Breed History

The Elghund breed has a unique position in Norway and Scandinavia. Hunting is a major economic and cultural component in the Scandinavian countries. In Norway alone, over 44,000 moose are harvested annually, equalling more than 22 million pounds of moose meat. Almost all moose are taken with the aid of dogs, and hunting parties must have a certified tracking dog available to obtain hunting permits. Most of the dogs used in Norway are Gray or Black Elghunds, though Black Elghunds are somewhat rare. About 100 Black Elghunds are registered per year in Norway. The Elghund is typically the top breed in the NKK in number of registrations. Norway registers nearly twice as many Gray Elghunds as the AKC does. For instance, in 2005, 1130 Norsk Elghund, Gra were registered by the NKK while the AKC registered only 669. In comparison, Norway's human population is 4.6 million while the U.S. population is 293 million!

When people say they like "the hunting type" or they like the "show type" they do the breed a disservice. There is only one type: the correct type as described by the standard. There is room for variation of traits within the "perfection" described by the standard, but there is not room to prefer an incorrect type. The correct type has been proven over centuries and refined by hunter/breeders that value this breed for its contributions to the well being of their families and their society. For many Norwegian families, it is "no moose, no food." The dogs helped them survive and are still of tremendous economic importance to their lives. If this is not sufficient justification for preserving the hunting capabilities of this breed, what is?