One of the main page features on the website will be the photo of the month. Submit your photo to submissions@elghund.info. No show photos for this section, please — just fun elkhound pho-tos.

Welcome to the first issue of the The eNEWs! The newsletter will be published electronically 4 times a year and will be free for download on the NEW website: www.elghund.info.

NEW (Norwegian Elghund Worldwide) is a group with the mission of preserving the elghund breed through education and contributions to elkhound health research. There is no political structure (board of directors, officers, etc) and NEW is not a club— the goal is to have an outlet for information. Con-tributors to the newsletter and website are very welcome!

Articles will typically be debuted in the eNews, then will be moved to the appropriate section of the website for future use as refer-ence materials. The more con-tributors we have from different backgrounds, the more informa-tion NEW can provide.

Ads will be included in the The eNEWs for all of your brags. Money from advertising will be placed in a fund for elghund health research. Submission and ad deadlines and rates are on the back page. Publication dates (and deadlines) are firm so that we can get out information in a reli-able and timely manner.

You may have noticed the choice of using the Norwegian name elghund rather than the typical name used in the United States of elkhound. NEW is based in the US, but is intended to be a worldwide source for informa-tion sharing. Since the breed is called elghund in the homeland of Norway, NEW has chosen to use the name elghund. Elghund (moosedog) is also less confusing than “elk-hound” since the breed is known for hunting moose and not elk.

Photo of the Month

NSJ(B)Ch Trym

owned by Irene Sørum

NEW Website Debut!

I N S I D E T H I S

I S S U E :

Dog Breeders:

Sign of the Times 2

What Old Photos

Tell Us 3

Health Focus: OFA 4

Elghund Outreach 5

Advertisements 15

Rates 22

Scottish Ch Show Report 6

In the News 11

Recovering Game 12 Elghund or Elkhound?

NORWEG I AN  

E L GHUND    

WOR LDW ID E  

w w w . e l g h u n d . i n f o  

The eNEWs W I N T E R 2 0 0 9 V O L U M E 1 , I S S U E 1

P A G E 2

Animal Welfare Animal Welfare, as defined by the American Veterinary Medical A s s o c i a t i o n , i s a h u m a n responsibility that encompasses all aspects of animal well-being, i n c l u d i n g p rope r hou s i n g , management, disease prevention and treatment, responsible care, humane handling, and, when necessary, humane euthansia. Animal welfare proponents: seek to improve the treatment and

well-being of animals. believe that humans can interact

with animals in entertainment, industry, sport and recreation, and industry, but that the interaction should include provisions for the proper care and management for all animals involved.

support self-regulation of animal sports, including rodeo, polo, three-day eventing, FFA competitions, horse racing, field trials and endurance riding.

utilize scientific evidence to base animal care and handling guidelines.

Animal Welfare and Ani-

mal Rights: an important

distinction Dog Breeders: Sign of the Times There is no doubt that Amer-ica has changed in the past decade regarding animal hus-bandry issues. (No) thanks to Animal Radical (AR) groups like the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and Peo-ple for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), the words "dog breeder" are now an-other "4-letter word". It has become a sin to "buy from a breeder" rather than "adopt from a shelter". One is con-sidered "mean, cruel and abu-sive" if a dog is made to live outside. When did this hap-pen? Why have we allowed these Animal Radicals to dic-tate to us what is "bad"? And yes, we DID allow this to hap-pen every time a donation was made to the HSUS, PETA and their ilk. We DID allow this change in public perception every time we remained silent when a fellow dog breeder was being raked across the coals for breeding their dogs and heaven forbid! For selling their puppies!

On a weekly basis, I read story after story of dog breeders living in fear and being har-assed. For what, you ask? Simply because they choose to breed their dogs, or they own "more" dogs than anyone could possibly "ever" care for. According to whose judgment or to what stan-dards? Why is it automatically "assumed" that anyone who owns/breeds more than "insert number here" of dogs is "bad"/neglectful/abusive? (I refuse to use the "P.M" word, though

that is what people are often called when one owns "more dogs"/"breeds more litters" than anyone "should") Dog owners and breeders are being forced to go into hiding in Los Angeles, Louisville, KY, and points in between due to over-zealous animal control and do-gooder Animal Radical sympa-thizers. Makes me almost wish we could return to a time when all we had to fear from the 'net was stalkers...

