# Norwegian Elkhounds.



## ThoseWordsAtBest (Mar 18, 2009)

Converge here! Got one? Love them? Lets talk Elkhounds! 

I'm new, and we have an adult Norwegian Elkhound shelter rescue (best guess is he is at least 5 years old) and have never met another in person. The closest we've come is seeing another being walked as we drove by, and I hung out the window like a crazy to see the dog.


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## trumpetjock (Dec 14, 2007)

I believe I'm the only one on these boards with one. He's almost a year and half now, and a serious nutcase. He's of the 15 mile a day super high energy variety of elkhound you hear about on occasion. Here's a few pics:































I love Rocky to death, but I don't know if I'd ever get another elkhound, or any hound for that matter. The nose plus the stubborn streak can be a bit much from time to time.


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## ThoseWordsAtBest (Mar 18, 2009)

Only other one? I wonder how it's so hard to track Elkhound owners down. 

Introducing District Attorney Jack McCoy (though, Jack will do just fine):
























(very first photo of him at the shelter the first time we met him)

I think in the future I'll always have an elkhound member of my family. They're so beautiful and fun, and he's probably the best behaved dog (save for his prey drive sometimes, and his constant barking). I'm used to the houndness. We have three.


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## trumpetjock (Dec 14, 2007)

What a looker!

It looks like in the pictures he does the same ear turn as Rocky is constantly doing. When he gets really happy his ears go flat back on his skull, it's really a hilarious face.


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## Inga (Jun 16, 2007)

I am not an Elkhound person but I have known a few and I think they are absolutely beautiful dogs. We (my ex and I) knew a guy that took his Elkhound to the race tracks each weekend and the dog always played with our Rottweiler at night after the races. It was such a funny dog. Had the greatest personality.
Both or your dogs are beautiful as well. That is just such an amazing coat this breed has.


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## Namrah (Jul 15, 2008)

I had an Elkhound for 5 1/2 glorious years. I got him while I lived in Canberra, Australia and he came from Perth. I ended up coming home and bringing him with me (cost me more to ship him than to ship myself).

My ex- and I chose an elkhound as we had heard they were independent and cat-like; we both worked 8-12 hours a day and needed a dog that would be ok on his own. This proved to be true with my elkie.

Unfortunately he died at 5 1/2 from Pancreatic Cancer. 

My boy was a lazy bum of a dog, and was my first dog. I wish I knew about dogs then what I know now. He was DA because he wasn't socialized and was scared of other dogs.

He was a barker - my father visited in Australia and got barked at for 5 days straight.

He was my safety net - people thought he looked like a wolf and wouldn't come near our yard (woof!). He was a better judge of people than I can even begin to imagine - if he didn't like someone there was a damn good reason for it.

He was a runner - if you dropped the leash for even a second you had to get the car to catch him - and that only worked because he loved the car and would come zooming into it no matter what. 

House-trained himself and could "hold it" for up to 3 days without batting an eyelash. He was a lap-sitter too. If I sat down where he could get his butt in my lap, I had a lap-full of elkhound.

Did I mention the best tail ever?

He was the least motivated dog I've ever known. He didn't care for praise, he didn't care for food, he didn't care for toys. That he was a complete angel was purely temperament and no training because I was never able to identify anything that would motivate him. Oh, he learned plenty becuase he wanted to - but when you asked him to do something you could literally watch the gears grind and him think about if it was a good idea. 

Good memories - I hope to again own an Elkhound in my future, and I know a lot more this time about the breed and how to approach training.

Oh, and I'm sure that at some point he did something "bad", but I can't for the life of me remember what that could possibly have been. He was perfect.


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## Trixie (Feb 27, 2008)

I love the name! (Def. a Law & Order fan here, and I particularly like Jack McCoy)

We learned about the Norwegian Elkhound when we ran across a representative from the East Tennessee rescue group. Beautiful dog.


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## ThoseWordsAtBest (Mar 18, 2009)

trumpetjock said:


> What a looker!
> 
> It looks like in the pictures he does the same ear turn as Rocky is constantly doing. When he gets really happy his ears go flat back on his skull, it's really a hilarious face.


It's funny, with every elkhound owner I talk to online and describe something Jack does, they know exactly what I'm talking about. After Jack gets to tear around the yard catching balls, especially in the winter, he'll be so happy his ears will press flat on his skull and he'll have a big dumb smiling face going.

Does Rocky do that funny low pitched "ooooohhhhooo" growl/howl? Jack does it in response to treats, us coming home, or when I get out the nail dremmel.



Namrah said:


> I had an Elkhound for 5 1/2 glorious years. I got him while I lived in Canberra, Australia and he came from Perth. I ended up coming home and bringing him with me (cost me more to ship him than to ship myself).
> 
> My ex- and I chose an elkhound as we had heard they were independent and cat-like; we both worked 8-12 hours a day and needed a dog that would be ok on his own. This proved to be true with my elkie.
> 
> ...


I'm sorry you lost him so soon. I'm glad that other people have enjoyed the breed, though, because like I said, I rarely meet owners (and just online). My boyfriend saw him on Petfinder when we were searching for a second dog, and had never heard of the breed. I knew some about them, and was hesitant to even go meet him. My boyfriend made me go and was in love immediately. I still wasn't sure we should even adopt him, because he seemed so disconnected and uninterested in us. He broke me down, and man, I feel guilty when I think about now how I almost didn't bring him home.

Your guy sounded just like Jack. He barks at anyone and everyone who comes in the door, and it's very self-serving. We're working daily to stop him, but he gives us a look like "Hey, this is what I do." Once he got away from us and just ran and ran before finding a place to pee and heading back to the house all on his own. Forget it if he sees a small animal he can chase. He lived outside in a shelter for almost a year and he's never gone in the house once. Even when I got into an accident and they were left alone for 18 hours, Jack was the only one of my three that hadn't gone in the house. 

Funny mistaken wolf story. Our neighbors, without ever having spoken to us or ever seen an Elkhound before, were convinced he was a wolf hybrid and called animal control. When they showed up at our house they just laughed and laughed.



Inga said:


> I am not an Elkhound person but I have known a few and I think they are absolutely beautiful dogs. We (my ex and I) new a guy that took his Elkhound to the race tracks each weekend and the dog always played with our Rottweiler at night after the races. It was such a funny dog. Had the greatest personality.
> Both or your dogs are beautiful as well. That is just such an amazing coat this breed has.


I wasn't much of an Elkhound person before we got him, either. For such a beautiful coat his grooming is so easily maintainable, which I didn't see coming at all. I brush him once a day, and blow his coat out every so often.



Trixie said:


> I love the name! (Def. a Law & Order fan here, and I particularly like Jack McCoy)
> 
> We learned about the Norwegian Elkhound when we ran across a representative from the East Tennessee rescue group. Beautiful dog.


I'm a big law and order buff, and I thought he looked very dignified and deserved the name.


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## Namrah (Jul 15, 2008)

Elkhounds are an incredibly special breed. They can be so difficult to find. I take Elka to the dog park here a few times a week (nice and early when it's quiet there, only a few dogs and usually the same ones) and we've never seen anything coming even close to a possible elkhound mix. 

I definitely want another, but I still have some lingering concerns about if I'd be trying to "replace" my angel. A total impossibility, he was my first dog, he's on a pedestal no other dog can possibly attain. 

With all that said, I would never recommend an elkhound as a dog for the first-time owner any more than I'd recommend any northern breed. They can be a handful and were bred to think independently. Still, they're easily the tops on my "favorite breed" list, and if it weren't for the Tamaskans I'm eye'ing, I might already have another elkhound.

Just got to be ready though. =)


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## ThoseWordsAtBest (Mar 18, 2009)

Namrah said:


> Elkhounds are an incredibly special breed. They can be so difficult to find. I take Elka to the dog park here a few times a week (nice and early when it's quiet there, only a few dogs and usually the same ones) and we've never seen anything coming even close to a possible elkhound mix.
> 
> I definitely want another, but I still have some lingering concerns about if I'd be trying to "replace" my angel. A total impossibility, he was my first dog, he's on a pedestal no other dog can possibly attain.
> 
> ...


I met a 12 week old puppy one time now that I think about it, and the lady informed me she had to go to Kentucky to find her (we live in Michigan) and was really surprised we found him in a shelter in a small town. And surprisingly enough the rescue I foster for had TWO at one point. Other than that, no elkies around here, and most people don't even know what he is. We get a lot of "Is that a German Shepherd?" (Major laughs there) or "What is he mixed with?" 

I'm just lucky I didn't raise him from a pup. I got to skip out on the majority of his energy, that's not to stay we still don't have to go on two mile runs every day and tear around the yard.  I'd really like to keep Elkies in my family, even though initially I never really took notice of Northern breeds. I'm very high energy and need a crazy man in my life. It's funny how I'm a big dog girl (IWHs are what I'm used to/really love) said I would have one once I bought a house. Now I live with three dogs, none over 50 lbs.


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## Namrah (Jul 15, 2008)

Elkhound puppies... what is there to say? That pedestal again. Mine loved my ex's shoes and we never did a thing to discourage him. He'd just bury his nose right on in. He gave that up on his own, for no reason we could ever discern. We never told him no, we never put them away - he just decided one day that shoes were off the list of chewables. 

When I brought him home from Australia we moved into my parent's 2 bedroom condo. They quickly decided that a dog needed a yard to run in. The solution? Buy a house. He worked his way into the heart of anyone that met him, and turned my staunchly anti-dog father into a dog lover.

Here is his last winter with me, enjoying the yard that we bought for him:

.









And some attached puppy pictures.


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## Laurelin (Nov 2, 2006)

I grew up right next to a neighbor with *5* elkhounds. They were pretty cool dogs. They were all well behaved, though they could only walk them 3 at a time. 

Based on Trumpet's stories I wonder how they managed 5!


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## ThoseWordsAtBest (Mar 18, 2009)

Laurelin said:


> I grew up right next to a neighbor with *5* elkhounds. They were pretty cool dogs. They were all well behaved, though they could only walk them 3 at a time.
> 
> Based on Trumpet's stories I wonder how they managed 5!


Good lord, 5! I can't imagine. I can't even walk my three guys at the same time and only ONE is an Elkhound.



Namrah said:


> Elkhound puppies... what is there to say? That pedestal again. Mine loved my ex's shoes and we never did a thing to discourage him. He'd just bury his nose right on in. He gave that up on his own, for no reason we could ever discern. We never told him no, we never put them away - he just decided one day that shoes were off the list of chewables.
> 
> When I brought him home from Australia we moved into my parent's 2 bedroom condo. They quickly decided that a dog needed a yard to run in. The solution? Buy a house. He worked his way into the heart of anyone that met him, and turned my staunchly anti-dog father into a dog lover.
> 
> ...


Oh, he was beautiful. Elkhounds do have a way of turning people around, and I like to think it must be the whole breed. Our old neighbor was terrified of dogs, saw him and said "NO he looks like a WOLF!" but shortly later was bringing him boiled chicken and other treats.


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## trumpetjock (Dec 14, 2007)

Laurelin said:


> I grew up right next to a neighbor with *5* elkhounds. They were pretty cool dogs. They were all well behaved, though they could only walk them 3 at a time.
> 
> Based on Trumpet's stories I wonder how they managed 5!


Yeah.... I wouldn't ever own 5. Jeez.

Every elkhound owner I've met has claimed theirs to be a lot more mellow than Rocky, so maybe I just got a high energy nutcase, and it's not typical. Who knows?


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## JeremyS (Jan 27, 2009)

I also have an Elkhound, I don't really post though hehe. 

Loki, turning 10 months on the 25th



























This one is of him and my sisters dog, a little Jack Russell Boston Terrier mix.









Loki is a handful, but he goes right to sleep after a 2-3 hour walk. His barking isn't too excessive, but he'll just grab food or whatever else off of a counter and runaway.

But he's still awesome.


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## JeremyS (Jan 27, 2009)

A few more pictures of when he was younger.










Tired himself out and fell asleep with his toy.









Snow!









More Snow!!!


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## ThoseWordsAtBest (Mar 18, 2009)

Yes! Three internet Elkhounds. Loki is beautiful. All of the Elkies posted dwarf mine. He's a small guy for the breed.


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## trumpetjock (Dec 14, 2007)

ThoseWordsAtBest said:


> Yes! Three internet Elkhounds. Loki is beautiful. All of the Elkies posted dwarf mine. He's a small guy for the breed.


How much does yours weigh? He's definitely not on the chunky side (like I see so many elkhounds unfortunately), so I would imagine he's probably a bit small.

Rocky does a lot of physical work and his muscle mass is very high, so he actually weighs just below the breed standard maximum, while being well below the height restriction. It's amazing how much weight such a small dog can have. I would never guess by just looking at him that he weighs 53 pounds.


Obligatory puppy pics:


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## ThoseWordsAtBest (Mar 18, 2009)

trumpetjock said:


> How much does yours weigh? He's definitely not on the chunky side (like I see so many elkhounds unfortunately), so I would imagine he's probably a bit small.
> 
> Rocky does a lot of physical work and his muscle mass is very high, so he actually weighs just below the breed standard maximum, while being well below the height restriction. It's amazing how much weight such a small dog can have. I would never guess by just looking at him that he weighs 53 pounds.
> 
> ...


Oh god, cute puppy pictures. My head exploded into candy.

Jack McCoy typically tips the scales at about 45 lbs. He doesn't quite have the mane around his neck going on. We tried every thing to put some weight on him, and we succeeded some (He weighed 35 lbs when we got him!) but the vet says a combination of his age and poor nutrition his whole life probably kept him in a lower weight range.


