I have an 8 month old chinook which is about the size of a German Shep. And he doesn't seem to be gaining weight. I adopted him about a month ago from a canine academy and he has stayed the same size. I can see his ribs so I'm a little worried but he was checked out by a vet right before I adopted him. I contacted a vet in my local area and they said to give it some time but I have given it a month. I also leave him alone in my house while I'm at work and he chews everything up. I have tried everything I can think of but I don't like keeping him in a kennel all day. Any suggestions?

I am not familiar with the breed, but they could insist on keeping themselves on the thin side. See https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/dogs/i...tml#post254171

And https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/dogs/b...ghlight=Saluki

I hate to see a dog left more than 4-5 hours. I would suggest crating him, but if you can't give him a mid day break, find a neighbor or professional dog walker. Doggyday care is a great solution if you can.

About a month ago I read a story about the origin of the Chinook. The original breeding kennel in New Hampshire is no longer operating. I am not aware of any other kennels that are active but I am sure a few must exist for you to have this dog now. The history of the dog is actually very short and very interesting. Started early in the 20th century in NH by a man named Walden after returning from living and working in Alaska. He worked with and was very taken with the sturdiness/hardiness of the huskies. He fell in love with the breed and decided to see if he could create a working breed that could handle the NH weather. From what I read, it is one of the rarest dogs in existence because very few people perpetuated the breed after his death. The name comes from the first dog in the Walden created. He named him Chinook after a beloved dog he worked with in Alaska.

I would be concerned about the weight because these dogs are about the size of a shepherd but broader. I hope you used labman's link. That should give you a good general idea of what your dog's weight should be. In any event, it would be wise to get back with your vet on this. He/she is your best bet on ascertaining what his weight should be and how you can best go about getting him to gain weight.

It sounds like your dog is a typical young dog. Chinooks are a working breed. He is not being engaged enough so his destruction of everything is very understandable. Please look at labman's link regarding crate training https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/dogs/i...man-53153.html He also has some other training information that I think you will find very useful. You may not like the idea of a crate, but it is the safest place for him to be when you are not around. I also agree with labman in that you need to have someone walk him & exercise him when you are at work all day. Any young dog will not do well being left alone for many hours.

I think it would be beneficial if you sought out a doggy daycare as labman suggests. I also think it would be good to get your dog involved with agility training. He needs an outlet for all that energy. This is a breed of dog that was used for pulling sleds during expeditions in cold climates, and weight competition. You might want to check to see if there are any clubs in your area for these things. If you aren't in New Hampshire or one of the New England states, you might be hardpressed to find one of these clubs.

P.S. I just did a search on Chinooks. Here is a link to the AKC/Chinook web site. You might be able to find further help there.
Chinook Owners Association - U.K.C. National Breed Club