Responsible breeders have started removing their ad-dresses, phone numbers and other information that would identify them from their web-sites. This is a double edged sword: people are forced to do this in an effort to protect themselves, but it makes it even harder for potential puppy buyers. Wonder where those puppy buyers end up going if they can't find a breeder in their area?

In today's world with the power of the internet, infor-mation is a click away: any information, including where you live, your phone number, aerial photos of YOUR house and property. Information that is readily available to friends and foes alike. Information that the Animal Radicals can easily access and use to find YOU and YOUR dogs. It doesn't matter that your house and dogs and property are immaculately kept. It doesn't matter if all of your ducks are in a row with paperwork about your dogs and breeding program. All it takes is one

whacked out Animal Radical that doesn't like the fact that your "poor doggies" are "forced" to breed, or are kept in a crate, or that they like to play in mud and you haven't had a chance to give them a bath yet.

Are we, as a society, truly THAT weak that we have allowed groups such as the HSUS dictate to us what is right or wrong? Remember folks: this is still the United States of America, where the great Constitution and the Bill of Rights guarantee us the RIGHT TO OWN PROP-ERTY. Too many people have forgotten that fact and are willing to throw away the RIGHTS that many, many sol-diers have fought and died for. And for what? Someone "else's" ideas of how many dogs I can own or breed or sell? Or when or whether I should spay/neuter them?

The times have changed, and as long as we allow the Animal Radical groups such as the HSUS to dictate to us how we should/should not breed/own, etc, our dogs, it will only get worse.

We can change the tide: just stand up and say, "ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!"

Submitted by Amy Peterson (Elvbend)

Animal Rights Animal rights proponents:

have a philosophical view that animals have rights similar or the same as humans

wish to ban all use of animals by humans

support laws and regulations that would prohibit rodeos, horse racing, circuses, hunting, life-saving medical research using animals, raising of livestock for food, petting zoos, marine parks , breeding of purebred pets and any use of animals for industry, entertainment, sport or recreation

believe that violence, misinformation and publicity stunts are valid uses of funding donated to their tax-exempt organizations for the purpose of helping animals

T H E E N E W S

What Old Photos Tell Us P A G E 3 V O L U M E 1 , I S S U E 1

How often do you think about the ‘old dogs’ - the dogs that provided the inspiration for the breeders, hunters, and exhibitors in the early days of dogs shows - the late 1800s and early 1900s? The standard written in those early days was a word picture based on the dogs in Norway that had proven them-selves as hunters and producers of hunters. The men who wrote the standards worked with these dogs and built the word description of the Norsk Elghund that is little changed to this day - clarified over the years for those less familiar with the working dog but still rep-resenting the characteristics that made these dogs so important to their owners lives.

Yes, the surviving snapshots of the dogs and bitches that formed the firm foundation of the Norwegian Elkhound breed are grainy, gray, and unposed. But that is the result of photographic technology limita-tions of that time period. Photo technology has come a long way since then but do the sharp, digital, colorful, photoshopped pictures of today teach us any more than those old black and white snapshots of the dogs that were the blueprint of our breed?

A criticism heard with some fre-quency from some of our own breed fanciers is that the photos of those old dogs are not of the qual-ity that should be included in our

educational programs for judges and the public. Many of these pho-tos are available on the NEAA Web site (www.neaa.net) or in the breed history books by Olav Wallo, “The New Complete Norwegian Elk-hound”, and Olav Campbell, “My 60 Years With Norwegian El-ghunds”. Take a look. Look past the grainy black and white photo technology and truly SEE the dogs. Look past the working dog coats - ungroomed when judged by today’s artificial foo-foo dog trimming and texturizing. Look past the lack of show stance set up and baiting and see that these dogs stood four square without the practiced arti-fice of a handler’s slight of hand.

These are the working ancestors of our dogs now probably some twenty to thirty dog generations behind the dogs of today but still represent the correct essentials of type and structure that our stan-dard describes. All you have to do is look at those photos and see it in light of the standard’s word picture.

You will see “Moderate Angula-tion” fore and aft. Shoulder blades and upper arms of equal operative length balanced in the rear by fe-mur to tibia equality . You will see Body proportions “square in pro-file and close coupled.” Height at the withers equal to body length from chest to rump with a short loin giving strength and capable of efficient transmission of propulsive power from the rear to the shock absorbing strength of the front assembly. You will see a balance of the arch of the tail curled over the centerline of the back and the ‘good rising’ of the neck in front finished with a strong, noble head.

