Chinooks are a rare breed of sled dog native to New England. The Chinook was developed by explorer and author Arthur T. Walden during the early 1920s. The goal was to create a new sled dog breed — powerful working dog, yet with a gentle temperament other Northern breeds lacked. He started by breeding a descendant of Polaris, Admiral Peary's famous lead dog, to a mastiff-type dog. From this breeding, a pup named Chinook was born and became the world's most famous dog of his time — Chinook was one of the sled dogs who accompanied Admiral Byrd on his South Pole expedition in 1927. A true "sport" of nature, Chinook's offspring inherited his coloring, size and general characteristics.