The Pack

Hi, we’re Karen and Dave Schiller of MountainThunder Chinooks, also known as our home, located in Fort Collins, Colorado. We first “met” the Chinook breed as a result of searching on-line for a new family pet. Once we discovered pictures of the Chinook, and read about their temperament, their rich American heritage, and their limited numbers, we were intrigued to find out more. We hope you will visit the Chinook Owners Association to read more about the history of this All-American treasure.

Finnegan - NBOB 'PR' Hurricane Finnegan, CGC
(4/20/2005 - 10/19/2017)
Our first Chinook, Finn, arrived in June 2005. Finn immediately began to show us just why people feel the way they do about these special dogs. Chinooks are very smart, love to have a job to do, and are eager to please. Since we had purchased Finn under a “breeding/show potential” contract, we were asked to take him into the conformation show ring for evaluation by UKC judges. Now, keep in mind, all we ever wanted was a pet!
We had seen the movie ‘Best in Show’ and were, let’s just say, a wee bit hesitant. After one quick lesson on how to handle a show dog, Dave jumped in and gave it a try. The results were quite fulfilling! Not only was it a fun experience to learn how to show a dog; it was also rewarding because Finn enjoyed it so much! To our amazement, Finn excelled in the conformation ring to the point that he was chosen as the National Best of Breed in 2008. WOW, a truly astounding accomplishment!

Tana - CH 'PR' GreatMountain Tanaina, CGC
(10/17/2006 - 2/17/2022)
Tana, our first female, arrived in December, 2006. The day after Dave arrived home with her, our area of Colorado had one of the worst snow storms on record. We had ten feet of snow over a three day period! Dave was kept busy outside shoveling a path for Finn and Tana to “do their business”. Not the best environment for potty training, but Tana was a quick learner. Tana fit right into our family, and became Finn’s best friend and partner in crime. Tana has also excelled in the conformation show ring, and became a UKC Champion by winning Best of Breed in her first four shows! When Tana won her Championship so easily, we knew that the next chapter of our Chinook journey would soon begin. This brings us to our breeding philosophy . . . again, something we never intended to do!

Scarlet - GRCH 'PR' MountainThunder Scarlet Begonia
In July 2010, Tana gave birth to her first litter: The Long Strange Trip Litter. Scarlet Begonia, the consensus pick of the litter, was the first pup born in our home and she seemed to never want to leave....so, we kept her. She has been terrorizing Finn and her mom ever since! We are very proud of Miss Scarlet as she became a UKC Champion at the age of 11 months! She also won many titles including Top Ten Best of Breed in 2011 and the Number One Chinook in 2014!

Terra - CH 'PR' MountainThunder Terra Tomah
Tana gave birth to her second litter in April, 2012, which yielded us our next female: MountainThunder Terra Tomah. Terra is named after one of our favorite peaks along Trail Ridge Road in Rocky Mountain National Park. Terra was one of two pups in this litter, and she, along with her brother MountainThunder Cascade Tyee, have already participated in conformation shows in both the UKC and AKC.

Bear - CH 'PR' Bashaba Kchi Awasos
..and then there was Bear. His given name is 'PR' Bashaba Kchi Awasos; an Abnaki name meaning 'Great Bear'. He certainly is!! Great Bear came to us on January 26th, 2013. He wants to play for the most part and is a great family member!

Rosie - CH 'PR' MountainThunder Thorny Rose
BUT WAIT.....There's more....One of the WANTED Litter was sentenced to return to MountainThunder to serve out her life term. MountainThunder Thorny Rose has come home.

Eva - MountainThunder Mt. Evans
And our newest baby girl...Little Eva. Our first buff Chinook and one of the sweetest we've ever had! She arrived on August 31, 2017.