Submitted by Karen Elvin (Sangrud)

Reprinted from the August AKC Gazette

“Take a look.

Look past the

grainy black

and white

photo

technology

and truly SEE

the dogs.”

Health Focus: OFA The Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA: www.offa.org) was

founded over 40 years ago. The

OFA collates and disseminates

information concerning orthopedic

and genetic diseases of animals.

When elghund breeders refer to

OFA, they typically mean a hip x-

ray evaluation. OFA also manages

evaluation and databases for el-

bows, thyroid, and a number of other health related areas. The

dogs reported in the normal range

include ratings of excellent, good,

and fair. Abnormal results are dogs

that have been rated as borderline

or dysplastic (mild, moderate, se-

vere).

As a breeder sending off an OFA x-

ray, it sometimes seems that the

process has a touch of randomness to it (at least in terms of guessing

the OFA rating). A good x-ray also

plays a big role — there are many

tales from breeders of the same

dog with different rating scores

based on d i f ferent x-rays

(sometimes varying between an

abnormal and normal reading).

OFA uses an average from the

readings from 3 radiologists to try to reduce the effect of a single

bias.

Ratings aside, a good hip x-ray is an

important part of a breeder’s tool-

box. ALL breeding stock should be

x-rayed and breeders need to edu-

cate themselves about how to in-

terpret x-rays. The OFA site has

quite a bit of information, including

pictures and sketches of the basis for the various ratings. A tight joint

with nearly complete coverage of

the ball by the socket is optimal and

is needed to acquire the highest

ratings. A dysplastic dog will have

subluxation with a shallow socket

that does not cover the ball well.

Severe cases will exhibit bone changes in the joint. As technology

continues to develop, 3-D radio-

graphic evaluations will become

more commonplace with electronic

records the norm.

Preliminary x-rays can be done on

young dogs, but a dog must be at

least 24 months of age to receive

an OFA rating. The current hip

statistics for elkhounds from OFA are 78.8% normal and 19.6% abnor-

mal. This means that nearly 1 in 5

elkhounds are rated in the border-

line or dysplastic category. Keeping

in mind that those dog owners

taking the time and money for an

OFA evaluation are likely to be

breeders or those with show/

performance dogs, these numbers

are something to ponder. It’s up to our breeders to keep only dogs

with healthy hips (verified by x-ray)

in the breeding pool. A compari-

son between OFA and other rat-

ings such as PennHip is a discussion

for another day.

The OFA is the standard in the US

& Canada — please share your

experiences with us from other

countries!

Submitted by Andrea Schokker

(Highland)

OFA Dysplastic (bitch)

OFA GOOD (bitch)

Contrary to popular myth, dogs

favoring the “frog leg” position (like

this pregnant mom cooling her

tummy) are not more prone to hip

dysplasia.

P A G E 5

We want to hear from you! Our new web page/newsletter is intended for Norwegian Elghund owners around the world. We welcome articles about Elghunds in your part of the world.

Elghund Outreach

Regular Features We plan to have a regular feature on legislation to keep you up to date in the latest on that front. In addition, we’ll plan to have regular features on training, health, and articles from across the globe. Just email your ideas and articles to submissions@elghund.info. We will debut articles in the eNEWS and then prior to publishing the next issue will put the articles from the past issue onto the appropriate location on www.elghund.info.

disposable items but creatures that need our lifelong care and

commitment.

Carol Slattery, Kim Chisholm,

Mallory Golladay and Karen

Elvin produced a stellar dis-

play for the NEAM including a

spectacular set of moose ant-

lers, poster picture of an Elk-

hound celebrity, a running

slide show featuring Norwe-

gian Elkhounds at work and play and breed information

hand outs. Of course the

booth atmosphere was en-

hanced by the presence of two

five month old puppies, Oscar

and Aksel and the dowager

princess, Alphie.

If you get a chance to partici-

pate in such an event in your

area, Just DO IT!

On September 19, 2009, mem-bers of the Norwegian Elk-

hound Association of Minne-

sota took part in the

‘Responsible Dog Owner’s

Day’ gala held at the Washing-

ton County Fair Grounds and

sponsored by the American

Kennel Club and St. Croix

Valley Kennel Club. Over

thirty clubs and other dog organizations set up booths

and met the crowds of inter-

ested people who came to see

different breeds and ‘talk dogs’

with the representatives of the

local area breed clubs.