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## JeremyS (Jan 27, 2009)

Last time we weighed Loki was about 2 months ago and he was 58lbs before getting neutered. The Vet said he would probably gain a bit more weight after. He's been getting more exercise since then, so maybe he's maintained, or even lost weight. If I remember correctly he was around 23-24inches from the floor to his shoulder area.

I bought him a sled harness and I've been getting him to pull me on my skateboard hehe. Going to try and teach him to track this summer I think.


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## Kellie J (Jul 7, 2009)

I am new to the forum and have just spotted this topic. I think I may have an elkound as well. We rescued her a week ago from a local shelter. She is a year old and the shelter had her listed as a German Shepherd cross. As I have has many Shepherds I knew that she was not one but had no idea wat she actually was. I think she is a mix though as she has a tan colour as well as the grey. She is very timid as she was abused (lost 2 teeth) but other than that she is absolutely great and loving already. She loves the other dogs we have and follows then everywhere.

This is Faolan -


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## trumpetjock (Dec 14, 2007)

Definitely a possible elkhound mix there. Head shape, markings, and the flat against the head ears point to it. A picture from the side could help though!


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## popdakebin (Jul 17, 2009)

Love my Elkie! I think I'm one of very few in California to have one. Calling all Cali owners!! My dog Gumbo gets a lot of attention, mostly because Elkies look awesome or like a wolf. I've had kids run away, screaming "wolf!" while other kids run up and ask if they can pet him. In most cases, people ask if he's friendly, and of course he is! He's the most gentle dog I've known. 

He does get into squables sometimes, especially with puppies for some reason. I have to get that check out by a trainer, but aside from that, he perfect. He's a little over 1 years old.

Here's a puppy pics and some.









After he killed a possum









I have more recent ones, but I'll do that later.


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## trumpetjock (Dec 14, 2007)

another elkie owner! Here's one for you viewing pleasure 











oooook two


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## popdakebin (Jul 17, 2009)

Love your dog. I like how elkhounds have such a proud stance. Very majestic, haha.


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## Wendyieann (Feb 13, 2010)

Hi. I have my first puppy and got a 3 month old Norwegian Elkhound! We named her Chia... She's so beautiful! I did so much research on different types of dogs, and my friend I just met, had a puppy... I lucked out! She's training really well...chews anything she can find on the floor...and doesn't listen to "come" very well, unless she wants too! lol

I found out there are dog training classes here and plan on signing up for them.

Love taking her for walks....

This past weekend we went and visited her family...saw grandma/mom/dad and the remaining brothers/sisters....

My family loves her and spoils her!


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## Independent George (Mar 26, 2009)

Laurelin said:


> I grew up right next to a neighbor with *5* elkhounds. They were pretty cool dogs. They were all well behaved, though they could only walk them 3 at a time.


Is there some ordinance where you live mandating 5 dogs per household?


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## ThoseWordsAtBest (Mar 18, 2009)

Wendyieann said:


> Hi. I have my first puppy and got a 3 month old Norwegian Elkhound! We named her Chia... She's so beautiful! I did so much research on different types of dogs, and my friend I just met, had a puppy... I lucked out! She's training really well...chews anything she can find on the floor...and doesn't listen to "come" very well, unless she wants too! lol
> 
> I found out there are dog training classes here and plan on signing up for them.
> 
> ...


Very cute pup! Good luck, you're in for a hell of a ride!


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## InkedMarie (Mar 11, 2009)

I don't have one but know someone online who has had three, she has visited me quite a few times & we went to her home once. I love her dogs! She had one who was elderly when we met her, she was here once before she passed away. She has three now, one is around 7mos old, came to her as a foster but as we expected, she failed Foster 101. The two of hers I know well are awesome dogs, they do bark alot, but they're hounds, it's to be expected. I would have no issue if someone dropped an Elkie on my doorstep


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## ThoseWordsAtBest (Mar 18, 2009)

InkedMarie said:


> I don't have one but know someone online who has had three, she has visited me quite a few times & we went to her home once. I love her dogs! She had one who was elderly when we met her, she was here once before she passed away. She has three now, one is around 7mos old, came to her as a foster but as we expected, she failed Foster 101. The two of hers I know well are awesome dogs, they do bark alot, but they're hounds, it's to be expected. I would have no issue if someone dropped an Elkie on my doorstep


I'll trade you Jack for Boone!


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## InkedMarie (Mar 11, 2009)

ThoseWordsAtBest said:


> I'll trade you Jack for Boone!


Don't even tempt me!


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## ThoseWordsAtBest (Mar 18, 2009)

LOL I'll pack up Jack's things! 

A PBGV is my ideal dog, though. The minute I saw my first one I said "Give me that dog!"


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## Independent George (Mar 26, 2009)

ThoseWordsAtBest said:


> A PBGV is my ideal dog, though. The minute I saw my first one I said "Give me that dog!"


I get the feeling that happens quite often...


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## InkedMarie (Mar 11, 2009)

ThoseWordsAtBest said:


> LOL I'll pack up Jack's things!
> 
> A PBGV is my ideal dog, though. The minute I saw my first one I said "Give me that dog!"


ok, I'm in New Hampshire, are you close enough to do a swap or do I need to schedule an airline flight? 
A few things to note: he's a floor licker. He's an ear licker, nope not from allergies but he does have those, he does it when bored. He eats the Honest Kitchen and Orijen. He's a bit ocd.
Still want him?
Didn't think so <g>


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## ThoseWordsAtBest (Mar 18, 2009)

Independent George said:


> I get the feeling that happens quite often...


I can't lie, you got me there.


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## ThoseWordsAtBest (Mar 18, 2009)

InkedMarie said:


> ok, I'm in New Hampshire, are you close enough to do a swap or do I need to schedule an airline flight?
> A few things to note: he's a floor licker. He's an ear licker, nope not from allergies but he does have those, he does it when bored. He eats the Honest Kitchen and Orijen. He's a bit ocd.
> Still want him?
> Didn't think so <g>


Well, I'm in Michigan, so we'll have to go by flight. Jack ALSO eats The Honest Kitchen and Orijen (weird!) so neither of us will have to purchase new food. 
Jack likes to roll in poop any chance he can get. Preferably cat, and the worse smelling the better. He barks his fool head off and it's the sharpest bark you've ever heard. He likes to wait until it's been dead quiet for a good stretch and then scare the crap out of you with one bark.


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## InkedMarie (Mar 11, 2009)

ThoseWordsAtBest said:


> Well, I'm in Michigan, so we'll have to go by flight. Jack ALSO eats The Honest Kitchen and Orijen (weird!) so neither of us will have to purchase new food.
> Jack likes to roll in poop any chance he can get. Preferably cat, and the worse smelling the better. He barks his fool head off and it's the sharpest bark you've ever heard. He likes to wait until it's been dead quiet for a good stretch and then scare the crap out of you with one bark.


We have no cats, only birds. Their poop is inaccessible to the dogs, luckily. I've heard elkies bark...you'll be happy to know that Boone has a very deep bark, people are surprised to see the size of the dog with the bark. 
Since both bark, both eat the same foods, there's really no reason to swap. I'll just keep my little shyt. 
(nosey: what Honest Kitchen and Orijen? Embark and adult here LOL)


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## ThoseWordsAtBest (Mar 18, 2009)

InkedMarie said:


> We have no cats, only birds. Their poop is inaccessible to the dogs, luckily. I've heard elkies bark...you'll be happy to know that Boone has a very deep bark, people are surprised to see the size of the dog with the bark.
> Since both bark, both eat the same foods, there's really no reason to swap. I'll just keep my little shyt.
> (nosey: what Honest Kitchen and Orijen? Embark and adult here LOL)


I'll just close my eyes and pretend Jack is a PBGV. 
Oh, I'd only have to buy new Orijen! Jack is 6 Fish and Embark. We have Perfect Form for Smalls and that is what got me buying their other products. Can't rave enough about PF.


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## Danvers (Aug 21, 2009)

Korben and I think Chia's one cute puppy!


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## LazyGRanch713 (Jul 22, 2009)

THAT picture is hilarious!!!


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## LazyGRanch713 (Jul 22, 2009)

InkedMarie said:


> I don't have one but know someone online who has had three, she has visited me quite a few times & we went to her home once. I love her dogs! She had one who was elderly when we met her, she was here once before she passed away. She has three now, one is around 7mos old, came to her as a foster but as we expected, she failed Foster 101. The two of hers I know well are awesome dogs, they do bark alot, but they're hounds, it's to be expected. I would have no issue if someone dropped an Elkie on my doorstep


She got her pup around the same time as I got mine  Hers and mine have "grown up" together (or, um..."FAILED" to "grow up")  Surprisingly, elkies aren't too common here, which I think is good (shh) because they're like papillons. They're a best kept secret


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## LazyGRanch713 (Jul 22, 2009)

ThoseWordsAtBest said:


> I'll just close my eyes and pretend Jack is a PBGV.
> Oh, I'd only have to buy new Orijen! Jack is 6 Fish and Embark. We have Perfect Form for Smalls and that is what got me buying their other products. Can't rave enough about PF.


Anyone wanna throw a handsome GSD in the mix? He's a bit OCD too, and oddly enough, I got Auz around the same time Marie got Boone! Weird! He too has a big mouth


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## ThoseWordsAtBest (Mar 18, 2009)

LazyGRanch713 said:


> She got her pup around the same time as I got mine  Hers and mine have "grown up" together (or, um..."FAILED" to "grow up")  Surprisingly, elkies aren't too common here, which I think is good (shh) because they're like papillons. They're a best kept secret


Hear hear. We never see other Elkhounds. I KNOW there is one in the city, but we saw him/her while driving by in the car. I post on different sites looking for Elkhounds to get together, but no such luck!


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## ThoseWordsAtBest (Mar 18, 2009)

We have our GSD X and she is enough for me!


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## Namrah (Jul 15, 2008)

Elkhounds are fantastic, and re-reading this makes me think maybe I should get another elkhound. 

It's a funny story about my boy. I brought him back from Aus. to the US; he arrived at Kennedy at 7am or so. My parents lived in the condo at the time and we had to walk him upstairs: the stairs, unfortunately were open stairs - no back. 

6 hours later I was at the bottom of the stairs. We had lined up kibble, raw chicken, cooked chicken meat, meatloaf, and a variety of other delicious food on the stairs. Noting. He would not go up the stairs.

I sat there for those 6 hours wondering if I was going to have to rehome him, after this long, expensive, stressful international trip, just because I couldn't get him upstairs. Our neighbors were lining up the stairs trying to get him to go upstairs. I couldn't push him because his feet would slip and go between the steps.

He was too heavy to carry safely up these steps.

In the end, we remembered finally there were back stairs that were fully concrete and not open. I hate to admit it, but I had to be pretty rough getting him up those stairs. I'd put his front feed up, then lift his butt up and lean him against the step. I went through these tedious process for approximately 55 steps.

3-4 times a day.

Finally he started be willing to go up those steps, but he was never willing to go up the front stairs - though he was happy to go *down* them.

He also slipped his halti/collar in the middle of a major road - 2 lanes on either side, 35mph, and it was only a miracle that he was caught before he could get hit. He pulled this stunt enough times that my mother refused to walk him and will not walk *any* dog, to this day, including her current gsd that won't leave her side on or off leash.

Elkhounds: the epitome of stubborn. Combined with devastating intelligence.

Definitely one of the best breeds out there. =)


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## ThoseWordsAtBest (Mar 18, 2009)

LOL I have the Elkhound with no Elkhound in him. Jack doesn't have a stubborn bone in his body. Easiest dog I've ever met. 

..Save for the barking.


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## Namrah (Jul 15, 2008)

My boy did have a lot of positives. He was super mellow, and most importantly, the first week back in the States he growled at my folks when they passed by my room.

I also watched a 3 year old hug him, and all he did was look at me with that "why are you putting me through this" look.

He let a young girl (3 or 4?) also push down his ears and scream "look, no ears!!!!". He was 5 months old when that happened, and for the next 5 years we played the "no ears game"

I miss him, I do. Terrible breed choice for a first dog, but he taught me a lot about life.


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## InkedMarie (Mar 11, 2009)

LazyGRanch713 said:


> Anyone wanna throw a handsome GSD in the mix? He's a bit OCD too, and oddly enough, I got Auz around the same time Marie got Boone! Weird! He too has a big mouth


Jenny,
Auz is around 4? Wow, time flies! We're having a snowstorm at the moment, I can't wait to put a long line on Boone and get him outside later on (fenced in backyard but I won't be able to open the kennel door to get to the backyard LOL)


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## trumpetjock (Dec 14, 2007)

Danvers said:


> Korben and I think Chia's one cute puppy!


I'll see your summited snowbank, and raise you a tunneled snowbank!!


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## LazyGRanch713 (Jul 22, 2009)

InkedMarie said:


> Jenny,
> Auz is around 4? Wow, time flies! We're having a snowstorm at the moment, I can't wait to put a long line on Boone and get him outside later on (fenced in backyard but I won't be able to open the kennel door to get to the backyard LOL)


Auz was 4 on the 28th of last June, so he'll be 5 in a few months! You're right--time FLIES. Seems like just yesterday I was cheerfully wringing his puppy neck because he decided the living room plant looked better shredded  We had a massive snowstorm a few weeks ago, but nothing right now. I had a 5 foot drift in my backyard, the dogs played king of the mountain!


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## clevegirl1 (Apr 8, 2010)

my shelby is a little over 7 months old. she's a little small, at about 30 pounds. we go to a nearby dog park where there happens to be just 1 other norwegian elkhound. 

i've been asked - is she a german shepherd? is she a timberwolf? what is she? etc

i must say she is quite stubborn. i house-trained my collie mix in 2 weeks. it's taking a "little" longer with shelby. but she is a cutie !!!


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## JessieLove09 (Mar 27, 2010)

You may not be the only one with a Norwegian Elkhound. My dog Tanner, may be half or 1/4.lol
Here is Tanner:


























































































I am not sure, but some say he is.


