Chinook was the name Arthur Walden gave to his lead dog. There were other breeds in his team, but Chinook led them all. He was strong, eager to lead, and made no mistakes. He was respected by both his animal workers and human masters. The dogs activities, were reported regularly to the newspapers of the day. Admiral Byrd was quoted, "That without these dogs his mission could never have been accomplished". An aging Chinook wandered off alone on the ice during a 1920's polar expedition and his body was never found. Chinook's obituary appeared on the front page of the New York Times.

The Chinook was declared an "All American Dog" by President Hoover. They have been listed in the Guinness Book of World Records several times as the rarest breed in the world. Our breed has come close to extinction but has been brought back through a program of selective breeding.