Giving the public opportunities

to see well behaved dogs of

different breeds and to talk

with those who have experi-ence with the training, care

and problems associated with

dogs, can be a major positive

influence in educating the pub-

lic and helping people realize

that dogs and all pets are not

T H E E N E W S

Alphie in full regalia

Aksel and Kim showing table manners

Carol holding down the fort

P A G E 6

Norwegian Elkhound Association of Scotland Championship Show: Critique and Results

17 October, 2009 I would like to first thank the NEAS for their very kind invita-

tion to come and judge their

35th Championship show. Hav-

ing attended this show four

years prior, I knew of their high

standard of organization and

hospitality and this trip did not

disappoint. Chairman Drew

Littlejohn and wife Susan, the

Secretary went out of their way to make us feel at home and

shuttled us where we needed to

be, showing us excellent hospi-

tality all along the way. This

coupled with the excellent stew-

arding by Ian Lees and Tommy

Pringle made my assignment

both easy and pleasant.

I was told that the entry was a

good one and it seems that overall, Elkhound entries on

both sides of the pond are

down, due in part (I feel) to

many of the older, more estab-

lished kennels having run their

course along with the general

state of the economy which

keeps us all from doing as many

things as we would like. While

nobody wants our breed to be ultra popular, we must be vigi-

lant that it does not slip below

certain levels with minimal gene

pools to draw from. It was

pointed out to me later at the

dinner that the lack of lower

class entries was due to few

puppies whelped in the past year and this is not necessarily a

good sign.

I felt that the dogs presented to

me were of good quality overall

with the plusses outweighing

the minuses. Most were of

good type, although I did find

several males to be on the large

and cumbersome side and this

does detract from what a func-t ioning E lkhound is a l l

about. As on both sides of the

pond, fronts are troublesome

and there were several young-

sters not displaying sufficient

keel along with mature speci-

mens being too wide. Individu-

als with correct shoulder lay-

back and overall balance were

rewarded. I was pleased to find that all but one individual pre-

sented good bites with no miss-

ing premolars. Eye colour was a

bit of a mixed bag, running the

gamut from beautiful dark black

to rather light and roundish in

shape which does spoil the typi-

cal Elkhound expression. Treas-

ure a good dark eye of proper

shape which is well set into the head…they can be lost all too

easily.

Results & Critiques

Yearling Dog (1)

1st – Hunter’s Huistenbosch

Eirik - a happy and biggish male

approaching a year and a half. Would not want him to

grow any more. Dark masked,

his eye colour was lighter than I

prefer and his front at this point

has some developing to do as

he tends to toe out. Movement

needs to tighten.

Novice Dog (1)

1st – Hunter’s Huistenbosch

Eirik - as above

Post Graduate Dog (2, 1 ab) 1st – Cree’s Shundelko Shay Given - More mature 3 year old with overall correct outline and proportions. He is quite short coupled and has a beauti-ful colour and good tail. His front does tend to toe out and his head could use more fill.

Minor Limit Dog (2, 1 ab) 1st – McHugh’s Naraena Knut av Conrick - Big dog approach-ing the limit of acceptable size. At 3 years of age, his head is mature and has good fill and good expression although eyes could be a tad darker. His loin is long and tail could be higher set and both of these give him the impression of being lanky. Slightly cowhocked.

Limit Dog (5, 1 ab) 1st – Middleton’s Ithim Agus

Suim SHCM - This dog presents

a correct and balanced outline

and stands foresquare..

(con’d pg 7)

T H E E N E W S

Our home for 3 days: Not your usual dog show

hotel!

“Chairman Drew Littlejohn and wife Susan, the Secretary went out of their way to make us feel at home and shuttled us where we needed to be, showing us excellent hospitality all along the way. This coupled with the excellent stewarding by Ian Lees and Tommy Pringle made my assignment both easy and pleasant.” Margaret K. Mott (Kamgaard)

Scottish Championship (continued) P A G E 7 V O L U M E 1 , I S S U E 1

He has a tight body overall and well– muscled loin. His head has the correct proportions when viewed from overhead, however from the side, he has a very abrupt stop cre-ating too much of a rounded look to the backskull with slightly rounded eyes. Movement was good and he has a beautiful silver colour.

