Darwin - Duluth, MN

Attentive and Adaptive

Darwin is an attentive boy, who is always monitoring the world outside his front window, while also being attuned to all that is going on inside. He is quick to alert us to any passer-by and ensure that anyone approaching the home knows that he’s aware of them with big deep booming barks. As soon as any visitor is greeted with warmth and granted entry to our home, Darwin will shower them with love and affection. This ritual greeting lasts about 5-10 minutes before he’s settled back to his perch of surveying, followed by routine check-ins with his people.

Adaptive is a key word for this young man. For many of his early years he would go to work every day at a group home that took care of physically and mentally delayed adults. He knew how to engage with each person in the home, greeting them with the energy they each preferred. He also spent long quiet hours curled up next to the bed of a person on home hospice, being a calming presence for them. Darwin has also made numerous visits into the hospital to see people, and is no stranger next to wheelchairs, or medical equipment. Mornings were always for long walks. Happy with a quick mile around the neighborhood or a 5-mile hike through the trails surrounding his home. Excited to meet everyone he could, be it a dog, child, adult, occasional stray cat (or the weird black and white squirrels mom rudely won’t let him say hello to). Darwin is always ready to be as active or inactive as the time of life calls for, and is always ready for long snuggles on the couch watching TV.

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Darwin is part of the second approved cross litter under the COA's Chinook Breed Conservation Program (CBCP). You can learn more about the cross breeding program on the COA website. Darwin and his littermates are 50% Chinook and 50% Bernese Mountain Dog. The BMD was chosen due to their wonderful mushball personality, great temperament, working breed, good bone size, and double coat; all in the hopes to keep the great temperament and working ability of the Chinook while bringing in new genes to help diversify the Chinook gene pool.

Gentle Big Brother

After two years of being the center of his people’s lives, a new bundle of joy joined him in that spotlight. Since his new sister came home he’s been ever interested and patient with her (and happy with his new role as the clean up crew after meals are done). Walks aren’t as often anymore, but he’s just as happy and has never acted out by soiling anything in his home, or becoming destructive. Never once has chewed up a toy or object that isn’t his - and this is saying something as his sister now is a toddler and toys are strewn throughout the house, intermingled with his on the floor all the time. This intelligent boy will only pick up and chew on his own things.

While Darwin is our first dog, he has been incredibly easy to train and he learns SO FAST. He can pick up a new command usually within a few days, has his own “door bell” to alert his humans he wishes to go outside. He has never been aggressive towards another dog or animal, and has been wonderful with a brand new baby (and now toddler) coming into his life. He lives with two cats as well, and has unique relationships with each - one he respectfully leaves alone while the other he can play with. He took to his noise desensitization as a puppy wonderfully, and he has no issues with thunderstorms or fireworks. He shows no food guarding behaviors and can tolerate a hand being in his bowl while he eats, or a curious toddler trying to hand feed him each piece.