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## vinya12 (May 4, 2010)

Hi I just found this thread. I have one lovely Elkhound, best dogs ever. I show her. and get to meet lots of other elkhounds at shows


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## vinya12 (May 4, 2010)

Jessie. you do know you can get black Elkhounds ?


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## JessieLove09 (Mar 27, 2010)

vinya12 said:


> Jessie. you do know you can get black Elkhounds ?


yep. But my dog isn't full elkhound, you can tell he has something else in him.


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## vinya12 (May 4, 2010)

maybe collie or husky


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## JessieLove09 (Mar 27, 2010)

vinya12 said:


> maybe collie or husky


He was listed as a German Shepherd Mix. So probably 1/2 GSD 1/4 Norwegian Elkhound, and 1/4 Husky.lol. Or something totally different.lol


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## vinya12 (May 4, 2010)

hes lovely


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## QuidditchGirl (Apr 9, 2010)

vinya12 said:


> Hi I just found this thread. I have one lovely Elkhound, best dogs ever. I show her. and get to meet lots of other elkhounds at shows


She's beautiful. I just met my first Elkhound tonight - her owner was amazed that I knew what breed she was. I'd just read this thread this afternoon or I never would have known!


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## reinawolf360 (Aug 4, 2008)

such beauties, the only three breeds im crazy about getting is:
1. A pure bred American Pit bull Terrier
2. Egyptian Pharaoh Houd
3. Dogo Argentino

but elkhounds are freaking awesome, really pretty and from what I have been told from a rescue owner they have one heck of a temperament. Great dogs for families. Very entergetic as well definately a hard working dog.


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## vinya12 (May 4, 2010)

Elkhounds have the most lovely personality. My zhaan is very very loving and will sit on my lap for a cuddle. They also get very upset if told off and zhaan will cry under the table till I say sorry lol. They have a high pray drive and I have had many a free rabbit curry. Thay are the perfect size for a dog. They are very independent. And don't do as you ask an less they see good reason to. This means waiting till they come back once let off lead as the word come will be ignored. You need a lot of patience with an Elkhound, anger will get you know were. They also shed loads I have never had a dog shed so much fur. It will take over your house and you cant keep on top no matter how hard you try. I would not have any other breed. Hard work ,stubborn, but the most loving and loyal dogs ever


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## ThoseWordsAtBest (Mar 18, 2009)

I don't find Jack to be very loving. He is, but when the moment strikes him. He rarely ever seeks out a pet. His recall is spot on and he'll do any thing asked of him without reward.

I have the atypical Elkhound, though.


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## vinya12 (May 4, 2010)

Its great that Jack has good recall. I know some do and at times zhaan will. but most of the time wont lol .good on you Jack


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## ThoseWordsAtBest (Mar 18, 2009)

Oh, I can't take credit. He's just a good boy. I "worked" with him on his recall but it's been largely unnecessary.


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## furrymurray (Jul 9, 2010)

hi all,

we just brought home our very first elkhound puppy, murray, this past weekend. at the breeders, he was super mellow. of course his puppy nature kicked in and he's since gotten active and brave! i just wondered if anyone could provide some tips on training them, since i know they don't respond to normal training types.

he likes to bite at my hand when we play, or even just if he gets mischievous and i'm moving it anywhere near him. also if i'm looking at him directly and he's playful, he'll go to nip my face. this is only a problem with me, not my boyfriend. i think it derives from me playing with him on the floor (though i always maintain a higher position so as to let him know i'm alpha), and my boyfriend doesn't. i try to tell him no bite and try to do "shakedown"/motherly-alpha dog type discipline, but it doesn't seem to work too well past the moments i've done it. i've done the yelping in pain so he understands it hurts, but again it doesn't stick with him.

i have the right kind of personality to do firm yet gentle training but i'm wondering if my approach is somehow wrong. have any of you run across the same problem? how did you resolve it? i can tell a difference in his responsiveness to me based on a more friendly tone versus a strict tone, but i don't think disciplining a bite with a friendly tone is a good idea.

any tips you have on approaching basic training in the correct manner for an elkhound would be appreciated! murray is a good boy mostly, his nipping is truly the only bad thing about him so far! i know he is just a baby but i need to stop this behavior before he grows up.

thank you!!


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## Xeph (May 7, 2007)

> (though i always maintain a higher position so as to let him know i'm alpha)


Throw out the alpha crap. It's a bunch of bunk and can cause a lot of problems.

Don't shake your puppy, that riles him up more. And his mother would never shake him. At the most she'd scruff him, and that's HER. You are not the puppies mother, and you will build distrust by doing such (Not good with a breed that is already highly independent in nature).

I'd personally continue with the yelping, and if he insists on continuing, pick him up without a word, carry him to his kennel (he does have one, right?) and confine him for a minute or two. Let him out. If he bites again, return him to the kennel (no words, no anger, no malice). Lather rinse repeat.

He'll figure it out.


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## vinya12 (May 4, 2010)

Try not to play to ruff with him, he may be treating you as a litter mate and not the boss. When he bites. Squeal in pain as loud as you can ( and I mean LOUD )then walk away and don't interact with him. don't look or speak to him he must learn that biting means playtime is over ,and wait at least half an hour before you try again. Don't stare in his eyes, all dogs see this as a threat. . You must teach him that if he bites then you will not play, speak, or look at him, but you will squeal and want to be left alone . 
He would rather you play so he will soon lean


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## ThoseWordsAtBest (Mar 18, 2009)

First, do not confuse "does not respond to typical training" (whatever that means) with "must be manhandled." I am sure you did not miss the fact that Elkhounds are hounds which in our world generally amounts to stubborn. Like Xeph said, throw out all this alpha crap right now and never think of it again. At this point, it's typical puppy behavior. The reason the yelping isn't working is because you've had your pup all of a week. If you're going to raise a puppy, let alone an Elkhound, you're going to have to figure out right now that things don't work over night. Sometimes getting a puppy to stop biting can take MONTHS. When he bites, yelp, stop play, and go away. Go to a different room for a minute if he chases nipping. Repeat repeat repeat. 

I have to admit I'm a bit concerned. You've picked a tough breed to not even know about bite inhibition.


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## furrymurray (Jul 9, 2010)

perhaps i should be more clear. by typical training i mean the border collie type: looking for instruction, waiting to hear what to do. i know elkhounds are not like that, they are independent and do not wait on bated breath for instruction. just because this is MY first elkhound does not mean i've never been around them. also please know that i am VERY aware this is puppy behavior and correction is not to be expected overnight. i have been around puppies before. like i said in my original post, i know he's just a baby. i was merely asking for pointers on what others are doing/have done specific to the elkhound breed, not a breed that is easily submissive. i see that you've got an atypical elkhound. i know i shouldn't expect mine to be.

i DO yelp. i walk away. i stop playing. i ignore. i repeat. i'm clearly working with him as the incidents occur. please know that. so please don't be concerned that this dog may be in the wrong house. i'm not expecting magic. i'm simply here for an exchange of ideas from people who may have been in the same boat as me at one time.


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## ThoseWordsAtBest (Mar 18, 2009)

furrymurray said:


> perhaps i should be more clear. by typical training i mean the border collie type: looking for instruction, waiting to hear what to do. i know elkhounds are not like that, they are independent and do not wait on bated breath for instruction. just because this is MY first elkhound does not mean i've never been around them. also please know that i am VERY aware this is puppy behavior and correction is not to be expected overnight. i have been around puppies before. like i said in my original post, i know he's just a baby. i was merely asking for pointers on what others are doing/have done specific to the elkhound breed, not a breed that is easily submissive. i see that you've got an atypical elkhound. i know i shouldn't expect mine to be.
> 
> i DO yelp. i walk away. i stop playing. i ignore. i repeat. i'm clearly working with him as the incidents occur. please know that. so please don't be concerned that this dog may be in the wrong house. i'm not expecting magic. i'm simply here for an exchange of ideas from people who may have been in the same boat as me at one time.


I think you've misinterpreted legitimate concern for insult, which I assure you it was not. Nor am I concerned the dog is in the wrong house. If you read back through this thread or any Elkhound commentary, we often jest about how we would never pick an Elkhound again. I have a very atypical Elkhound, yes, but it only makes him slightly more easy to deal with. He displays plenty of Elkhound traits, but he is older and a rescue. I would likely never choose to raise an Elkhound pup. 
If you know it will take longer than a week, good. We're just telling you what we do and to stick with it.


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## furrymurray (Jul 9, 2010)

okay.

sorry for jumping the gun. i'm obviously new here and also to the whole elkhound gig. i really love my little guy. i know he will be a great addition to our family. i just hate to think of having an out of control dog when it's me who's done the rearing...

here's some pics of my furry murray (because i am, at heart, a boasting proud mama):









































thanks for your tips, by the way. i promise i'll keep at it with patience and make elkhound owners everywhere proud!

sidenote: our first idea for a name was dwight d. eisenhower, but call him "ike." thought you might get a kick out of that considering district attorney jack mccoy!


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## ThoseWordsAtBest (Mar 18, 2009)

It's the internet to blame. No real ability to express tone/feeling and the emoticons are so bad they don't help either!

Elkies are a beautiful, regal breed and I am proud to own one. But they're also enormous buttholes. We have another poster who has raised one from a pup who could testify, but I can't say I've seen him around much lately. I just don't have the time/chops right now for a dog that just won't quit. Whatever you do, don't teach him to speak! 

I feel like the breed deserves at least three names when named.


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## Namrah (Jul 15, 2008)

> Elkies are a beautiful, regal breed and I am proud to own one. But they're also enormous buttholes. We have another poster who has raised one from a pup who could testify, but I can't say I've seen him around much lately. I just don't have the time/chops right now for a dog that just won't quit. Whatever you do, don't teach him to speak!


I raised mine from a pup. He was a pretty chill, mellow pup though. I'm not sure I felt that at the time? I seem to be good at banishing from my memory what a horror puppies in general are. 

I never had the honor of knowing him as an old man, he'd be a senior now, if not for cancer.

And yes, don't ever teach an elkhound to speak. Don't even think the word "bark". Once they start they don't stop.... =)


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## ThoseWordsAtBest (Mar 18, 2009)

Namrah said:


> I raised mine from a pup. He was a pretty chill, mellow pup though. I'm not sure I felt that at the time? I seem to be good at banishing from my memory what a horror puppies in general are.
> 
> I never had the honor of knowing him as an old man, he'd be a senior now, if not for cancer.
> 
> And yes, don't ever teach an elkhound to speak. Don't even think the word "bark". Once they start they don't stop.... =)


It's funny, I have ran into several first time dog owners that had Elkhounds and were like "They're hard? Mine was so calm and good.." I was like "Well good for you!" LOL. I raised Smalls (who is NOT an Elkhound) and she was the worst puppy EVER, so I'm going to take a LONG break from "difficult" puppies. I'm sad we did not know Jack as a pup, but in a way happy I missed his teenaged years. 

I'm very scared of cancer and Elkhounds. I know several owners who lost theirs to cancer, three being osteosarcoma.


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## Namrah (Jul 15, 2008)

My boy passed from pancreatic cancer at 5 1/2. It was very sudden; he was fine on a Monday, was admitted into hospital on Wednesday for pancreatitis, and was gone Thursday around 6am. We didn't know he had cancer until we did the autopsy. I understand pancreatic cancer is very aggressive and one of the harder ones to treat.

I will never forgive myself for allowing him to die alone in a cage at the vet. To this day I have a near panic attack whenever I have to leave a pet, especially a sick one, at the vet for care. It took me 6 years to get a dog after my elkie died. 

They're worth every moment of stubborn, difficult, rebellious barking and questioning.. I'd love to own another elkie though I'm hoping my next dog will be less independent and more velcro. =) I love Elka and Milton, but it's hard for me to imagine being more closely bonded to a dog than I was to my Odin.


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## ThoseWordsAtBest (Mar 18, 2009)

That's so sad. I've had to leave Smalls at the vet over nights and for days often and I always fear next time will be the last. I'm sure Odin went very peacefully and did not feel alone. Smalls is often so drugged up at the vet she doesn't know the difference between me or any one else. 

Jack has recently become VERY velcro, which was not true of him in the last two years. In fact, he's so clingy with me that I'm worried because it is so out of character. We have no idea what his age is or a lot of his background.


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## Xeph (May 7, 2007)

> We have another poster who has raised one from a pup who could testify, but I can't say I've seen him around much lately


I've met him. I could testify xD


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## serenityslw (Jul 10, 2010)

We have an adorable norwegian elkhound named jackie. She is 7 months old and we have our work cut out for us in training her...My husband and I are united but it's hard to get our kids to be consistant, she loves to run and play with them, but she seems to think she doesn't have to listen to them...When they get out the treats that helps.. but not for long.She gets too excited and starts to bark and jump up.She is GREAT but we have a lot to learn any imput on training this breed is greatly appreciated! Thanks!


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## ThoseWordsAtBest (Mar 18, 2009)

Lots of work, dedication, and stimulation! Jack will bark like a fiend all day if not entertained. Are there any kennel clubs around you? There are lots of things to get dogs involved in, especially driven ones like Elkies. I see you already know that they do things on their terms, so it takes a lot of patience.


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## Namrah (Jul 15, 2008)

I never managed to get Odin to quit barking. He barked 5 days straight at my dad when he visited us (they later became best friends). 

I was unlucky with training with Odin - I never found what made him tick. He didn't care about toys, food, or praise enough to work for any of them. 

I know a lot more about dogs now; I wonder if I'd have more success training him - I am doubtful, my boy was one stubborn elkie.


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## SherryH (Jul 13, 2010)

Hello, y'all. New member here.

