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NEWS FROM OUR PATRON IN NORWAY – 12th July 2025
Good evening from Norway,
Thank you for keeping me posted on the goings-on on the Elkhound front on the British Isles. I have not heard from the Norwegian Elkhound Association of Scotland since Dr Sneeden was in charge. It was interesting to hear that they still have so many members. Good to hear that the Scottish branch is alive and kicking.
My local club (one of 23) arranges three shows every year out of a total of about 60 where Elkhounds can be entered, one in the middle of May, one in July/August and one in the middle of September, usually 60-80 entries of which 50-70% are «norsk elghund grå» (Norwegian Elkhound Grey). This year our July show has experienced a record number of entries, almost a hundred (not yet closed), so my wife Lisbeth has been asked to step in, because 80 is the limit.
Shows are considered important by the Elkhound people, but hunting trials even more so because the breed is bred for hunting «elg», and almost 100% of the owners are hunters. Consequently, the title of hunting champion is held much higher in esteem than show champion. The majority of the 631 puppies registered in 2024 had a pedigree where both sire and dam were hunting champions, a small number of double champions, and as far I know none where the parents were merely show champions.
Of the 60.000 participating in the annual hunt about 10% are women. When the quota of about 30.000 moose is harvested between September 25 and December 23 each team is required to have at least one Elkhound available (any of the nine breeds) to be used either loose or on leash.
The number of registrations is going down every year (down 50% from 2000) because the moose population is decreasing. Wolves have to take the main blame for that, but these predators can`t help it because they are not vegetarians. Unfortunately there are too many of them and their main diet is moose meat. This triggers a domino effect: Less moose - less need for Elkhounds - fewer registrations.
The national loose dog championship and the national leash dog championship (every second year) hit the headlines in the local newspapers, and lengthy and enthusiastic reports are published in the «Elghunden», the NEKF club journal. Every club has a quota of one entry, and an extra one for clubs with more than 400 members (4).
This year the national championship for leash dogs takes place in Gudbrandsdalen, a valley north of Lillehammer in the middle of August. My local club has just about 350 members, and our representative was picked out by using the winner-takes-it-all method, in this case the best of five competitors, two grey and three black Elkhounds. Among the many hundred specimens they had the highest score from trials in previous years, and now they were tested on the same day at the same time (6 am - 12pm) in five different terrains. Conditions were difficult to put it mildly, but equal for all. The rain was pouring down and the wind was unsteady, so it was difficult to stay downwind of the moose. The winner was a grey one, and so was the one I judged which came third, a male both beautiful and well functioning which I have judged previously both at a show and a hunting trial. I used a three year old photo of him in the NEKF jubilee book in my article on «The perfect leash dog trial." (p.330).
Next morning I entered the show ring at the NKK show i Sandefjord with my soon 11 year old double-champion bitch (p.331 in NEKF`s jubilee book). At the end of a long, hot day she came fourth, and the owner was content. This show is one of the two biggest ones in Norway, with a total of about 12.000 dogs on Friday, Saturday and Sunday - this year about 30 Norwegian Elkhounds each day.
In August there is the World Dog Show in Helsinki and we leave on Thursday and return on Sunday. I have promised Wendy to write a few lines - and will sit by the Elkhound ring on Saturday - but I am afraid there will be just a text because I cannot guarantee any photos.
I wish you all the best for a not too hot and a not too rainy summer.
Best regards
Ralf
PS
A little more than a week ago I judged a Norwegian Elkhound Black at a hunting trial. So far this year about 30% of the participants at hunting trials in our club are women - like this one.
