Kamia Kennels is the work of two people — Jess and I — living and working in the northern ranges of British Columbia and Alberta, raising, restoring, and protecting the Full Blood Norwegian and Jamthund Elkhound. What we do here is not a business model, not a kennel operation, and not a hobby. It is a stewardship mission carried by two people who have devoted their lives to the dogs, the land, and the lineage.
Who We Are
I am the architect of the Kamia restoration program — the designer of the genetic frameworks, the multi‑generation male rotation, the seedstock foundation, and the long‑range preservation strategies that guide every pairing and every line. My work is the academic, structural, and historical backbone of Kamia.
Jess is the grounding force of Kamia — the one who manages and helps raise every litter, manages every dam, oversees every whelping, shapes every early temperament, and ensures that every pup leaves here confident, balanced, and ready for the world. She is the living side of the architecture: the maternal expert, the evaluator, the daily steward, and the heart of the Kamia family community. Jess handles most of the transfer of the Stewardship breeding dogs and is heavily involved in co-breeder operations.
Together, we form a complete system: vision and execution, architecture and environment, genetic design and living development. Nothing here works without both of us.
What We Do
Kamia Kennels exists for one purpose: to preserve and restore the true northern Elkhound — the working, instinctive, full‑blood dog that once defined the northern homelands of Norway and Sweden.
Our work includes:
- Restoration Architecture Designing multi‑generation genetic programs that rebuild depth, diversity, and working instinct.
- Full Blood Seedstock Foundation Maintaining and expanding a true, verifiable, heritage‑based population of Norwegian and Jamthund Elkhounds.
- Maternal Line Stewardship Jess’s domain — the shaping of dams, litters, early development, and the maternal genetic base.
- Male Rotation & Line Balance My domain — the long‑range design that ensures strength, stability, and generational continuity.
- Client Stewardship Guiding families who understand the responsibility of raising a heritage dog with intention and respect.
- Education & Public Clarity Publishing the science, the history, and the truth about preservation, genetics, and the northern breeds.
How We Work
We raise our dogs in the mountains — in real weather, real terrain, and real northern conditions. Our pups grow up in the rhythm of our daily life: snow, forest, wind, pack structure, and human partnership. We do not produce dogs for trends, shows, or cosmetic breeding. We produce dogs for purpose, instinct, and heritage.
Every litter is planned years in advance. Every pairing is intentional. Every pup is known, evaluated, and placed with care. Every family becomes part of the Kamia circle.
Why We Do It
Because the true Elkhound is disappearing. Because the registries collapsed. Because the working lines fractured. Because the northern dog deserves better than the show ring and the pet market. Because someone had to rebuild what was being lost.
And because Jess and I believe that heritage — real heritage — is worth fighting for.
Kamia Kennels Today
Kamia is now one of the most significant restoration efforts for the Norwegian and Jamthund Elkhound in North America. Our dogs live across Canada and the United States with families who value instinct, intelligence, and the northern spirit. Our work continues to expand, generation by generation, through the combined strength of:
- our dogs
- our families
- our land
- our stewardship
This is who we are. This is what we do. This is Kamia.