Question: are Elkhound ears always so sharply pointed at the top? I recently rescued an Elkhound. My Dasha's ears are more rounded, but other than that she's pretty typical of the breed.


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## vinya12 (May 4, 2010)

Elkhounds ears are meant to go to a point but that's just the breed standerd, so an less you want to show then it dose not matter if the ears are more rounded. I raised my girl from a pup. I have found elkhounds take a long time to understand what you want . My girl started to listen more at the age of two. Before that she diffident seem to understand me at all. I found her a great joy as a pup, easy to house train and very loving. I also have found that its easer to train her to come to a Dog whistle than to my voice, elkhounds are VERY sensitive, if you get frustrated at them not coming when called, they can pick this up in your voice and then don't want to come in case they get in trouble. But a whistle always sounds the same and never gives away how you feel . Always show you are happy when they come even if you have waited in a field for 20 minuets getting angry lol. Never tell them off once they come back always tell them good dog, Elkhounds are huntting dogs and hunt from a distance from the owner. so once you let him off lead he's off, but they don't go to far, you need your whistle to get them back. They don't walk close to you like a collie would off lead, so you must never let them run free near a road or rail track. If your elkhound gets a whiff of bunny or squirl then there off and all you can do is wait for them to come back, again the dog whistle is grate for helping them locate you. Elkhounds want to please you but they also want respect. You need to be patient with them. They will come back, they will stop barking, they will do the things you want but in there own time. And the more you thank them for doing as you ask the more they will do it. They are a fee spirit and want to be living with you rather then for you. I'm not your pet my girl says , I am your friend .


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## justjen321 (Aug 15, 2010)

Yay more Elkies! 

We currently own three. My husband saw one in a pet shop, and we went home to research the breed. We also have three kids, so we wanted to know all that we could about them. 

Shortly after, my husband found an Elkie a few hours from us for rescue. He'd been turned over -twice- because he was a runner. He lived with a family who kept him outside 24/7 in a short chainlink fence. He wasn't a fan, so he jumped and ran often. When we went to meet him, I found him to be very 'scary' looking. Certainly when he came barking his fool head off, leapt on the couch and lunged. In that instant, I determined he was the wrong dog/breed for us. Then he cocked his head to the side, and looked confused, because he could not understand why I was not petting him.  And in that instant, I knew he was going home with us. And so, Shameless (already named) joined our family. He was 1 and a half, and he earned his place in my heart forever when the kids came home to meet him, and my youngest (4) raced straight at him, launched himself at the dog, and hugged him tight. Shameless sat still, and waited patiently, licking him when it was all said and done. 

Several years later, I randomly stumbled across a pair of senior Elkies whose momma was going into a home. It broke my heart to think of this boy and girl getting seperated, they'd been together for 8 years. And so, we communicated for a few weeks, then got in our car on Valentines weekend, drove from Indiana to Virginia, and Jessie and Tucker came home to live with us. 

They took to each other 'okay' at first. Shameless and Tucker we fast friends right away. Jessie was very protective of Tucker, and VERY unsure of her place in this new house with three kids (17, 16, and 12) and more activity than she was used to. She and Shameless had a few skirmishes over who would be 'The Boss', and no resolution ever really came of it. Shameless lets her simply because he doesn't care. 

We put in a fence shortly after the new two came home in Feb of 09, and Jessie will lay there all day if there's snow, happy as a lark. 

They all have individual personalities, but also all bear lots of standard 'Elkie' habits. Shameless will run for days, given the chance. The older two will run off, then turn around and come right back home cause they are tired. 

Tucker is Mommas boy, and he wants to be wherever I am. He sleeps by my side of the bed, and is near me no matter where I am in the house. He's calm, loving, and terrified of other dogs. We had an incident where a Dane attacked him REALLY badly, and if a big dog is near, he sits in a corner and shakes violently. We no longer allow friends who have big dogs over, because this is Tuckers home, and he deserves peace. 

Jessie loves men, and is 'snippy' in her old age sometimes. It's how she lets you know how she feels. It's never malicious, just growly and snappy as communication. 

Shameless if our teenager, and he quite lives up to that. Happy go lucky, and more than willing to be on furniture when no ones home. 

Stubborn, intelligent kids, all. My own children have ALL three decided that when the time comes for them to have dogs, nothing but an Elkie will do. 

This is rambly. I'm excited to have found other Elkie owners. Such a wonderful breed!


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## vinya12 (May 4, 2010)

Thats a lovely story . they know how to win us over. you will have to post photos of your three


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## InkedMarie (Mar 11, 2009)

JustJen: I'm glad your first story had a happy ending as a kid launching at a strange dog doesn't always have one. I have a friend who has elkies, while they're not the breed for me (I have three other breeds, two are hounds), I love them!


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## Heidi's mom (Sep 19, 2010)

Greetings. Have just joined the forum because it's the first place i've found to "chat" with others about Elkies. 

Almost 3 years ago, I trapped (humane trap) a mature female dog in the hills behind my home; she'd been living up there for at least 6 months and was totally feral. She was un-spayed, with clearly NO experience at being a "pet." (Fearful/aversive to eye contact, any voice interaction, petting, etc.) This year (year 3) is the first year I can truly say she is bonded with me, to the extent that I can finally pet or leash her "on request" and she displays a modicum of affection and enthusiastic reaction to interactions with me.

She looks to be at least half-bred Elkhound; perhaps crossed with a small GSD. She's only 38 lbs., has the coloring/marking of a GSD, but everything else about her meets the physical descriptions of an Elkhound AND she has the temperament of one as well. She's aloof; independent, VERY intelligent, (increasingly) affectionate on HER terms, a natural hunter (took down one deer before i "figured her out"), etc., etc. Fortunately she is NOT a barker (or maybe she just lets my male BC do all the work!). 

As soon as I figure out how to post a picture of her, I'll add it here. 
By the way -- per someone else's posting -- she has a lovely "happy dance" when we go to the beach: The ears lay flat back on her head and her tail extends out and tucks under a bit. She then flies in loopy circles (zoomies) around and around with a beautiful smile that made me cry/laugh the first time I saw it. She LOVES the beach!

Thanks for giving me a place to hear about other Elkies! They ARE a one-of-a-kind dog!!
Heidi's mom.


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## Gatorchris (Oct 10, 2010)

Not only are you not alone but there are some of us Elkhound lovers in the South. I got Scamp, our one and a half year old, from a local rescue group. The woman that runs it has an Elkhound too, and a friend of mine who works at a local hospital has a PA that also has an Elkhound. Our last one came from up north with us but Scamp is a pure southern boy.


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## ThoseWordsAtBest (Mar 18, 2009)

Welcome to the forum! We plan on moving down south (Texas) ourselves next year. How does your boy fair in the weather?


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## Gatorchris (Oct 10, 2010)

Very well. Of course, our little guy was born in the south so his coat is not as long or bushy as they often get. However when we moved down to Florida our old Elkhound had a very thick coat and he did fine. Shed like crazy (but that's nothing new) and spent most of the hot days inside in the air conditioning. However in mornings, evenings and anything other than the hottest summer days he did just fine. I don't think he even missed the snow.


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## ThoseWordsAtBest (Mar 18, 2009)

That's good to hear. Our guy just loves the snow so much and I naturally feel bad taking him away from it. I know "winter" breeds can get along fine in the hotter climates, but I felt bad regardless. Ours doesn't have a very bulky coat already.


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## jensytheelki (Nov 13, 2010)

Hi all new forum member here :wave:

I just happen upon this site yesterday, there are some lovely Elkhounds on here and i just thought i would show you our pup Jensy, she is 8 months old now and this is the first time we have had a Elkhound, we always had collies before, but she is our little babe..sometimes monster lol, with such a lovely temperament, very loving, sometimes a little over the top when she is playing but she is still a pup so she is learning ( on her terms of course ). She is a cross breed 1/2 Elkhound 1/2 Blue Merle Collie. But as a lot of you have said on here when out walking the dog i get asked most of the time is she a GSD, sometime husky, but only once has someone said Elkhound, also i have never seen one around here, like many of you.

Its great reading all your comments on here as our Jensy does share the same traits as of lot of the Elkhounds on here keep the story's coming.

Here is some pic's of her, she does like posing


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## jensytheelki (Nov 13, 2010)

and here is some more of her when she was a few months old


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## Gatorchris (Oct 10, 2010)

Very cute! I see a lot more Elkhound in Jensy than I see Collie.


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## jensytheelki (Nov 13, 2010)

Thanks Gatorchris she seems to be more of a Elkhound than collie.


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## ThoseWordsAtBest (Mar 18, 2009)

I actually don't see any Collie at all.


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## trumpetjock (Dec 14, 2007)

Glad to see all the elkhound questions have been answered satisfactorily during my absence!

For your elkie lovers out there, a few good ones of Rocky:







































Oh, by the way.... I love the comment about them being buttholes. That's a perfect description!


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## ThoseWordsAtBest (Mar 18, 2009)

There is that boy!

I'll have new pictures tomorrow. It was recently discovered that Jack very much likes wearing a scarf.


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## trumpetjock (Dec 14, 2007)

The worst part about this all.... Rocky has recently like... flipped a switch. It wasn't a gradual thing, it was all at once. One day he just looked up at me and I could tell something was different. No big event, nothing. Just a look. From that day on, he's actually been a GOOD dog. Like, the kind of good dog you could only dream of having. He's really making me think there's a good chance that I will always have an elkhound in my life. There are things he does that I've never seen another dog do, and they bring such an immeasurable amount of joy to my life.


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## InkedMarie (Mar 11, 2009)

I love Rocky, esp the rolling in the grass pics. TWAB, new Jack pics? Yay!
Trumpet: you're describing Boone, our pbgv. He has become a great dog. I didn't know if he found his brain, if he's lonely since Tucker died, if he's glad Dixie left (she's the dog we had who bit someone but she also had SA and barked the entire time we were gone. Had to have been stressful for him)


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## ThoseWordsAtBest (Mar 18, 2009)

Smalls did the same thing at a year and a half. Literally a switch was flipped. She turned a laundry basket and pooped all over the clothes and rolled into it before crawling back in bed with me one night, and the next she was a model citizen. I'm glad we got Jack after that switch was flipped.


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## Gatorchris (Oct 10, 2010)

trumpetjock said:


> The worst part about this all.... Rocky has recently like... flipped a switch. It wasn't a gradual thing, it was all at once. One day he just looked up at me and I could tell something was different. No big event, nothing. Just a look. From that day on, he's actually been a GOOD dog. Like, the kind of good dog you could only dream of having. He's really making me think there's a good chance that I will always have an elkhound in my life. There are things he does that I've never seen another dog do, and they bring such an immeasurable amount of joy to my life.


Thats cute. I'm still waiting for the switch to flip. Yesterday I was remarking to my husband that our little one no longer bolted out the door when we opened it...of course two seconds later thats exactly what he did. Regardless I'll always be an Elkie person, especially since, even when they're bad, they always have a smile on their faces.


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## 1boofer1 (Dec 21, 2010)

Hi All, I wanted to post pictures of my Mom's rescued dog who we are pretty sure is an Elkhound, but I wanted some opinions. She was found running free by Animal Control when she was about a year old and my Mom adopted her from the shelter.

She is SUPER vocal, never stops barking, and has very very high prey drive (both things I know are normal for Elkhounds).

This is Charlie Girl

Thoughts?


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## ThoseWordsAtBest (Mar 18, 2009)

Not quite! This is an Elkhound: 










There ARE black Elkhounds, which are a variation on your normal Elkhound above, but very rare and definitely not your mom's pup. I would say a very strong Elkhound mix, though, with one of the parents possibly being all Elkie. She looks like she has a lot of the right features and size.


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## sebastian (Jan 12, 2011)

HELP!
I recently got a 1 year old purebred Norwegian Elkhound from the pound fully knowing that he was destructive with his previous owners when left alone (8 hours a day with no supervision and kennel). Before adopting him I did extensive research on elkhounds and found out that they can become destructive quicly if not given enough exercise. Every day I bring him on a 2+ mile walk to get his pent up energy out but I work at 8 AM and get home at 5PM. My girlfriend stays at home and he is really bad when I am gone. He chews things, barks up a storm and jumps all over the furniture (all things he wont do when I am around). We do live in an apartment and have him kennel trained BTW, I just want him to behave well when I am gone. Loki is a great dog, very affectionate and generally fun to be around, I want to solve this issue.
Any recommendations?


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## ThoseWordsAtBest (Mar 18, 2009)

You would get more help if you started your own thread. Not many people are interested in Elkies or have them. There are a few previous owners, and two of us current owners on here. 

You've got a teenage Elkhound. They're insane. My Elkhound is getting older, somewhere between 6 and 8, and 2+ miles a day is not really much of any thing to him. Along with the physical, he needs mental stimulation. Also, what does your girlfriend do with him when you're not home? 8 hours is a long time for them to do absolutely nothing. Your girlfriend also needs to take charge of his feeding (and making him earn it), training, etc. What does she do when he does those things?

As for the barking.. well, get used to it. We worked very hard with a quiet command for our Elkhound, where he is allowed to bark a few ties to alert us to something, but not just willy nilly at every thing. If they're super amped up? There is no stopping an Elkie bark without a ton of work.


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## sebastian (Jan 12, 2011)

What would you reccomend time/distance for walks? 
As for what she does when I am at work...not much, she sleeps till 11 or so and then hangs out. I can imagine he gets bored. Anything she can do to occupy his time?
On another note what is a good toy for him? I wanna get him something he can chew, for treats I give him pig ears and he loves them because they require chewing.