2nd – Gilbert’s Barlestone Ingolf -Another dog which stood fores-quare with good colour, but this individual did not possess the hard-ness of body of the first dog. His front was on the wide side and head was not masculine enough although he has a good eye of dark colour.

3rd – Cree’s Ravenstone Toast Master

Open Dog (5) 1st – Middleton’s Ch & Ir Ch. Kes-tos I Spy At Graythor JW,SHCM - A very “standard” dog who at age 6 is in the absolute height of matur-ity. He was presented in beautiful hard condition and (like his sire!) never lets his handler down. He inadvertently stepped on a tack on the down and back, but after re-moval and a few rubs, he was back to his old self. I love his tight coat and black eyes. To be critical, I would want for his front not to move as wide as it does and for his feet to be better. RCC and Re-serve Best in Show.

2nd – Maun’s Bowerhinton Bear Necessity - Pushed the first dog in this class very hard. I felt that over-all his coat and colour were better than the victor but his loin is not as short and he gives the appearance of being rather long cast in body. He was one of the few dogs who stood with his feet well under him in the right places. Nice head and muzzle. He needs time to ma-ture into his frame but time is on

his side.

3rd – Nichols’s Ch Barlestone Jan-Ivar

Veteran Dog (5, 1 ab) 1st – McHugh’s Ch. Kinderhorn Dain of Conrick, JW SJCM - An-other “standard” dog built very much from the same mould as the RCC dog. This dog was presented in very hard condition for a Vet-eran. Solid body, excellent cou-pling, good rear with drive, colour, coat and lovely dark eyes. He had without a doubt one of the best front assemblies on the day and came at me clean as a whistle. This was the “winning factor” in award-ing him the Dog CC, Best in Show, and Best Veteran in Show.

2nd – Gilbert’s Hynord Smarty Pants - This dog presents an over-all nice picture from the side and has an excellent colour. Wide in front and a bit plain of face, he could do with a little more bone to balance him completely.

3rd – Gray’s Barbelka Dziarski

Minor Puppy Bitch (2, 1 ab) 1st – Gray’s Grasilva Gwendoline Mary - A happy, happy youngster who really enjoyed her day out. As the classes went on, she just kept on bubbling away! She has a nice overall outline, moved well for her age, and has a lovely colour and proper flat coat along with beautiful dark eyes. Currently she is a tad high in the rear, but I suspect that this will change as it is not uncom-mon for this “growing pain” to be present at her age. I will watch her career with interest. Best Puppy in Show.

(con’d pg 8)

Middleton’s Ch & Jr Ch. Kesto’s I Spy at Graythor JW SJCM

Reserve Best in Show, RCC

McHugh’s Ch. Kinderhorn Dain of Conrick JW SJCM Best in Show, Dog CC, Best Veteran in Show

Scottish Championship (continued) Puppy Bitch (2) 1st – Gray’s Grasilva Gwendoline Mary - as above

2nd – Punnett’s Barbelka Ozdobh - Another nice puppy overall, how-ever longer cast in body and not as much bone as #1. Good ears and head, dark eye, flat coat and good colour.

Junior Bitch (3) 1st – Barganska’s Barbelka Nowinka - An overall nice bitch presenting a lovely outline. Good coat and col-our. Ears could be smaller. I find her steep in shoulder and this caused her to have front action which became erratic at times. Tends to toe out as well.

2nd – Maun and Stirling’s Bowerhin-ton Black Magic - Slightly smaller bitch than the first bitch, but within acceptable limits. Good in both coat and colour and likewise she can toe out at times and I feel could use more bend of stifle and bone. She is currently slightly high in rear, but hopefully this will change as she matures.

3rd – Punnett’s Barbelka Ozdobh

Yearling Bitch (1) 1st – Barganska’s Barbelka Nowinka - as above

Post Graduate Bitch (5, 2 ab) 1st – Hudson’s Kestos Night Sky at Norderhove - A very nice yearling who was being a handful for her owner/handler! Slightly smaller than the #2 bitch, she has lovely overall type-- tight body, flat-lying coat, black eyes. Colour and con-trast are excellent. Very clean mover both coming and go-ing. Needs some time to settle, but could be an asset to any kennel.

2nd – Hoffman and Joyner’s Albaelk Promise To A Lady - Slightly larger bitch, but overall much the same type as the #1 bitch. Good coat, colour and bone. Larger ears set

too much to the sides. Dark, but round eyes.

