Norwegian Elkhound

May 13, 2022

This is one of the oldest and the most natural of all canine breeds. He was bred and developed in Norway. A mature dog stands at around 21 inches high and weighs around 55 pounds. They have a thick weather resistant overcoat while the undercoat is soft. Seasonally, the breed sheds a large volume of his undercoat. In brief, this breed is a hardcore breed.

History & Health :

History :

This dog was first bred in the hard rocky slopes of Norway. They were discovered in these areas around 4000 BC. According to history, the dog hunted most times in the day with the handlers waiting in the rocky slopes thereafter bringing the spoils home. The dog has a unique sense of smell that can make him smell something miles away. The dog has a short back, which allow him to bounce back and forth every time. As they become scarce in this area, it became one of the most common breeds around Scandinavia.

Health :

Like any other breed, the dog breed is bound to fall sick occasionally. It is very important to be aware of the common sicknesses, which affects them. Since the average lifespan of a healthy dog can be 15 years, this breed is not known to fall ill often. The most common diseases are primary glaucoma, cataracts, fanconi syndrome, and progressive retinal atrophy.

Temperament & Personality :

Personality :

These dogs are healtthly, friendly and very energetic dogs. They love the outdoors so much and look as if they are out of themselves when they are outside the house. They are very sensitive and know the mood of their owners for instance, they know when to be quiet and when to run around and laugh. They associate well with kids and very good for experienced dog owners. For you to relate with them well, you must learn to balance keeping them indoors and outdoors.

Activity Requirements :

Because they have a lot of energy hey require a lot of exercise, any given time. When breeding them, they require a daily walk. However, as they progress the activity must be increased. Since they need some time to run around. This should be allowed for two hours daily. When left alone for a long time they can reactive badly for example can resort to chewing anything on site.

Trainability :

Norwegian Elkhound is a very intelligent dogs hence training him is very difficult. When training him they require firmness or else he might overtake you in everything. He love to bark for so many hours but this can be controlled with proper training. Once you have succeeded in making him to be obedient and some respect has been established then you should now start training him on being agile.

Behavioral Traits :

This breed can be very noisy even if they are trained well by the owners. Even though they are not very aggressive, they can alert you when there is a stranger coming.Norwregian Elkhound is also likely to be affected by separation anxiety hence should not be left alone for long. If this happens, they should be taken for a long walk.

Appearance & Grooming :

Appearance :

This dog is medium sized and gray in color. He is a square built body and has a muscular shape. The dog has a wedge shaped head with warm and friendly eyes. Moreover, he has a wide chest.

Size and weigh :

This dog breed grows up to 21 inches and weighs approximately 55 pounds. However, females are slightly smaller than the males.

Coat & Color :

The dog has a double coat. Depending on the climate, the dog can decide to blow off his entire coat. The color of the coat ranges from medium grey to silver. Although there is a grey strapping on the back, the tip of the tail and the ear has a black coloring. Besides the chest o the dog and the mane comes in light grey.

Grooming :

This dog sheds on average once per year. This can be two to three times in year. Brushing should be done at least once a week to maintain the cleanliness of the dog. When brushing is done regularity, the coat of the dog can remain clean for some time. Since they do not smell, baths should only be done as required but not regularly. However, since the ears are bound to have wax cleaning of the inner ear is advised.

Body Type :

Norwegian Elkhound has a medium size body type. The body is square and joined. From a distance, the dog looks very strong. With a muscular body, the dog can hunt everywhere.

Characteristics :

The dog is very friendly to kids
He is cat friendly
His trainability is average
He shed a lot
He makes a very good watch dog
The dog is highly intelligence
His grooming is standard
He is averagely popular
He can easily adopt to any situation
He is hypoallergenic.
Overall, he is lovely dog

Tasty Tidbits :

This dog is averagely clean hence he does not require a lot of cleaning.

Care :

The dog requires some daily exercise for up to 30 minutes a day. This will help him to burn energy and to maintain a very good health. Although he can stay well in the apartments, it is important to take into consideration his barking that can be nuisance. Just like any other dog, he should be crate trained to ensure that he does not fall into accidents. Since they are people dogs do not lock them up in kernel for a long time.

Feeding :

The recommended food should be 2 to 2.5 of healthy dog food daily. The amount of food given will also depend on the size and the age of the dog.

Images, Pics, Photos and Pictures of Norwegian Elkhound :