Thousands of years of hiking and camping and wilderness exploration with the handler leads to instincts honed for this particular task and activity.

I will today touch on how “Instincts” are developed over centuries. Hiking and camping, hunting and survival in the wilderness was a key element the Elkhounds needed to perform. Traits were observed and monitored and the best and most useful dogs for that activity and lifestyle were the ones bred.

Over centuries the process continually selected the ones that were shown to exhibit the traits desired. This is how many natural instinctive behaviors are maintained and enhanced in the Elkhound.

All breeds of dogs have “Instincts” and each of us know many breeds that have strong “Instinctive behaviors”. Another example are the terrier breed. A Jack Russell Terrier is one of the strongest instinctive rat killing dogs. Over a very long period of time this breed was developed to grab, shake and kill rats. Over and over and over. Some days they would work for hours killing many rats. Lots of times 4 to 5 dogs working on a feed supply or bale pile for cattle needed to be rid of the rats, so they would simply have them all there, move the bales and the rats scurry, the dogs grab, shake, kill. The “Instincts of these dogs was the ability to grab, shake and kill the rat.” The breeders continued to breed the best of the dogs thus cementing in the “Instincts”.

Each breed of the main old breeds have a defined purpose, which ultimately led to “Instinctual behavior”. Locking in the traits and behavior became instinct through breeding of the dogs that showed the best traits and actions.

Today in the camping and hiking and recreation world, the lifestyle that accompanies this outdoor life and activity, the Elkhound is the absolute best suited Instinctive rich dog for that activity. No other dog breed has selectively been bred for as long for this activity as the the Elkhound.

A comparison to a newer breed of dog for an active camping and hiking lifestyle would be a breed like a German Shepard. Compare the Elkhound who has thousands of years of history and instinctual behavior in camping, hiking, remote terrain work with the handler to the German Shepard who has almost no years of history in this work, and is literally 130 years or just over in total history period. With none of it focused on hiking, camping, active lifestyle in remote terrain.

Many people forget to understand how instincts make the activity with their dog so much better. A dog bred for a certain activity has incredible potential to be beneficial, helpful, easier to work with, more fun, a thousand times more rewarding if it has instincts toward the activity.

In camping, hiking, any remote terrain activity period, there is no better choice of dog breed than the Elkhound. It does not matter, Norwegian Elkhound, Swedish Elkhound or Full Blood, Jamthund etc. all are literally the same dog Instinctively. So all excel at outdoor lifestyle.

I will highlight a few Norwegian Elkhound litters coming. Silver Nessa and Karu, Tikka and Karu, soon we will also have Merle coming up to mate with Varja, Teeko will be mating with Kessa in May. These are the best and most instinct rich Elkhounds on the planet.

If you are looking for a companion dog to accompany you on outdoor lifestyle adventures, we have pups coming for that. Eric and Helen have Bjorn. He is very much the same genetic as those new litters coming. They have an incredible companion for all the outdoor life they encounter and pursue. It’s such a dream to see Bjorn out doing what he was bred to do. Many Huge Thanks to Eric and Helen for the great life Bjorn has and for keeping us posted on his adventures with you.