NECGB

My wife and I live in Ski, a small town some twenty miles east of Oslo, with our three dogs, an Elkhound and two Toy Poodles, close to a large forest where we walk with our dogs, but they must be on leash because of wolves. This does not, however, prevent people from hiking there with or without dogs, This morning we were up long before sunrise, which does not say much in the darkest week of the year (9.30). The forest was very quiet, and we were alone and far from the madding crowd. No chirping birds, no animals, no nothing, just tracks of moose and roedeer in the snow. A cup of coffee and a couple of sandwitches for us, a handfull of pellets for the dogs thrown into the heather was our breakfast.This is a game they love, and there is never any groowling. After a brisk walk the dogs do not need much exercise the rest of the day.

The annual moose hunt starts on September 25 and goes on till Christmas. It is based on long traditions, but was more important previously when the meat and hide was vital for the local economy. I remember back in the 1960s when you could read signs in shop windows in Elverum saying «Closed due to moose hunting». Today the annual quota of 30.000 moose is still considered harvest of nature, definitely not a sport as many foreigners seem to believe.

This year I participated as usual with my Kaisa (10), and during the first week we (the local team and I ) had filled our quota of three moose, a bull and two yearlings. Because wolves had been observed in the area the owner of our «løshund» did not dare to release his dog, and not being trained to be on leash (the dog must be 100% silent), I got the opportunity to hunt every day. Kaisa did a great job and I was very proud of her. Wolves pose a real threat to Elkhounds when they are running loose, and several dogs are killed annually, one near Elverum yesterday. People ask me, why not put a leash on the «løshunds». I try to tell them it is like asking foxhunters in England with a pack of hounds to put a leash on their dogs and try to sneak up to the fox. As we have seen only a law passed by Parliament could put an end to it. There is a big difference between the two. Fox hunting is a sport as the fox is not hunted for meat nor for fur. When I was a kid meat spelled moose meat at home. I do not think I had tasted beaf till we moved to Oslo when I was eleven. In Norway and Sweden the «løshund-hunt» is considered part of our cultural heritage, and not even the most ardent animal lover has (so far) suggested to ban it. In Norway the use of the two methods depends mainly on the terrain, and the density of the forest in particular.

In November and December I judged at both «løshund» (in «safe» areas) and «bandhund» trials. This activity is important as almost 100% of all Elkhound litters in Norway (Sweden and Finland) are born of parents with hunting trial merits. Litters born of unmerited parents are almost impossible to sell. To me a hunting trial is just as exciting as hunting although no shot is fired. It is fascinating to witness the cooperation beween dog and owner. I never get tired of it. Always something to learn because all dogs are different as their body language is different. They all «speak» different «dialects», but this is common knowledge to you of course.

In Norway the quality of Elkhounds varies from show to show. There is no particular district in the country that stands out. Previously there were what we considered «big» breeders with up to ten dogs on the kennel. Not so any longer. A breeder is now any owner of a bitch. Registrations are going down, other breeds are preferred, Black Elkhounds for leash dog hunting, Jämthunds (Swedish Elkhound) for «løshund». Life expectancy of Elkhounds in Norway is 10-12 years, and I have started studying pedigrees, and when I do not judge, I attend as many as possible ringside. It is not going to an easy job to find a promising puppy.

Lisbeth and have judged at several Elkhound specialties this year, one in Bodø, 600 miles north of Oslo. We went by car and had a wonderful ten day trip though scenic landscapes. At the end of January I will go to Evje in southern Norway, and in February there is a show Narvik, 700 miles to the north, but too far by car winter time on slippery roads. The club has asked me to give a lecture on why we have dog shows and I have already prepared a power point presentation (based on my article on shows in the jubilee book). The long and short of it: A hundred years ago dog shows were arranged in order to get better hunting dogs. Top hunting dogs became the ideal in the show ring, and the first breed standard was a description of these dogs. Today the focus is still on better hunting dogs, i.e. dogs which are described in the breed standard.

I wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy (and active) New Year!

Ralf

The four judges dressed in national costumes (permitted in the ring in Norway on special occasions) at the 125 year jubilee show at Dombås (250 miles north of Oslo) in June. Very good quality of dogs. Camilla, my co-editor on the far right..

Photo taken at a hunting trial (leash dog) when the dog had led

us to a cow and calf in a perfect way. First prize!

Lisbeth took a picture of me and a moose (just a shadow in the

background). Kaisa became aware of it first. Here she is «pointing»

in the direction where the moose is standing

Photo taken in November when I judged at a hunting trial (leash dog).

The owner of a Black Elkhound (one of the 9 Elkhound breeds)

and I took the opportunity to build a fire and grill our
sandwiches after several hours strenuous walk.

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