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## ThoseWordsAtBest (Mar 18, 2009)

We take our Elkhound out until he is stepping on his tongue tired. I take him for a two mile run in the morning, and he goes out for a long walk in the evening (our walks are our working time- he's reactive to dogs so we work on that while we're out) and we let him burrow in the snow in the yard. He takes up a lot of energy making himself snow tunnels. He's also a fan of catching frisbees and chasing balls around the yard. Your girlfriend could do any of those things, and certainly have a big hand in his training. 

We're a fan of toys that involve a little work for the reward. Kongs filled with frozen peanut butter and bacon is a good time occupying one, as is the Tug-a-jug and interactive toy puzzles. Our dogs are a big fan of marrow bones and pig ears. Our Elkhound doesn't really chew much (definitely not his stuffed toys anyway) except food items and his rope toys.


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## Gatorchris (Oct 10, 2010)

We have an Elkhound, a rescue dog, not quite two and he is like yours, full of energy. We take him for a walk of a couple of miles at night and my husband, who works on contract and is home a lot, will often take him out during the day. We also take him a lot of places with us to get him used to being civilized, and make him work for various things. For instance, he is not allowed to leave his kennel until released, must sit and wait to be released when his food is put down, etc. Dogs like to have chores. We also went to a great obedience school where they teach you to take command, make the dog lie down when you don't want to be bothered, and so on. As for the barking, its never been a big problem but when it is, a spritz from a spray bottle works wonders. Much of this stuff comes from our obedience training, which was done by a group that trains the police K-9 dogs in our town.
Finally, maybe your girlfriend should get out of bed a little earlier and spend some quality time with your little guy? It would do them both good.

One more thing regarding toys. We buy the ones with no stuffing. Not only does it keep our house from looking like a pillow exploded, but he takes the toy and flips it around...playing very well by himself. Squeeky toys that they can't pull apart are really good too. I got a rubber bone with a squeeker in it at our local Publix for $3 and its has been amazingly enduring.


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## Eevons_mommy (Apr 8, 2011)

My girl Eevon is about 10 yrs old now she was my birthday gift when I was 16 and she is so amazing! I'm not sure what she's mixed with besides elkhound but all the research I've done on them she has more trains to the elkhound than anything. She's very hard headed, she's lost some energy these days but she loves to bark. Loves the snow and chasing anything and everything she can. She hunts snakes, bees and my dogs chihuahua mix lol She's so beautiful, sweet and very very smart. 







[/IMG]She was about 2 months old in that picture








She's 3yrs old there

I do have a few questions I'd like to ask but I won't barge in all at once lol


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## Danish-Dog (Apr 17, 2011)

1boofer1 said:


> Hi All, I wanted to post pictures of my Mom's rescued dog who we are pretty sure is an Elkhound, but I wanted some opinions. She was found running free by Animal Control when she was about a year old and my Mom adopted her from the shelter.
> 
> She is SUPER vocal, never stops barking, and has very very high prey drive (both things I know are normal for Elkhounds).
> 
> ...







Well its got some Signs off a ''Black Norwegian Elkhound'' and some GermanSherperd mayby..

Iv got a ''Grey Norwegian Elkhound'' Mixed with a German Sherperd witch looks a lot like you dog 


- hope it helped


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## trumpetjock (Dec 14, 2007)

sebastian said:


> HELP!
> I recently got a 1 year old purebred Norwegian Elkhound from the pound fully knowing that he was destructive with his previous owners when left alone (8 hours a day with no supervision and kennel). Before adopting him I did extensive research on elkhounds and found out that they can become destructive quicly if not given enough exercise. Every day I bring him on a 2+ mile walk to get his pent up energy out but I work at 8 AM and get home at 5PM. My girlfriend stays at home and he is really bad when I am gone. He chews things, barks up a storm and jumps all over the furniture (all things he wont do when I am around). We do live in an apartment and have him kennel trained BTW, I just want him to behave well when I am gone. Loki is a great dog, very affectionate and generally fun to be around, I want to solve this issue.
> Any recommendations?


It took my fiancee about 3 years to finally realize that there was NOTHING I could do to make my elkie behave when I was gone and she was with him. They are extremely situation sensitive dogs. They will act completely and utterly different for different people. She needs to start training him and working with him herself. She needs to be involved in the discipline. Raising him needs to be a partnership between the two of you or it will not work. My fiancee wanted me to rehome Rocky on multiple occasions, but I refused, and eventually she wisened up and worked on her relationship with him. It didn't take long and he was treating her just like he treated me. 

Again, nothing you can do can fix her relationship with him. Get her involved.


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## sonoralee (Jul 16, 2011)

Wow...that is funny on how you describe your Elkhounds.... I have a rescued Elkhound mix from an Indian Reserve. She was starved, beatened and abused for the first two and a half years of her life. I got her from the SPCA in Delta, Canada. She had a broken paw (healed), would drop and roll if any dog came near her. After 3 days of having her I let her off lead roaming through the woods behind our Condo complex. She used her nose constantly. She would find and kill the squirrels. She could find any coyote near by. She would chase them but would not be gone for more than 5 minutes. She did not want to lose her new owners. She loved us immediately!!! She also does not bark. She only does so to get the squirrels to fall from the branches above. She is always off lead (even when crossing streets) and does not wear her necklace (collar with dog tag). She loves all dogs and cats. My dog is now 11 years old. She has slowed down quite a fit. I don't want her to pass on, but I do have to realize that she will. I want to replace with the same...even though she is a 24/7 shedder. Now, that I am reading your experiences scares me. I don't want a barker (condo)-no guard dog needed. I have a forest behind for great exercise. It is not an off-leash area, but all of us dog owners in the area have them off lead.


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## ThoseWordsAtBest (Mar 18, 2009)

Well generally it is best to do your reading before getting the breed but there are dogs out there atypical to their breed. And being a mix changes the game some. Also I don't know without seeing her but a lot of dogs are mismarked while at the shelter. I see some mixes that are identified as Elkhound mixes that I personally don't see any Elkie in. As far as the Elkie gambit goes we have a purebred who is pretty watered down energy wise but he is also older. His personality has also changed quite a bit while with us.


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## sonoralee (Jul 16, 2011)

ThoseWordsAtBest said:


> Well generally it is best to do your reading before getting the breed but there are dogs out there atypical to their breed. And being a mix changes the game some. Also I don't know without seeing her but a lot of dogs are mismarked while at the shelter. I see some mixes that are identified as Elkhound mixes that I personally don't see any Elkie in. As far as the Elkie gambit goes we have a purebred who is pretty watered down energy wise but he is also older. His personality has also changed quite a bit while with us.


Well, I have a few pics of her. Unfortunately, I do not have one with her tail up in this batch. It is not always easy to get her to stand for a pic with her tail up. Again, she was abused for the first 2.5 years of her life; therefore, she does not have the muscular system that a normal Elkie has.

http://s1177.photobucket.com/albums/x358/sonoralee/CLIO/

Let me know your thoughts.


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## ThoseWordsAtBest (Mar 18, 2009)

She is real cute! As for being an Elkie, it's up in the air. She could be or not. Huskies have the same coat, so it's hard to tell. I would lean towards saying there could be some Elkie in there, but I suppose it depends on your area. In my entire life I have seen three including ours.


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## sonoralee (Jul 16, 2011)

ThoseWordsAtBest said:


> She is real cute! As for being an Elkie, it's up in the air. She could be or not. Huskies have the same coat, so it's hard to tell. I would lean towards saying there could be some Elkie in there, but I suppose it depends on your area. In my entire life I have seen three including ours.


I think that she is part Elkie because she had a great anomoly which is seen in only two breeds up here in Canada (Western). She had these HUGH (I mean HUGH) double dew claws that were the size of medium TALONS!!! SERIOUSLY.... We, have an person in my neighbourhood who shows here weinheimer dogs and knows the circuit. She explained that Clio was part this and who knows what else. Some think maybe wolf...
All I can say is that she has been a PERFECT dog. I have had Chow Chows for years (4 in total). They are great dogs as well. But, I have to say that I give her a BIGGER edge!!! She had a bad start on life and still has the BEST and GENTLE personality. So, maybe, there is an Elkie that does not bark. Can catch HUGH Moles and then give mom a BIG kiss...yuk... and then go home to sleep.


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## ThoseWordsAtBest (Mar 18, 2009)

sonoralee said:


> I think that she is part Elkie because she had a great anomoly which is seen in only two breeds up here in Canada (Western). She had these HUGH (I mean HUGH) double dew claws that were the size of medium TALONS!!! SERIOUSLY.... We, have an person in my neighbourhood who shows here weinheimer dogs and knows the circuit. She explained that Clio was part this and who knows what else. Some think maybe wolf...
> All I can say is that she has been a PERFECT dog. I have had Chow Chows for years (4 in total). They are great dogs as well. But, I have to say that I give her a BIGGER edge!!! She had a bad start on life and still has the BEST and GENTLE personality. So, maybe, there is an Elkie that does not bark. Can catch HUGH Moles and then give mom a BIG kiss...yuk... and then go home to sleep.


Elkhounds don't commonly, if at all, have double dew claws. Any one who guesses wolf is wrong, Clio looks to be all dog. The important thing is she is happy and safe now.


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## BlackRaven (Jul 18, 2011)

I rescued an Elkhound from the local pound last week -- on the 13th. They called her a mix, but looking at her I'd say she's a pureblood. Given as there's a breeder here who sells pups for $600 it's more than possible [and she was unneutered when the pound got her].

Anyways my family pulled a nasty little trick asking me what I thought of the breed, I told them all that I knew of the breed -- without having to look it up, that's how well I know about the breed -- and then we went to the pound. Only to see that the dog was "reserved" for 24 hours.

I had given up hope, thinking my family had seen the dog and someone else had put a reserve on her while conserations were made, only to have my father grab my shoulder and say ... "what if I told you we're the ones that reserved her?" I was so... mad at been fooled. For about five secs.

Anyways she's a bit of a problem, diamond in the rough I'm hoping.

She was kept in an apartment with little to no training. She understands sit by only having done the "puppy" version of teaching sit in holding her food bowl up until she sat and then praising her while putting the food down. She's connected sit with water bowl and leash, and treats of course. *She'll chase a squeaky ball ---- is that a good thing, the squeaky ball or does it just encourage prey drive *--- whenever the mood happens to get to her. And forget coming to her name -- they say she's called "Mystery" and yet the dog doesn't react an inch when that name is called.

But as for that.... lol... it's like training a mule as my brother insists.

She tugs - her prey drive is out of this world [she'll strangle herself after squirrels or pull so much she is literally on her hind legs]. 

Yesterday she slipped her leash / collar to meet a Dalmation on the block... I almost smacked the other dog's owner cause she was backing up and taking the Dalmation with her while making these panicked sounds [talk about asking for a dog fight with such behaviour - making the Dalmation nervous or "lower" in the totem pole]. Got home and fixed the collar -- pound had it way too loose cause they couldn't figure between the dog's "ruff" and her actual neck. :doh:

We are most certainly going to obedience classes --- found a certified trainer who doesn't seem to be nothing but a money grab --- come Sept. 

Question --- she is right now in the laundary room while she undergoes flea / tick powder treatment [3 weeks or so] cause she is obviously overrun with the pests from her previous owners. When let out she'll belly crouch and wriggle like crazy to greet everyone before jumping up for closer "hellos" in the morning. Is this truely a submissive thing or am I risking ruining her by isolating her --- it's a conflicted viewpoint given that the breed is "independent" but at the same time very people orienated. 

But does anyone have any tips for trying to reduce the prey drive? I don't want her slipping her leash again cause there are a number of dog aggressive canines in the neighborhood -- including a pit bull / rottie mix [I have nothing against either breed but why someone would make such a cross and not train it right is mind boggling] that is easily twice her size and huge through the shoulders / neck. 

And one of her pics, probably post more later.









She's about 18 months old. Stands about the same height as a Beagle so about 19 inches - haven't measured her yet.

I've had a 10 year old kid compare her to his -- probably imaginary given as to the kid has always been here in the city, even on weekends and during summar holidays --- to his wolf / husky mix. I've had her compared to GSD x husky mixes, Keeshonds --- which really annoys me cause I've known a few Keeshonds and to me those dogs were merely oversized Pomerians, and even a fox. How the fox came in I don't know, though her muzzle is certainly slender like one.


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## sonoralee (Jul 16, 2011)

Sorry, I have to tell you that they will NEVER lose that drive. I call it an OC (obsessive complusive) tendencies. Can you not let her off leash? Are you to close to road, etc? I ask because, with my experience of Elkie's and other stubborn breeds (Chow Chows), if she had a bad life before meeting you then she will want to please. I find that scolding them infront of their peers does NO GOOD. Treat them like children. Go down to their level and whisper into her ear what you want and make her look into your eyes while doing so. Also, getting mad at them will only make situations WORSE. My dog use to get mad at me if I left her twice in a day. She use to eat my underwear. I just put them into a laundry bag to fix that...DO NOT YELL AT THEM. She one day saw my eye glasses and chewed the lenses out of them and ate one eye hook. I did not get mad at her. She can't help herself. Yelling will not fix the situation or help her. I just did not give her treats and showed my glasses when she thought that I forgot. I made up with her before our bedtime. No reason to hold grudges. I found that giving her free range to the entire house made her feel more at home. Fix probs in the first month. I got a de-barking collar because I found her howling when sirens were going off or other coyotes were howling. I only used it once. She understood the rules that she had to follow to have a good home. I praised her for killing squirrels (sorry, rats with fuzzy tails). I let my dog meet and greet other dogs while off leash. I yelled ahead to others stating that she was fine so do not worry. I hope that I helped. I find wagging a finger is a lot better than yelling or getting upset. Like I said, it does no good for anyone.


