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Norwegian Elkhound
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The Norwegian Elkhound is one of the ancient Northern Spitz-type
breed of dog and is the National Dog of Norway. The Elkhound
has served as a hunter, guardian, herder, and defender. In a land
of subzero temperatures, deep snow, thick forests, and rugged
mountains, only the hardiest of the breeds could evolve to perform
the variety of jobs at which the Elkhound excels. Its Spitz courage
is probably a by-product or residue of the fact that a significant
number of them were used to track and hunt moose and other
large game, like bear or wolf. The Norwegian Elkhound was first
presented at a dog exhibition in Norway in 1877.
The AKC breed name "Norwegian Elkhound" is a direct translation
from its original Norwegian name "Norsk Elghund," meaning
"Norwegian moose dog." (European settlers mistakenly called the
North American cousin of the red deer an elk, when in fact in the
Norwegian language the term elk or elg means moose.) Despite its
name in America, it is not a hound dog; the Elkhound does not
hunt like a hound dog nor is it directly related to hounds, however
in Britain it is classed as a hound and in shows is grouped in the
Hound group. The breed's goal in the hunt is to independently
track down and hold the moose at bay — jumping in and out
toward the moose, while signaling to the hunters by barking very
loud — until the hunter who follows the sound can arrive to shoot
it. Another way of hunting with the dog is to let one of the hunters
follow the dog, then chase the moose towards a row of hunters, so
they can shoot it.
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Norwegian Elkhound
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Country of origin
Norway
Weight
45-60 lb
Height
18-21 in
Coat
Coarse, straight with soft undercoat
Color
Black and white coloring, often noted
as grey or silver
Life span
12-16 years
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Description
Appearance
The dog stands about 45-52 cm (20.5") high and weighs up to 24
kg (52 lbs). Its grey, white, and black coat is made up of two layers:
an underlying dense smooth coat ranging from black at the muzzle,
ears, and tip of its tail; to silvery grey on its legs, tail, and
underbody; and an overlying black-tipped protective guard coat
along its back. An ideal Elkhound has a tightly curled tail, as the
dog shown in the photograph on this page. The Elkhound is a
medium-sized dog and extremely hardy.
Temperament
Norwegian Elkhounds are bred for hunting large game, such as
wolf, bear and moose. Although the breed is strong and hardy, the
dogs typically have an inseparable bond with their masters and are
quite loyal. All Elkhounds have a sharp loud bark which makes
them suitable as watchdog.
Norwegian Elkhounds are loyal to their "pack" and make excellent
family dogs if given proper attention. It is bold, playful,
independent, alert, extremely intelligent, and, at times, a bit
boisterous. They rank 36th in Stanley Coren's The Intelligence of
Dogs, being of above average working/obedience intelligence.
This is a dog ready for adventure and is happiest if that adventure
takes place outdoors in cold weather. It needs daily exercise, lest it
become frustrated or even destructive. It is an exceptionally
friendly breed. If untrained, it tends to pull when on leash. This dog
needs attention for it to understand its place within the family (or
the pack), else it may develop social problems and feel neglected.
This is a very proud and noble breed that can easily have its
feelings hurt if its owner deserts his or her allegiance or duty. An
inevitable bond will develop between the dog's family, master, or
pack, and if there is disloyalty, the dog will definitely feel it and be
hurt. Although each dog is an individual, they generally are very
gentle and get along great with children. They are happiest when
they feel that they are part of the family. This, combined with their
very loud bark, makes them a good watchdog.
Norwegian Elkhounds can be challenging to train because of their
intelligence and deep independent streak, but they are acceptable
obedience dogs, good-natured, and very understanble in their
learning and training. For example, if they fail to "come" because
there is something of greater interest in the other direction, they
can be quick to learn the importance of the command if taught
correctly but they are a willful breed and may never "come" on
command. They can be wonderful in agility and are particularly
good tracking dogs.
Health
Norwegian Elkhounds sometimes carry a genetic predisposition to
suffer from progressive retinal atrophy, or, like many medium and
large breeds, hip dysplasia, renal problems and cysts, particularly
in later life; they are also prone to thyroid problems. Overall,
however, they are a hardy breed with few health problems.
Elkhounds are prone to rapid weight gain and must not be overfed .
They have a lifespan of 12–16 years.
History
The Norwegian Elkhound is an ancient breed, having been
developed over 6,000 years ago to help early Scandinavians hunt
big game such as moose and bear. Remains of dogs remarkably
similar to the modern Elkhound have been found in grave sites
such as the Viste Cave in Jæren, Norway, where they were dated
as far back as 4000–5000 BC. Archaeological excavations in
Scandinavia suggest this breed existed and was domesticated in
the Stone age. At the end of the 19th century the breed came to
England, and in 1901 the The Kennel Club officially recognized it.
For many years, the Norwegian Elkhound was considered the
oldest of all dog breeds, going back further than 6,000 years.
Recent DNA analysis suggests, however, that several "ancient"
breeds have been "recreated in more recent times from
combinations of other breeds" (Ostrander et al., 2004). The
researchers found "genetic evidence for a recent origin of the
Norwegian Elkhound, believed to be of ancient Scandinavian
origin". But this study only includes 85 of the world's more than 400
dog breeds, omits many primitive lineages, and clusters the breeds
together into just four major groups called clades. Nevertheless,
some researchers say that the Norwegian Elkhound is a
descendant of the ancient "primitive" Pariah Dog that existed
4,000–7,000 years ago.
Of the four major clades that Ostrander et al. clusters together,
Clade II includes dogs with the genetic haplotype D8 from two
Scandinavian dog breeds: the Norwegian Elkhound and the
Jämthund. This genetic sequence haplotype is closely related to
two wolf haplotypes found in Italy, France, Romania, and Greece,
and is also related to a wolf haplotype found in western Russia
(Vila et al., 1997). Clade II appears to be only seen in Norwegian
breeds and exhibits a vast amount of divergences. It is suggested
that this clade illustrates an ancient and independent origin from
wolves that are now extinct (Raisor, 2004). The Norwegian
Elkhound evolved, at least partially, from ancestral grey wolf
subspecies now found in south central Europe and western Russia
and may very well be one of the most ancient of all dog breeds.
In Medieval times it was known as a dyrehound or dyrehund and
was highly prized as a hunting dog but rarely seen or bred outside
of Norway.
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