3rd – Cree’s Shundelko Shannikka at Kobeyashi

Minor Limit Bitch (6, 4ab) 1st – Hudson’s Kestos Night Sky at N o r d e r h o v e - a s a b o v e 2nd – Datta’s Cakirjo Moonlight Shadow - Nice bitch who pushed #1 very hard. Short coupled, sound mover, good bone. Larger ears not as well set and lighter eyes than the first bitch. Rear not as strong as the first bitch.

Limit Bitch (7, 1 ab) 1st – Barganska’s Barbelka Nowinka —as above

2nd – Hoffman and Joyner’s Albaelk Bonny Lassie - Very nice silver bitch with a good outline and good movement from the side. Good balance with excellent coat, colour and texture. A little slight on bone and her rear let her down.

3rd – Brewin’s Graythor Norwe-gian Star at Liondyke

Open Bitch (10, 2 ab) 1st – Lee’s Ch. Barlestone Naomie - This bitch is very much a “complete package”.. good sized, moved well, in excellent coat with good colour and texture. Every inch a “show girl!” who gave her all for her handler. If I were to change anything, I would wish for a less abrupt stop to give her head a more pleasing outline. Her plusses far outweigh this one minus and thus she was awarded the Bitch CC.

2nd – Nichols’s Barlestone Johanna - This bitch is built along similar lines as the #1 bitch above, though slighter in build. Moved well. Well presented and in excellent coat and colour as well. Likewise I would like her stop to be less pronounced.

3rd – Cowper’s Bowerhinton Bright N Breeze of Rothenborg, JW

Veteran Bitch (5,2ab) Two lovely littermates here, both looking very well for 11+ years of age.

1st – Taylor’s Barlestone Quilla At Fabelmor - Good sized bitch in excellent condition for her age. Good coat and colour. She just looked a picture and showed her heart out for her owner. She was placed over her more famous sister by virtue of her excellent bone and overall package. Reserve CC

2nd – Nichols’s Ch. Barlestone Qualiti - A lot of depth of quality here in this bitch with many of the same attributes as her sister. Split-ting hairs here… ears larger and not the bone and substance of the #1 bitch.

3rd – Murphy’s Ch. Shundelko Anoushka

Submitted by Margaret K. Mott (Kamgaard)

(additional pictures on pg 9-10)

Of the BIS:

“ He had

without a

doubt one of

the best front

assemblies on

the day and

came at me

clean as a

whistle.”

Lee’s Ch. Barlestone Naomie Bitch CC

P A G E 9

Scottish Championship Photos

T H E E N E W S

Best in Show Reserve Best in Show

Bitch CC Reserve Bitch CC

Scottish Championship Photos (con’d)

The Norwegian Elkhound Association of Scotland Dinner

Gorgeous scenery everywhere you look

Some of the beautiful challenge trophies

In the ring with Post Graduate Bitch class winner, Hudson’s Kestos Night Sky at Norderhove

P A G E 1 1

“I like their (elghunds) independent nature, which makes me work a little harder. You have to remember what that dog was bred to do…” Rita Munson (Glacier Valley)

In the News: Rita Munson from the Independent Record, Helena, Montana

boring. There’s just not enough going on. I like to see

them be busy, I like them to be

distracted, and I like them to

have an issue.”

And if the problem is with

another dog in class, those two dogs will be spending a lot of

time next to each other, until

each can do so without acting

up.

“If they have an issue with a

particular dog, then I would

rather have that happen in class where I can help the

owner than have it happen

someplace else where every-

one falls apart because they

don’t know what to do,”

Munson said. “These two dogs

don’t have to be friends, they

have to learn to just get along.

I don’t care if they ever like

each other, but they can not be aggressive to each other.”

She’s taught dozens of Bears,

at least as many Mollys, and

once taught a dog owned by a

hunter — at the insistence of

the fellow’s hunting buddies.

Munson laughs at the memory of the man’s tuition being paid

in a fistful of small bills after his

pals took up a collection to

train him and his dog.

For all the obedience training

she’s taught, Munson’s favorite

breed is one that tends toward independence. She currently

owns five Norwegian elk-

hounds, and says knowing what

a dog is bred for is important

when determining whether it will be a good fit for a family.