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## ThoseWordsAtBest (Mar 18, 2009)

sonoralee said:


> Sorry, I have to tell you that they will NEVER lose that drive. I call it an OC (obsessive complusive) tendencies. Can you not let her off leash? Are you to close to road, etc? I ask because, with my experience of Elkie's and other stubborn breeds (Chow Chows), if she had a bad life before meeting you then she will want to please. I find that scolding them infront of their peers does NO GOOD. Treat them like children. Go down to their level and whisper into her ear what you want and make her look into your eyes while doing so. Also, getting mad at them will only make situations WORSE. My dog use to get mad at me if I left her twice in a day. She use to eat my underwear. I just put them into a laundry bag to fix that...DO NOT YELL AT THEM. She one day saw my eye glasses and chewed the lenses out of them and ate one eye hook. I did not get mad at her. She can't help herself. Yelling will not fix the situation or help her. I just did not give her treats and showed my glasses when she thought that I forgot. I made up with her before our bedtime. No reason to hold grudges. I found that giving her free range to the entire house made her feel more at home. Fix probs in the first month. I got a de-barking collar because I found her howling when sirens were going off or other coyotes were howling. I only used it once. She understood the rules that she had to follow to have a good home. I praised her for killing squirrels (sorry, rats with fuzzy tails). I let my dog meet and greet other dogs while off leash. I yelled ahead to others stating that she was fine so do not worry. I hope that I helped. I find wagging a finger is a lot better than yelling or getting upset. Like I said, it does no good for anyone.


I'm not sure how to reply to this. Prey drive is not an obsessive compulsive tendency. You can't get a hunting hound and expect it to lack prey drive. There are DEFINITELY ways to manage prey drive and use it in appropriate situations. You're also way over humanizing dogs. They are not children and should not be treated as such. They do not understand if they're being scolded amongst "peers" or really a vast majority of what you said. Your dog likely never got mad at you, but was bored. And dogs destroy things when they are bored and looking for an outlet. Bored dogs also shouldn't get free range. I can easily see whispering in a dogs ear and making them look you in the eye a good way to get a bite from the wrong dog. They don't remember something they did hours later, and can't make the connection that they shouldn't do it just by seeing something they destroyed. That's dogs in general, not just Elkhound specific. 

I also think using a bark collar on an Elkhound is largely unnecessary. They were born to bark and SHOULD be allowed to bark in appropriate situations. Our Elkhound has a quiet command, and is allowed to alert bark and stops when asked. I also would HIGHLY not appreciate someone allowing their dog off leash running at me and my dogs while yelling at me. Your dog might be OK, but mine are NOT. My Elkhound does not appreciate off leash dogs and will snap at them, and my Dachshund will bite any dog rushing into his space.


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## sonoralee (Jul 16, 2011)

Well, I do appreciate what you say but I have had lots of experience with dogs and my way seems to work FANTASTIC. Now, with the Prey Drive...YES my dog has it and I let her. She does not hurt other dogs or cats but she will kill a squirrel, HUGH moles, chase coyotes, deer, etc and I let her. All my dogs have had different personalities but they did understand what was acceptable. Maybe, your dogs are not used to freedom.


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## ThoseWordsAtBest (Mar 18, 2009)

Don't insinuate any thing about my dogs. They are well behaved and I use training regiments that make sense. They are hardly not "free" and are lucky to even be alive. You don't have an Elkhound and posted asking about barking so you obviously do not have experience with the breed or know much about them. 9.9 out of 10 Elkhounds would laugh in your face if you tried to whisper in their ears to manage prey drive. So, dog experience is all relative. I also primarly own and prefer to deal with hounds.


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## BlackRaven (Jul 18, 2011)

sonoralee said:


> Sorry, I have to tell you that they will NEVER lose that drive. I call it an OC (obsessive complusive) tendencies. Can you not let her off leash? Are you to close to road, etc? I ask because, with my experience of Elkie's and other stubborn breeds (Chow Chows), if she had a bad life before meeting you then she will want to please. I find that scolding them infront of their peers does NO GOOD. Treat them like children. Go down to their level and whisper into her ear what you want and make her look into your eyes while doing so. Also, getting mad at them will only make situations WORSE. My dog use to get mad at me if I left her twice in a day. She use to eat my underwear. I just put them into a laundry bag to fix that...DO NOT YELL AT THEM. She one day saw my eye glasses and chewed the lenses out of them and ate one eye hook. I did not get mad at her. She can't help herself. Yelling will not fix the situation or help her. I just did not give her treats and showed my glasses when she thought that I forgot. I made up with her before our bedtime. No reason to hold grudges. I found that giving her free range to the entire house made her feel more at home. Fix probs in the first month. I got a de-barking collar because I found her howling when sirens were going off or other coyotes were howling. I only used it once. She understood the rules that she had to follow to have a good home. I praised her for killing squirrels (sorry, rats with fuzzy tails). I let my dog meet and greet other dogs while off leash. I yelled ahead to others stating that she was fine so do not worry. I hope that I helped. I find wagging a finger is a lot better than yelling or getting upset. Like I said, it does no good for anyone.


I agree with ThoseWordsAtBest

You so personalize the breed / dog that I am not even sure you do such things or are someone trying to pull my leg.

Either way Sonoralee sorry to tell you this but you really sound like someone who should NOT have a dog.

You're probably the type that won't take responsibilty if your dog bite someone else - while off leash - or someone's pets. Your dog might be fine but another dog is going to defend itself from a strange animal if that animal's a little off -- and reading your post its not properly trained, or entertained and as such more unpredictable than you can imagine. Think of your dog as a ticking time bomb cause literally that is what it is. Cute things will becoming annoying things, and then possibly dangerous things it does. Maybe contact Ceaser M. or a dog trainer cause you really need help understanding your canine --- *whispers* it's not human.

But continuing with the dog off leash all the time you are looking to get it killed. If it's not run over by a car or vehicle another dog will probably attack it at some point. Or these coyotes -- since you probably don't know they will kill dogs and a coyote pack attacking a dog can be quite vicious... horrifyingly so. ------- Or as said another dog will attack yours .... for example I used to own a Boerboel [African Mastiff], huge guy - 28 inches at shoulder, 175 lbs and 90% of that was muscle cause I'd take him dirt biking and he'd run alongside. Omega [such a suiting name] was as gentle as a lamb. But if another dog came rushing at him he would get protective [these dogs were and still are used to defend flock from lions] of me. He'd eat your little puppy while its off its leash and personally I wouldn't feel anything cause it's your responsiblity to keep your dog on leash and as such protected. 

Worst is your face to face incidents. You'd probably whine [complain] if the dog bite you in this silly face to face off you have --- for most dogs eye to eye contact is a challenge / threat and if you back down first by adverting your gaze you are the weaker one of the two. Similarly giving it free range to your house --- did you correct the dog if it went potty inside? Listening to everything else it does, I bet not. 

I agree with ThoseWordsAtBest - your dog is bored and destructive. Potentially dangerous to itself, other animals, and you... not only in biting but knocking someone elderly over, trambling a kid. You really shouldn't have a dog. The dog can't help itself - is a PATHETIC excuse. If you trained the animal and kept its mind active enough most of the stuff you described happening wouldn't be happening. 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Anyways since Sonoralee is annoying me with her/his ignorance 

I am looking for tips on how to redirect the Elkhound's prey drive.

Mystery will strangle herself half to death if she can on her leash / collar to go after squrriels and --- obviously I can't let her off the leash, if I could I might try --- and as such this is no good. Not only for her health but my mindset.

Any PROPER advice will be most welcomed.



sonoralee said:


> I think that she is part Elkie because she had a great anomoly which is seen in only two breeds up here in Canada (Western). She had these HUGH (I mean HUGH) double dew claws that were the size of medium TALONS!!! SERIOUSLY.... We, have an person in my neighbourhood who shows here weinheimer dogs and knows the circuit. She explained that Clio was part this and who knows what else. Some think maybe wolf...
> All I can say is that she has been a PERFECT dog. I have had Chow Chows for years (4 in total). They are great dogs as well. But, I have to say that I give her a BIGGER edge!!! She had a bad start on life and still has the BEST and GENTLE personality. So, maybe, there is an Elkie that does not bark. Can catch HUGH Moles and then give mom a BIG kiss...yuk... and then go home to sleep.


Don't see Elkhound anywhere - and I've seen Elkhounds outside of the one I own now. Couple of pictures of your dog looks almost like a terrier's head cause she has wiry fur around her snout - has a touch of husky or something similar for the coloring, and something else. Coat doesn't look right either -- too short and doesn't appear to have much of an undercoat. All in all I'd say an all around Canadian mutt. 

Anyways dew claws come in all dog breeds pretty much so that doesn't mean anything - Mystery uses hers like any other dog and 'hooks' my forearm to get my attention for another round of petting. That your dog's dew claws are huge talons means you haven't taken her to the vet or groomer to have them trimmed that's all. And I'm confused by your comment of double claws -- do you mean on the rear hinds as well. Cause if so the dog is not Elkhound for they don't get such... rear hind dewclaws is a rare thing and not 'traditional' dew claws as they are pretty much just attached by a flap of skin.


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## marsha=whitie (Dec 29, 2008)

sonoralee said:


> Well, I do appreciate what you say but I have had lots of experience with dogs and my way seems to work FANTASTIC. Now, with the Prey Drive...YES my dog has it and I let her. She does not hurt other dogs or cats but she will kill a squirrel, HUGH moles, chase coyotes, deer, etc and I let her. All my dogs have had different personalities but they did understand what was acceptable. Maybe, your dogs are not used to freedom.


I don't have an elkie, and probably never will (I don't much care for hounds.) But I have to ask... WTF does "HUGH" mean?


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## Mdawn (Mar 3, 2007)

marsha=whitie said:


> I don't have an elkie, and probably never will (I don't much care for hounds.) But I have to ask... WTF does "HUGH" mean?


I was thinking they meant "HUGE"...don't know though.


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## marsha=whitie (Dec 29, 2008)

Mdawn said:


> I was thinking they meant "HUGE"...don't know though.


Really? I was thinking that it was a new species or something....


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## ThoseWordsAtBest (Mar 18, 2009)

If there was a new breed of huge Elkhounds I would run far far from them.


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## BlackRaven (Jul 18, 2011)

Huge moles I believe.

I think the person is from Alberta - some of the buildings look familiar to me. 

And if so I've seen these huge moles... though they are rats.

They look like a beaver with a rat's tail. Absolutely horrifying for a 10 year old kid to encounter when I was much younger.... my mom was like 'oh look at those beavers' cause they were swimming and then when these things came ashore it was 'run'.:laugh:

-------------------------

Though given what Mystery's persona is like if it was a huge Elkhound, I'd probably run too


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## ThoseWordsAtBest (Mar 18, 2009)

All right, enough. I started this thread for Elkhound owners to share stories.


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## Gatorchris (Oct 10, 2010)

Does anyone have an Elkie that likes water? I got mine into the ocean yesterday but only up to his chest and he wasn't terribly thrilled. It was my understanding that they were bred not to like water...is that true?


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## ThoseWordsAtBest (Mar 18, 2009)

Well, they probably ain't swimmin' in Norway, but it depends on the dog. My Jack quite likes the kiddie pool we have in the yard.


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## PhotoGreg (Aug 16, 2011)

Hi I'm new, but I figured I'd share my experience with my Elkies... 

Growing up we adopted a 3-4 year old, and he was absolutely fantastic.
His name was Blitz. He LOVED the snow, and played with our two cats daily. 
The only down side was that he was a runner. If he could get out the front door, get the car.  
Blitz was a very friendly dog towards people and other animals. The only exception was when he thought his family was being threatened. 
He was good on a leash, and would do basic things like sit, lay, give 5, and would roll over only on to his back and look cute. LOL.  
Unfortunately, one day he ran (A family friend was visiting and their 4 year old "let him outside" out the front door). We were never able to find him and just hoped that someone was taking good care of him.  

Our second was an Elkie Lab mix. 
Rocko had the same disposition as Blitz and again was a terrific dog. Rocko liked to play with the cat & they had a great relationship. He'd also chase squirrels and rabbits and catch them once in a while. 
He's now in doggie heaven.  

I miss them both. 

However, now we're actually in process of adopting our newest Elkie in about 3-4 weeks. 
I absolutely can't wait to meet him!  

Thanks! 
Greg


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## PhotoGreg (Aug 16, 2011)

Actually looks like a Pariah Dog to me...



1boofer1 said:


> Hi All, I wanted to post pictures of my Mom's rescued dog who we are pretty sure is an Elkhound, but I wanted some opinions. She was found running free by Animal Control when she was about a year old and my Mom adopted her from the shelter.
> 
> She is SUPER vocal, never stops barking, and has very very high prey drive (both things I know are normal for Elkhounds).
> 
> ...



Looks like a Pariah Dog to me... 

Greg


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## Theresa (Aug 19, 2011)

This looks like a Shiba Inu to me



1boofer1 said:


> Hi All, I wanted to post pictures of my Mom's rescued dog who we are pretty sure is an Elkhound, but I wanted some opinions. She was found running free by Animal Control when she was about a year old and my Mom adopted her from the shelter.
> 
> She is SUPER vocal, never stops barking, and has very very high prey drive (both things I know are normal for Elkhounds).
> 
> ...


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## hast (Aug 17, 2011)

marsha=whitie said:


> I don't have an elkie, and probably never will (I don't much care for hounds.) <snip>


They're not 'hounds' in Norwegian their name is "Moose dog" and they're hunting dogs. (elg=moose hund=dog) They are supposed to bark when they find the moose and stay on the moose until the hunter gets there. (I'm not a hunter so that's as close as I know the process ... but I know there's a lot of training involved) That's the genetics where the barking and needing training to stay with the handler comes from. 



Gatorchris said:


> Does anyone have an Elkie that likes water? I got mine into the ocean yesterday but only up to his chest and he wasn't terribly thrilled. It was my understanding that they were bred not to like water...is that true?


