If you want to meet one of the dogs that accompanied the famous and seasoned Vikings you're in luck, we present the Norwegian elk hunter or elkhound, a dog with amazing character and qualities. These ancient dogs are affectionate, loyal, yet brave and excellent hunters. Highlighting its great sense of smell, its resistance and its tenacity, along with a beautiful appearance, it is not surprising that there are so many people in love with this breed. On our site we tell you the details about these precious dogs and explain everything you need to know about the Norwegian Elkhound, keep reading!
Origin of the Norwegian Elkhound
Norwegian elk hunters are dogs belonging to the Nordic spitz category, traditionally considered hunting dogs. They are very common in the Norwegian mountains, where they probably originate from. It also receives the name of elkhound, being probably part of the offspring of the ancient dog of the peat bogs, that is, of the first dogs that lived with the towns of Europe in prehistoric times.
Due to the archaeological remains found at sites, where the remains of Viking ships and villages were found and where skeletons of dogs practically identical to those of the elkhounds of our days were also found, it is assumed that they were dogs that accompanied the Vikings on their long and hectic journeys.
Norwegian moose hunters have traditionally been used, as we can easily tell from their name, as hunting dogs. This is no coincidence, as these dogs have an incredibly well-developed sense of smell, as well as a great stamina to chase down prey, commonly moose and bears from the mountains of Norway.
Characteristics of the Norwegian Elkhound
These dogs are considered a medium-large size breed, with a height in males of between 45 and 55 centimeters at the withers and a weight that ranges between 23 and 27 kilograms. In females, the size is slightly smaller, although not too much, since they weigh between 18-25 kilograms and their height ranges between 45 and 50 centimeters, with sometimes negligible differences by sex.
Continuing with the characteristics of the Norwegian elkhound, its body is square-shaped and very solid and robust, the tail is set high, curls over the back and is covered by a dense and long coat of hair. The head is wedge-shaped, narrowing as it approaches the black nose and presenting a sensitive but not abrupt stop. The eyes are usually dark brown in color and are not too large or prominent. The ears, erect and set high, like the tail, are pointed and elongated.
The coat of the Norwegian elkhound has two layers, a relatively long, dense and smooth surface, rougher, and a very soft and dense woolly undercoat. This bilayer structure allows a great insulation capacity against the prevailing cold in the places where the elkhound originates. The range of grays is accepted in the standard, usually having a lighter tone on the belly, chest and legs, and presenting some black tips on the surface fur that determine how light or dark the gray is. The front part of the snout and the ears form a dark mask and usually have a marking in the form of a harness, characterized by the hairs in the area that goes from the withers to the elbows and from the withers to the chest, forming a line of about 5 -6 centimeters wide; this mark does not have the black tipped hairs that it does have on the rest of the body.
Norwegian Moosehound Character
Norwegian elkhounds are very attentive dogs and have a very active character, always alert, making them excellent watchdogs, warning of any potential danger with their barks. For this reason, they are quite suspicious and reticent when dealing with strangers, although they are not usually aggressive.
On the other hand, Norwegian Elkhounds are very affectionate and sociable dogs, especially with people, as with other dogs or other animals can get along really bad. They are very suitable dogs for children, because with them they are especially patient and attentive, taking care of them and making sure that nothing happens to them. Thus, they are excellent sitter dogs.
Another trait of the temperament of the Norwegian Elkhound is that it is a very independent dog, so we must Leave your space to move and be at ease. In addition, he is very playful and active, so he needs a lot of exercise to be calm.
Finally, it should be noted that we are dealing with dogs that have a tremendous sweet tooth, which facilitates their training with prizes, which we will discuss in the following sections.
Norwegian Elkhound Care
As we have already anticipated, within the care of the Norwegian Elkhound, the great dose of activity that they need stands out. This dog has a high level of energy, so it needs to exercise daily, otherwise it will be nervous and may display disruptive or abnormal behavior. A minimum of 1 hour of high intensity exercise per day is recommended. In addition to unbalancing them, a sedentary lifestyle can cause them to develop obesity or, at least, overweight, which will have various consequences for their he alth.
As for coat care, it needs a minimum of 2-3 weekly brushingsto be in good condition, although baths should be limited to when necessary, since they have somewhat delicate skin and can suffer from various skin pathologies.
Because they are dogs with a very sweet tooth, in addition to subjecting them to different physical activities, it will be essential to offer them an adequate diet, mainly composed of meat and fish, fruits and vegetables to a lesser extent. In case of providing feed, it is very important to opt for a quality one, made with natural ingredients and suitable for human consumption. To establish a homemade diet, we recommend consulting this article: "BARF diet for dogs".
If instead of an adult specimen you have adopted an elkhound puppy and, furthermore, it is the first dog you live with, you must add to the list of care offering him a comfortable bed to sleep in, assorted toys (especially teethers), food and water bowls.
Norwegian Moose Hunter Education
Elkhounds are strong-willed dogs, which is why to achieve good results in terms of training it is recommended to start with a very young age and be very consistentOtherwise, they will be too reticent and it will be impossible to get them to learn anything.
As we have mentioned, this breed has a tremendous sweet tooth, so prizes are a good trick to get them to learn, being a great incentive that we give them a treat when they do something right. We can also take advantage of their good sense of smell and exercise them based on sniffing and tracking games, which will stimulate them physically and mentally.
To achieve good results in the training of the Norwegian elkhound, some general recommendations are that physical exercise be carried out before the sessions, that treats be used and that techniques be used of training based on reinforcement and respect The use of punishment, shouting or violence will not offer positive results for anyone, on the contrary, they will cause the development of fear, insecurity and anxiety in the dog, which can lead to an aggressive attitude if he feels attacked. For all these reasons, it is advisable to reinforce good behavior and encourage the dog at all times to continue learning with words of encouragement and caresses. A properly stimulated and motivated dog will not only learn faster, it will be happier.
Finally, and returning to the initial advice, it is essential to achieve the expected results when training a Norwegian elk hunter to be constant and patient. Some breeds are capable of internalizing certain orders or habits of coexistence despite receiving less strict training, however, with this dog it is necessary to work every day with the aforementioned techniques. Of course, we should never exceed 15 minutes per session, since an excessive time will make the animal get bored or feel nervous.
Elkhound Dog He alth
The Norwegian Elkhound can pride itself on being in solid, iron he alth, lacking serious congenital or hereditary diseases. It only seems to have a certain propensity to suffer from diseases that affect the skin, such as dermatitis or fungal infections.
For our dog to enjoy good general he alth, regular visits to the vet are recommended. In these visits, in addition to giving them their vaccines and performing both internal and external deworming, diagnostic tests must be done to find out their he alth status and to be able to detect the appearance or presence of diseases as early as possible
If we provide all the care it needs and go for regular checkups, the Norwegian Elkhound can stay with us for 12-15 years.