“I like their independent na-

ture, which makes me work a

little harder,” she said of her

elkhounds. “You have to re-

member what that dog was bred to do, because that can

be the problems that you’ll

deal with. This dog is bred to

be turned out in the forest and

hunt moose. And when it finds

the moose, it’s to keep barking

and agitate the moose so that

the hunter can hear where

they’re at. Which means they

can have a barking nature. It also means that they don’t

particularly want to work with

you, because they’ve been

taught to go off on their own

and work. I like the challenge

of taking that dog and finding a

way that will make him work

for me without having him shut

down.”

Taken from the full article written

by John Harrington. For the full

text and video go to the news link

at www.elghund.info.

As well known as she is by people around Helena, Rita

Munson probably maintains an

even higher profile among the

Queen City’s canine commu-

nity.

Munson, 63, estimates she’s taught obedience to more than

3,000 dogs and their owners

over the past two decades. So

the next time you see a dog

heeling compliantly at its

owner’s side, even as the tan-

dem passes another dog on

the sidewalk, there’s a decent

chance that owner and that

dog learned to walk tall and straight in a concrete room at

the Lewis and Clark County

Fairgrounds, under the ever

watchful eye and occasionally

stern voice of Munson.

“I think what I really like is the

dogs that come in that are really green,” Munson said in

an interview at her Helena

Valley home last week. “Even

the dogs that are the worst,

that are the hardest, I like to

watch those dogs improve, and

I like to watch the owners be

happy that they’re making that

improvement.”

A typical obedience class in-

cludes 20 dogs, which might

sound like a lot, but that’s how

Munson likes it.

“I enjoy a large class because I enjoy the interaction that it

causes the other dogs to have

to learn around,” she said. “A

small class to me gets kind of

T H E E N E W S

P A G E 1 2

Recovering Game using Elghunds Norwegian Elkhounds are bred to hunt large game, mainly Elg

(moose) in Norway. Opportuni-

ties for elkhounds to hunt big

game in North America are

limited. It is not legal to hunt

moose with dogs. Dogs are

used to hunt white-tailed deer in

some states, mainly in some

southeastern states of the U.S.

though it’s unlikely an elkhound would be considered for this

task as other hound breeds are

more popular and well-suited to

driving deer.

It is legal in some areas to hunt

bear with dogs and elkhounds

have traditionally been used for

bear hunting in Scandinavian

countries but again, in the U.S.

the more traditional hounds for this type of hunting are typically

Plott Hounds, Blueticks, Treeing

Walkers and similar breeds re-

leased in small packs to pursue

the bear.

Elkhounds were bred to hunt

independently. Unfortunately

their use for hunting in the U.S.

and Canada is so limited that

most never do hunt though some have been used for small

game. And any elkhound owner

knows that their dog would

gladly pursue a rabbit, squirrel or

even birds given the chance. I’ve

heard first hand accounts of

elkhounds being superb squirrel

hunting dogs. Yes, it is their

instinct to hunt but how can we

involve them in our hunting practices for large game?

One way is through blood-

trailing or tracking wounded

game. Many states and some Canadian provinces and territo-

ries do allow the pursuit of a

wounded animal using a dog and

elkhounds are well-suited for

this. (Regulations vary so be

sure to check in your area if

you are going to do this). Elk-

hounds typically air scent before

they ground scent and are often

seen on their toes, neck stretched, nose in the air facing

into the breeze, reading the

scent carried there. They will

ground scent and can be trained

to be wonderful trackers using

their keen sense of smell.

John Jeanneney in his book

Tracking Dogs for Finding

Wounded Deer credits elk-

hounds with being a good choice for tracking wounded

bear. He says, “On a bear trail

it would be good to have a dog

ahead that wind scents ex-

tremely well and also uses his

eyes and ears to locate the bear

before I crawl too close”.

We have used both of our cur-

rent elkhounds to blood trail big

game, mainly deer. However, Tukka (CH Normark Tukka of

Wolfridge, RN) once had the

opportunity to track a wounded

black bear. Even though the

track was 18 hours old, she was

able to extend the search well

beyond what the hunters

thought had been the end.

Unfortunately the bear was not

mortally wounded and escaped across a river, leaving Tukka

standing on the bank whining.

She was not ready to give up.

Kia (Peer Gynt Power to Sur-

prise, RN) and Tukka have both

tracked wounded deer. Most of

these tracks were less than 100

yards as the deer were well-hit.