Nope it's not. but I guess it must be quite uncomfortable swimming with that coat, especially if they're not used to getting wet.

'Norwegian elghund' is in Sweden called 'Gray dog' and there is a white variation of it too.


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## ThoseWordsAtBest (Mar 18, 2009)

hast said:


> They're not 'hounds' in Norwegian their name is "Moose dog" and they're hunting dogs. (elg=moose hund=dog) They are supposed to bark when they find the moose and stay on the moose until the hunter gets there. (I'm not a hunter so that's as close as I know the process ... but I know there's a lot of training involved) That's the genetics where the barking and needing training to stay with the handler comes from.
> 
> Nope it's not. but I guess it must be quite uncomfortable swimming with that coat, especially if they're not used to getting wet.
> 
> 'Norwegian elghund' is in Sweden called 'Gray dog' and there is a white variation of it too.


They are a Spitz type breed, but are classified as hounds and a utilitarian breed. Elkhounds were not just used for hunting, but are in a way Norway's GSD. They have been and are used for hunting, guardians (the dog of the vikings), herding, and personal protection. No, their name doesn't mean hound, and they typically are not used in hunting like hounds (though they have been for birds) but breed names are sort of semantics now. Like Dachshunds are hounds, but depending on which side of the fence you're on they're better off in the terrier group. 

The Swedish white Elkhound (and Jämthund) are not recognized breeds here. I would be surprised to even heard any are in the US. They are not considered the same breed. Norwegian Black Elkhounds are not recognized either.


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## hast (Aug 17, 2011)

Let's just agree to disagree ... They were/are supposed to give warning when someone comes to the farm and they're hunting dogs (especially hunting dogs) as the name indicates... At least in Sweden and Norway. They are in no way a guardian dog or shepherd so not close to a GSD.


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## ThoseWordsAtBest (Mar 18, 2009)

There is nothing to agree to disagree on when you are incorrect. I did not say they are shepherds OR in any way a GSD, but they ARE a multipurpose breed LIKE the GSD. They have most certainly been used to herd, guard, hunt, etc. I have no idea why you are posting in a thread about Norwegian Elkhounds if you are going to post incorrect information. Breeds go much beyond just the translation of their name.


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## hast (Aug 17, 2011)

They are a quite rare breed in the US, yes? They are a quite common breed in Scandinavia, where I have lived most of my life. What you claim they are used for/have been used for doesn't fit into my (or my friends) experience of the breed. But whatever ...


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## ThoseWordsAtBest (Mar 18, 2009)

No, they are not rare. They aren't Labs but they are not rare. What you and your friends do is not an all encompassing experience of the breed, and every single breed history you will find includes these activities, so, whatever.


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## cshellenberger (Dec 2, 2006)

hast said:


> They are a quite rare breed in the US, yes? They are a quite common breed in Scandinavia, where I have lived most of my life. What you claim they are used for/have been used for doesn't fit into my (or my friends) experience of the breed. But whatever ...


They aren't rare at all in the US, pershaps not as popular as some breeds, but far from rare.


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## kafkabeetle (Dec 4, 2009)

hast said:


> They are a quite rare breed in the US, yes? They are a quite common breed in Scandinavia, where I have lived most of my life. What you claim they are used for/have been used for doesn't fit into my (or my friends) experience of the breed. But whatever ...


Do you own one?


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## jenz (Aug 20, 2010)

> They are a Spitz type breed, but are classified as hounds and a utilitarian breed. Elkhounds were not just used for hunting, but are in a way Norway's GSD.


Sigh. Elkhounds. They are gorgeous... I'd love to have one someday!

Does anyone know why Elkhounds are classified in the AKC Hound Group? I ask because I noticed a lot of hunting spitz in the AKC's Foundation Stock Service- Kai, Karelian Bear Dog, etc- that are being funneled into the Working Group. Will the Elkhound switch to the Working Group as well?

Just curious...

Jen


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## ThoseWordsAtBest (Mar 18, 2009)

jenz said:


> Sigh. Elkhounds. They are gorgeous... I'd love to have one someday!
> 
> Does anyone know why Elkhounds are classified in the AKC Hound Group? I ask because I noticed a lot of hunting spitz in the AKC's Foundation Stock Service- Kai, Karelian Bear Dog, etc- that are being funneled into the Working Group. Will the Elkhound switch to the Working Group as well?
> 
> ...


I love mine, until he opens his mouth!  

I'm not entirely up and up on the AKC, but there is debate behind some breeds where they're classified and why. Dachshunds are another in the hound group that technically don't make sense being in the hound group. Elkhounds were not even recognized by the AKC until the 1930s and have been said to have been around any where from 4,000 to 6,000 years. If I recall correctly, they were actually recognized by the AKC IN the working group to begin with. I think the main reason they remain in the Hound group is because they do hunt like scent hounds, but again, my breed registry knowledge is poop.


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## Xeph (May 7, 2007)

Same for GSDs. They were originally in the working group, and then changed to herding. I personally think they should be moved back to working.


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## ThoseWordsAtBest (Mar 18, 2009)

Yeah, I definitely feel Elkhounds belong in working, but I guess we'd have to consider primary use. They are used for hunting more often than not, but depending on where you are. In Canada they also use them on sleds. I think they should have their own group along with dogs like the GSD that is "Awesome dogs that can do every thing."


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## jenz (Aug 20, 2010)

Ah! Thanks for the clarification!  That is really interesting. I just... I was so surprised when I saw those FSS spitz breeds going to Working, instead of Hounds like the Elkie. 

Xeph, I forgot about the Working group being split- I wonder how come Samoyeds stayed in Working? Yet Norwegian Buhunds (another herding spitz) were put into Herding when they were recognized a few years ago. Is that something the parent club decides? Hmmm.

Jen


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## ThoseWordsAtBest (Mar 18, 2009)

I wish I knew. Like I said, I know NOTHING about clubs. I'm just breaking into agility in a few months with my puppy, and he's a mutter.


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## RaeganW (Jul 14, 2009)

Yeah, its generally up to the parent club about what group they want to be in.

Every now and then the AKC talks about splitting again into 10 groups, splitting Hounds into Sight and Scent, splitting Sporting into Retrivers & Spaniels and Potiners & Setters, and adding a Nordic group. IMO this is a good idea. They also want to change the name of Non-Sporting to Companion, which is dumb. I think should either get rid of it all together or call it Utility. If you dig through the AKC website (a challenge in and of itself) you can find board meeting minutes on it from a few years ago.


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## c2oxide (Nov 1, 2011)

I was looking through some of these pictures during my lunch break and had to sign up so I could post some photos of my German Shepherd / Norwegian Elkhound... he is about 2 years old now and we've had him since he was 8 weeks.

Absolutely no complaints about the dog, he is very loving and obedient - he wants his owners to be happy. We crate trained him and leash-train-house-broke him from the beginning, which I would recommend to anyone looking to get a puppy. We also have an invisible fence, which means that he is able to go in and out during the summer whenever he pleases through the dog flap in our front screened-in porch. In the winter, he loves being outside and will actually lay IN the snow... it's like COLD doesn't mean anything to him.

We adopted him through a lady on www.petfinder.com which has also been great, I can't imagine buying a "retail" dog when there are so many available for adoption! 

Cheers and hope you enjoy the pics.


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## ThoseWordsAtBest (Mar 18, 2009)

He's very cute, but I can't say I see any Elkie in him.


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## Pai (Apr 23, 2008)

Shelters are notorious for mislabeling breed mixes/breeds. I guess the color of this pup may have thrown them off.


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## kafkabeetle (Dec 4, 2009)

I agree. He's a beautiful dog but I would guess he lab/shepherd mix. I don't really see any elkhound traits.


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## c2oxide (Nov 1, 2011)

Ok, gotcha, sorry for posting on the wrong thread 

We've been telling people for 2 years that he's norwegian elkhound, so he might have to stay that way... we've been wondering why his ears never stood up, but I prefer the floppy ears anyways...

Cheers!


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## anusk1313 (Nov 2, 2011)

It's a beautiful dog

I read that was the favourite dog of the president Eisenhower. It looks like a wolf but the way it carry its tail it's different : - the wolves hold it between the legs all the time.

I never had such a dog but I saw some specimens

source: http://www.infodogs.co.uk/dog-breeds/breed/norwegian-elkhound


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## ThoseWordsAtBest (Mar 18, 2009)

c2oxide said:


> Ok, gotcha, sorry for posting on the wrong thread
> 
> We've been telling people for 2 years that he's norwegian elkhound, so he might have to stay that way... we've been wondering why his ears never stood up, but I prefer the floppy ears anyways...
> 
> Cheers!


You're just fine! Rescues are pretty bad at breed guessing. He looks largely Shepherdy to me.


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## Dobry (Nov 6, 2011)

*What other breeds (besides Norwegian Elkhound) do you see?*

I have a Norwegian Elkhound mix i got from the shelter; He is really sweet and loyal but definitely strong -willled and will invade your space (be pushy) unless i communicate him to *clearly *to not do that. He's a good boy, but yeah* firm *but positive atraining has been needed!
Here are some pics of when i first got him!


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## ThoseWordsAtBest (Mar 18, 2009)

*Re: What other breeds (besides Norwegian Elkhound) do you see?*

I can't say I really see any Elkie in him, either. The curled tail could have come from a little bit of any where.


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## Tofu_pup (Dec 8, 2008)

Xeph said:


> Same for GSDs. They were originally in the working group, and then changed to herding. I personally think they should be moved back to working.


I'm glad I'm not the only one! I've been saying this for ages.


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## JiffyPop (Dec 30, 2011)

I have been following this thread for almost two years now. Time to get this great thread BACK on track! ThoseWordsAtBest, TrumpetJock, JeremyS And especially Namrah! thank you for sharing your experiences. Namrah, I laughed and almost cried hearing your funny stories about the too short life your elkie lived. All the stories in this thread really sound like you are all are describing my dog Pop. Namrah, I also had stair fear. I beat it by lifting and carry my Pop to the middle stair. I then put him down with little fuss and just kept walking up the stairs. He looked at me like he was embarrassed, then just followed me up the stairs! Problem solved, he never had "stair fear" again 

District Attorney Jack McCoy sounds much like my Pop! I have had my Elkhound since he was 8 weeks old. My guy is a lazy bum of a dog but ready to "go" hiking or exploring at a moments notice. He has never really done anything bad or wrong in his life (hard to believe but true). He will sleep in to noon if you let him. He is great dog with 1 mile a day hikes. No super long or strenuous hikes needed. He roams off leash but always in a 100-150 foot (30-45 meter) diameter around me. When I call him, he waits until I am 50 feet away before moving on along the trail. I never trust him off leash around traffic! NEVER. Only out in forest and wilderness is he allowed off leash. 

He has never even come close to having a potty accident in the house. He was house broken in 1 day. The breeder told me that "he will just know not to go potty in the house". I almost called him a liar right there and walked away from the puppy! I thought the breeder was full of it and trying to "sell me"! But sure enough, the 8 week old puppy, who had never been in a house before, just knew not to go potty in the house. Other Elkie owners have told me the same, this breed is the easiest to housebreak. I swear, as other have said here, he could hold it for 3 days if he wanted. And if it rains, he will hold it! He hates going out in the rain (so funny someone above mentioned this same behavior). 

Elkie ears are the best. they tell you the exact mood they are in. So very expressive! Elkies are also the most sensitive dog I have ever owned (I have owned sheepdogs and GSD). A slight inflection of my voice is all I need to let him know what I want. No forced corrections or harsh treatment is ever needed. They are very in tune to human emotions. When i was sick, Pop would not leave my side until I was better. He would check in and wake me up every two hours like clockwork to make sure I was still alive and breathing! Sweet, sweet guy.

Elkhounds also need less food then most breeds. They have highly efficient digestive tract. I have heard that you can cut an Elkhounds diet in 1/2 compared to a retriever or black lab. I raw feed 1-1.25 lbs meat per day and he stays perfectly fit.

Stubborn you say? When I give a command, he looks at me for 3-5 seconds while he decides if it is a good idea. You must understand that Elkhounds have been tangling with moose and Bear for the past 7,000 years. In the past, those dogs that stopped to obey a humans command while tangling with a moose ended up DEAD! those dogs that made SMART decisions when dealing with a moose lived to reproduce . What we call stubborn, is actually the Elkie making informed decision based upon 6,000 years of success :0 hahaa So let us not think of it as being stubborn, but instead we will call it "highly evolved decision making".


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## Dobry (Nov 6, 2011)

(oops I think i double- posted! I didn't realize at the time I posted earlier on the *norwegian elkhound* thread!)

Hi I have a Norwegian Elkhound mix (that's what he was listed as) i got from the shelter Either way, I think he has at least a little elkhound in him.

His name is Dolee (combination of Doleful and Olee or Olie)

I'm curious as to what other dog people think he may be mixed with. He weighs about 50 lbs.


(my thoughts are pit bull, cattle dog, shar pei, GSD)


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## Dobry (Nov 6, 2011)

* He was DA because he wasn't socialized and was scared of other dogs.*

What's 'DA'? Sorry, I'm not one of those people who know abbreviations or will assume.


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## Dobry (Nov 6, 2011)

Pretty dog! How much does she weigh? if she's smaller than a a typical elkhound, I'd say she may have some basenji 



1boofer1 said:


> Hi All, I wanted to post pictures of my Mom's rescued dog who we are pretty sure is an Elkhound, but I wanted some opinions. She was found running free by Animal Control when she was about a year old and my Mom adopted her from the shelter.
> 
> She is SUPER vocal, never stops barking, and has very very high prey drive (both things I know are normal for Elkhounds).
> 
> ...


