Dog Breeds > Norwegian Elkhound
The Norwegian Elkhound
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Fascinating Facts
The Norwegian elkhound has been around since the ancient times. It originated in Scandinavia and was primarily used for hunting mountain lion, moose, lynx, wolf, badger and rabbit and served as hunting and guard dogs for the Vikings. The name Elkhound is a direct translation for Norwegian elghund meaning “moose dog”.
Physical Appearance
The Norwegian elkhound grows for about 19 – 21 inches for males and 18 – 20 inches for females. Their weight is about 50 – 60 pounds depending on how well the Norwegian elkhound receives nourishment. It is a brawny breed that has a squarely and short build. It has a strong and straight back; ears are firm and very mobile. They also have curly tail that is always set high.
The Norwegian elkhound have double coat that protects them against extremely cold weather. Their coats are colored gray. When the Norwegian Elkhounds are born, they exhibit black coats but as they grow older, the coats slowly turn to gray.
Grooming
The Norwegian elkhound’s double coat fur is very easy to groom. It should be brushed regularly and extra care should also be observed while they are shedding their undercoat. Upon removing the dead hairs, a special rubber comb should be used. In order to remove their natural body oil, give them a bath at least once a week.
Mood
The Norwegian elkhound is a friendly and gentle dog. They are also dedicated especially when hunting. They are courageous, versatile and confident. It barks a lot – and this makes them very good watch dogs. They also have independent character no matter how attached on their family or pack.
One thing striking about the Norwegian elkhound is that its habit of directly involving themselves on its family’s activities. It doesn’t want to be left out in any activity. The Norwegian elkhound has also great tendency to become aggressive with other dogs and other animals especially with cats. Training plus early socialization should be done in order to avoid this kind of aggression.
With Children
The Norwegian elkhound is very friendly and active. The children would definitely love its company.
Training & Exercise
The Norwegian elkhound is quite difficult to train especially for obedience. They respond well to food-reward training and exercise but the Norwegian elkhounds are easily distracted and bored especially if they have seen moving objects around the area.
If you are living in an apartment, you should at least let your Norwegian elkhound to have exercise otherwise it will become bored and anxious all the time. An hour or two hours of exercise is strongly recommended for this kind of active and energetic dog breed.
Health & Life Expectancy
The Norwegian elkhound has a normal life expectancy of 12 – 15 years. This breed has numerous illnesses to watch out for. Thyroid problems, cataract, cancer, cysts, kidney problems, HD and PRA are few of the illness that the owner/handler/trainer should expect seeing on the Norwegian elkhound.
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