  • Increase effective population size as measured through the Chinook Pedigree Project (CPP) database from ~12 to 50 by 2030
  • Identify other breeds/ breed types who can improve the temperament, working ability, structure or appearance of Chinooks to better model the historical ideal
  • Educate breeders and owners on population genetics (where/how their dogs fit)
  • Provide tools to breeders to support better decision making in planning breedings both for the individual dogs and for the breed

Coming Soon: Focus pages for each of the four CBCP new founders!

New Founders are a Tamaskan Dog, a Bernese Mountain Dog, a Labrador Retriever, and Seppala Siberian Sled Dog. We'll soon have focus pages up for each of the founder dogs and the pups born as a result of these dogs.

> > > Podcast: Karen Hinchy talks about the CBCP

Overview

The CBCP will expand the Chinook gene pool by introducing non-Chinook New Founders to the breed. These New Founders will be bred to excellent examples of a purebred Chinook. Offspring may be bred to purebred Chinooks and/or the offspring of other New Founders in the CBCP. The COA Health and Genetics Committee ("Committee") has the sole discretion to both determine the need for and number of New Founders, and solicit and approve New Founder applications from COA Member Breeders.

Breeders have the sole discretion of determining which dogs should move forward in their breeding program. It is strongly recommended that Breeders leverage the COA Litter Badging Program and ensure that all litters of dogs in the CBCP qualify for at least two badges.

Descendants of New Founders with estimated 80+% purebred Chinook ancestry (i.e., third generation if one New Founder is in the pedigree once), DNA-VIP, and that meet the Chinook standard will be automatically registered as UKC Purebreds via an annual process. Below shows an example of the first eligible Chinook that could be considered a UKC purebred.

For all details regarding the CBCP, please refer to the Chinook Breed Conservation Program (CBCP).pdf document.

Application Process

Breeders may begin the application process by downloading the New Founder Application and sending it and any accompanying material to health@chinook.org. If you have questions or would like more information or support, please contact the Health & Genetics Chair.

    New Founder Application

    Breeder Information

    New Founder's Sire

    New Founder's Dam

    New Founder

    Health Badge

    Which Health Badge do you feel the litter qualifies for?

    Please check if the following statements are true:

    Please check if the following statement is true:

    Diversity Badge

    Which Diversity Badge do you feel the litter qualifies for?

    Which of the following criteria does the litter meet?

    Performance Badge

    Which Performance Badge do you feel the litter qualifies for?

      Email Health & Genetics Chair