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## Dobry (Nov 6, 2011)

Do you live near a dog park? Do you or your girlfriend like to hike or go camping? I have a part elkhound, adopted from the shelter as an adult, and he will get rambunctious if he doesn't get enough exercise, too. i also live in an apartment and will have to leave him alone for 6-8 hours at times (work). I like to hike and will take my dog on different trails and try to pick interesting routes or occasionally 'bushwhack' in an area. He loves it! Sometimes we'll go for several hours or half a day if there's time. He also enjoys the dog park and loves playing "chuck it" (the- stick -with- the -tennis ball thingy) Can your girlfriend walk him while you're gone? 

I know with the crate thing, my dog didn't take to it. Even with treat training and trying out different kinds. Dolee doesn't really go for dog beds either. So I don't know what to say on that! He just has his own place. The couch. Or he sleeps with me. I don't know any history about my dog before I had him. His previous owners had 2 pre-teen boys and I kind of wonder if my dog just doesn't like being confined (ie he may have been one of those 'ride-with-no-constraint-in-the-back-of-a-pick-up' dogs. Though I don't condone this! It's best for the dog to be at least tethered while riding.) as he constantly whines while riding in the car. Does NOT get carsick, and he's not afraid at all initially going into the vehicle.



sebastian said:


> HELP!
> I recently got a 1 year old purebred Norwegian Elkhound from the pound fully knowing that he was destructive with his previous owners when left alone (8 hours a day with no supervision and kennel). Before adopting him I did extensive research on elkhounds and found out that they can become destructive quicly if not given enough exercise. Every day I bring him on a 2+ mile walk to get his pent up energy out but I work at 8 AM and get home at 5PM. My girlfriend stays at home and he is really bad when I am gone. He chews things, barks up a storm and jumps all over the furniture (all things he wont do when I am around). We do live in an apartment and have him kennel trained BTW, I just want him to behave well when I am gone. Loki is a great dog, very affectionate and generally fun to be around, I want to solve this issue.
> Any recommendations?


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## ThoseWordsAtBest (Mar 18, 2009)

I don't see any Elkhound in your dog, Dobry. The tail is the closest part, which could come from a number of breeds, but not enough to contribute largely to the mix.


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## Dobry (Nov 6, 2011)

ThoseWordsAtBest said:


> I don't see any Elkhound in your dog, Dobry. The tail is the closest part, which could come from a number of breeds, but not enough to contribute largely to the mix.


This is really interesting! I think at least one other person said so too. Got me curious now as to if he is made up of parts of many breeds instead of half or mostly of one breed


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## ThoseWordsAtBest (Mar 18, 2009)

Dobry said:


> This is really interesting! I think at least one other person said so too. Got me curious now as to if he is made up of parts of many breeds instead of half or mostly of one breed


He's definitely a hard one to guess! There is spitz or northern breed in there somewhere, but the rest is a mystery to me. I used to think I was good at breed guessing and then I got my pup and saw his mom and thought "Well lord, ANY thing can happen."


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## Dobry (Nov 6, 2011)

Snowdog


Here are some pics of Dolee. If he's not Norwegian Elkhound or mix, he's definitely a bedlington terrier _now_ (snow fuzz outlining his profile)!






















Snow on the snoot in middle of a big snowstorm!


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## ThoseWordsAtBest (Mar 18, 2009)

Well he has the Elkhound snow love in there anyway.


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## 1boofer1 (Dec 21, 2010)

Dobry said:


> Pretty dog! How much does she weigh? if she's smaller than a a typical elkhound, I'd say she may have some basenji


She weighs about 38 - 40lbs


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## JiffyPop (Dec 30, 2011)

He reminds me of a catahoula dog mixed with some type of plott hound. Very cute but I do not think he has any Elkhound blood.



Dobry said:


> (oops I think i double- posted! I didn't realize at the time I posted earlier on the *norwegian elkhound* thread!)
> 
> Hi I have a Norwegian Elkhound mix (that's what he was listed as) i got from the shelter Either way, I think he has at least a little elkhound in him.
> 
> ...


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## Scr2384 (Mar 19, 2012)

My fiance and I rescued what we think is a Norwegian Elkhound a little under a year ago. From all of the breed descriptions I have read her personality is pure elkhound. The lady who runs the rescue listed her and her brother as shepherd mixes. When we spoke to her she said she was quite sure they were elkhounds, but did not list them as such because last time she posted norwegian elkhound puppies to petfinder she was overwhelmed with calls. After having Nala for the past nine months we can see why. She is a little over a year old now, and weighs 40 lbs. She seems to be a bit on the small side, but her brother was 10 lbs heavier than she was when we got her as a puppy. I have attached some pictures of her as a little puppy until recent. Let me know what you think about Nala.


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## ThoseWordsAtBest (Mar 18, 2009)

She's pretty cute! I can see why she was listed as a Shepherd mix, but I can see some Elkhound in her and 40 lbs is not too far off for a lady.


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## JiffyPop (Dec 30, 2011)

Scr2384 said:


> View attachment 32387
> View attachment 32386
> View attachment 32385
> View attachment 32388
> ...


Yes, she is a high content elkhound x-breed. I bet 1 parent was full elkhound. LOVE HER!! What a cute dog. Some female elkhounds are only 40lbs. She is on the small end but still within range. 

I love the photo of her standing on the brown bar with the ATV in the background! You can really see the elkie in that photo  She looks ready to go track a moose!


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## Hilarycdn (Jun 16, 2012)

Hi there, 

I was checking online to see if anyone had any advice regarding the use of a barking collar with our Norwegian Elkhound who has serious issues with our mailman and basically anyone who comes to our door. We recently moved to England with our Elkhound and living in small, terraced houses means that his barking issues definitely get on some neighbours nerves. Also, we never had such problems with the barking when we first got Kaito. 

For our back story, Kaito was a rescue from the Humane Society in Canada. He was listed as an Akita, but he looks almost exactly like an Elkhound. Maybe a mix? Anyway, one thing you may notice from the pictures is that he is missing his tail. He was brought in as a stray from the country side in Alberta. They think he may have been abused in some way because when he was brought in his tail was tucked underneath him and was caked with feces. It wasn't stuck underneath him because he was scared...it was literally STUCK. He also had no feeling in it, which is a danger for a dog since if there was ever an problem back there (i.e. infection etc) he would not be able to feel it, so they subsequently amputated his tail. He is a beautiful dog and has such expression in his face that it is not difficult to understand how he's feeling despite not having a tail to wag.

Anyway, he was pretty quiet (barked at odd passerby) before we moved here, but he is now going berserk whenever the mailman comes by. We have no other major issues with Kaito. I know it is "the breed" but I would love any suggestions that would help us quiet our loud boy, so we can quiet our potentially angry neighbours (and the poor mailman) 

Also, if you have guesses as to what our beautiful boy is mixed with, please let me know!


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## CptJack (Jun 3, 2012)

Looks like maybe akita in there, to me? But who knows. 

As for the bark collar: Don't. I know it's tempting but you don't want him to associate people coming to the door with pain. It might quiet him, but it's not going to make him any safer. Ideally,enlist the help of a friend and practice having them come. Ignore the barking. Let them in to shove his face full of yumminess when he's quiet. Unless he's aggressive/dangerous/threatening THEM. THen wait further back and you shove his face full of yum when they come in, and keep him on a leash to do it.


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## sebastian (Jan 12, 2011)

So Loki is at it again...
Do other Elkhound owners notice their dogs getting crazy when the weather gets colder? In the past few weeks my dog (Loki) has been acting up again. My wife stays at home during the day and doesn't have the energy to take him out because she is pregnant. He has been a terror as of the past few weeks chewing up paper towels and getting into everything. He has had a large yard to run around in, gets plenty of attention inside and I play with him when I get home. I think one of the issues is that while I am firm with him on rules she is not. He isn't allowed on furniture, is not allowed to beg and has set times for going to his kennel (i.e. when we eat or go to sleep).
I'm wondering if obedience school is the right idea. I don't want to spend that kind of cash though if there might be another alternative. Help?

Oh, here is a photo of him by the way...I do love the guy and would like to add a photo to the forum.


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## ThoseWordsAtBest (Mar 18, 2009)

Yep! Jack is getting up there in years, but that guy loves the winter. The minute it starts getting colder you can see it in him. Obedience training is something for him to do, because likely he's excited and bored. I'd start by getting him some interactive toys, things to chew, and maybe finding a daycare he can hit up during the week to give your wife a break and get some of his energy out.


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## sebastian (Jan 12, 2011)

Any recommendations on toys? He has a kong I fill with peanut butter and I also get him the big bones from the butcher. Are there other ones that are more complex that might entertain him and challenge him mentally?


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## ThoseWordsAtBest (Mar 18, 2009)

Nina Ottosson has a variety of good puzzle toys for dogs. Kong Wobblers are explosively popular in my house, even with my group that would not touch any toy ever, not even a simple tug-a-jug.


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## RoxykinsIII (Apr 3, 2014)

Hi Everyone!

I just joined and thought I would resurrect this topic. 

After about two years of researching different dog breeds, I accidentally came upon Elkies. Then proceeded to research as much as I could on them. They seemed like the perfect dog for us so I set about finding a good breeder. As luck would have it, there is a wonderful breeder 5 miles away who happened to have 12 week old puppies, born on December 18th, which is my parent's anniversary and the day my grandfather passed away. Of course they were all spoken for, until one couple changed their mind. So we got our little one 3 weeks ago. With so many things coming together, I can't help but feel this was supposed to happen this way. 

She is in a lot of ways exactly what I expected - but she is also nothing at all what I expected. She is very reserved, hates being picked up. She doesn't wag her tail much at all, even when you know she is happy. When I first get up in the morning the only reason I can tell she is excited to see me is because she has hiccups. My son is an Aires-Taurus cusp, both notoriously stubborn signs, very loving, but in their own way. I would describe Astrid as my son in dog form. She isn't a typical puppy. She does most of her playing with our older dog - its great to see our lazy almost 9 year old beagle mix acting like a pup again.

What I don't understand is her strange tendency to act fearful. She tends to run if an adult walks towards her , puts her ears down if someone tries to pet her head, but is fine with being pet anywhere else. She will come right to me if I'm down low. She is slowly getting better and less fearful, and I honestly think that if I didn't have Eris, she wouldn't have even come this far in 3 weeks. I have seen this sort of reaction from abused dogs, but never in a puppy before. The rest of her litter mates haven't had the same reactions. She is mostly potty trained - still has a few accidents, which are my fault mostly. She does her fair share of barking, which is contagious - so there is a lot of barking and baying going on around here now.

I'm sorry for the LONG post, was just looking to see if any seasoned Elkie owners had any puppy advice for me!


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## Kathyy (Jun 15, 2008)

Wow, it does seem like she was meant for you. 

Not an Elkie owner but not wanting to be petted on top of the head is normal. Patricia McConnell, an animal behaviorist, used patting the head to flatten dog behavior and get them to move away. Same with when somebody walks directly at a dog, that is rude to aggressive behavior in the dog world and it is polite to move so the approach is an arc. Dogs also don't come liking to be picked up. I can imagine that even a well handled pup could put her tiny little feet down in a new inexperienced dog home about handling she doesn't think appropriate for her highness. Apparently you have a more reserved pup from this litter. Have you handled the other pups or is this the report from the breeder? It could well be the breeder has a different manner with her babies. If you handled the other pups were they all wiggly and happy? If they were that way at the breeder's house are they still tail waggy in their new homes?

Here is a page from one of her books about 'pat pat', I know it is in a blog too but came up with this first. The book is great, get a hold of it and read to better understand the difference between us primates and doggy carnivores.
http://books.google.com/books?id=31rCgtgEU7AC&pg=PT280&lpg=PT280&dq=Patricia+McConnell+pat+pat+head&source=bl&ots=cymtFsfo9m&sig=4nAP8aTmwFb6ij4ysAnxJTdTe8g&hl=en&sa=X&ei=32o9U5KrIsnayAG_1YCgDw&ved=0CH4Q6AEwDw#v=onepage&q=Patricia%20McConnell%20pat%20pat%20head&f=false


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## RoxykinsIII (Apr 3, 2014)

Kathyy said:


> Wow, it does seem like she was meant for you.
> 
> Not an Elkie owner but not wanting to be petted on top of the head is normal. Patricia McConnell, an animal behaviorist, used patting the head to flatten dog behavior and get them to move away. Same with when somebody walks directly at a dog, that is rude to aggressive behavior in the dog world and it is polite to move so the approach is an arc. Dogs also don't come liking to be picked up. I can imagine that even a well handled pup could put her tiny little feet down in a new inexperienced dog home about handling she doesn't think appropriate for her highness. Apparently you have a more reserved pup from this litter. Have you handled the other pups or is this the report from the breeder? It could well be the breeder has a different manner with her babies. If you handled the other pups were they all wiggly and happy? If they were that way at the breeder's house are they still tail waggy in their new homes?
> 
> ...



The breeder asked if we would all like to keep in touch with the other buyers of the litter, most of us said yes. The other female pups (males were kept elsewhere when we got there) were much friendlier than Astrid, and seem to have remained that way. They were your average happy, goofy puppies. She was the last to come to me, but she was also the one that didn't leave my side when she eventually walked over. She might be the strangest puppy I have ever come across, but I'm not too worried as she seems more comfortable everyday. She just has a strange cat like attitude. I didn't think of the petting on the head being an issue - I've gotten used to Eris, she hates having her chin scratched, and prefers to be pet on the head. As far as being picked up, I don't do it much - but I don't want her to hate it either. I have taken to picking her up, then giving her a treat when I put her back down. She seem much less disagreeable when she thinks she will get a treat. She is also much smarter than I thought she would be. I accidentally taught her to sit, just by making Eris sit before she got her treat. Now when I say sit they both do it. Happy little accident


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