These short tracks with certain

success are perfect for training

the young elkhound. They have

also had opportunities to dem-

onstrate their almost unbeliev-able ability to detect even the

tiniest traces of blood and have

quickly led us to blood trails

that we were unable to locate

ourselves. I was once nearly

dragged 40 yards through the

brush by an excited dog that

had gotten the scent of blood

or animal only to discover a half

eaten mouse laying on the for-est floor! Talk about the pro-

verbial “needle in a haystack”;

this should give some idea of

just how capable an elkhound is

when its job is to find blood or

downed animal.

Training begins when the pup is

young by laying tracks using

blood saved from previously

harvested animals but simply giving them opportunities to

track a fresh killed deer will aid

in their development. The dog

must also learn not to pursue

deer that are not wounded and

that the dog has not been asked

to track. The aforementioned

book by John Jeanneney is rec-

ommended reading for anyone

who desires to track wounded deer with a dog. The sturdy

and capable elkhound can be an

(con’d pg 11)

T H E E N E W S

Tukka and Cindy start off

First sign of the blood trail

Recovering Game (continued) P A G E 1 3 V O L U M E 1 , I S S U E 1

effective tracker of wounded game.

Its desire and natural ability to hunt

make it an excellent companion in

hunting situations. Difficult terrain

is not a deterrent to elkhounds

which are well-suited through good

breeding to hunt all day with solid

footing over rough ground in thick

forests even climbing steep, rocky

outcroppings. It can manage in

cold, wet conditions typical during

hunting seasons in the north thanks

to the double-thick, weather resis-

tant coat.

I hunted with beagles for many

years and so I am familiar with pur-

suing wild game with dogs. To

watch a dog work is fascinating and

their excitement is contagious. The

same is true with blood-trailing

using elkhounds. When they know

they are going to work, they be-

come very excited and they stick to

the task at hand with determina-

tion. It thrills me to have found a

way to include my elkhounds in my

hunting and though dreams of hunt-

ing moose with them will have to

remain just dreams, I’m very happy

that we have found a way to let

them use their natural-born abilities

to aid in the recovery of big game.

For more information on training

and tracking to recover wounded

game:

www.born-to-track.com/john.htm

www.unitedbloodtrackers.org

www.deersearch.org

Submitted by Cindy Gustafson

Kia investigates the deer

Tukka’s deer

Finding the deer

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Happy Holidays from the

Kamgaard Norwegian Elkhounds

Here’s wishing all the best to the staff of NEW. May your efforts bring about international learning, understanding and sharing of information about the breed we hold so dear. To our friends around the world we wish good health, wealth,

prosperity and peace in the New Year.

Maggie and Sally

www.kamgaard.com

News Flash! Group 3, Lake Shore KC

November 21 under Judge Francine Schwartz

Sangrud Norsk Elghunds Est. 1946

Four generations of family stewardship Twenty four generations of Elghunds

Kristin Wehking 608-655-1354

sangrud@verizon.net

Karen Elvin 651-433-4666 sangrud@mac.com

CH. Sangrud Ice Skip’s Storm (CH. Sangrud Bauslerke Ice Skip x CH. Sangrud Toby’s Bella Bella)

Owner: Dawn Meldahl 2008 National Specialty Veteran Dog Class Winner

The next generations:

Sangrud Norsk Elghunds Est. 1946

Four generations of family stewardship Twenty four generations of Elghunds

Kristin Wehking 608-655-1354

sangrud@verizon.net

Karen Elvin 651-433-4666 sangrud@mac.com

Adam Wehking Josh Wehking

Happy Holidays from Highland!

Highland Norwegian Elkhounds Andrea Schokker, Steve Graham, and Aidan Graham

Duluth, Minnesota aschokke@d.umn.edu

the lone Highland Pharaoh Hound!

Aging like a fine wine...

Multi SBIS CH Skyemar’s Storm Warning

SPECIALTY BEST IN SHOW Two years in a row

NEAM Specialty, October 2008 & 2009

(currently 11 years old)

Mother of these winners/title holders : All-breed Best in Show

Specialty Best in Show

Six AKC champions

Number one Elkhound (all-breeds)

FIRST Elkhound Champion Tracker (only one to date)

Agility MX, MXJ, National Specialty High in Trial

Obedience (CD)

Rally (RA)

Versatility

Skijoring

And continuing the excellence through her grand children and great-grand children.

Owned by Andrea Schokker (Highland) Bred by Skye & Mary Masson (SkyeMar)

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