The Norwegian Elkhound is currently on the endangered list by the Norwegian Elkhound Association as they are running out of diverse genetics. What that basically means is there are few if any females that are unrelated to the existing base of males in North America. There is no one to mate the dogs too.

Culling and focus on all things other than genetic diversity has lead to a situation where the genetic pool is extremely small. It was a finite group of genetic material to begin with, meaning only so many options of diverse mating were possible at the beginning, but now, few to none.

Type breeding means to not use all the genetic material in the Elkhound greater population/breed. Type breeding was started roughly 130 years ago. There are many variations of ideas and concepts as to why this was started, but for a fact, not all agreed with the theory.

Today, there are way less that agree than do agree. They see the writing on the wall. In order to have Type breeding, meaning distinct Norwegian Elkhound dogs, you will need to influence the genetic pool with new bloodlines and new genetic material, basically infuse new females and males so there is dogs to breed diversely.

Only preservation breeders are able to do this, they are the only ones with unrelated and diverse genetic material and they also have all the full instinct dogs. You are not going to save anything if you don’t have full spectrum full instinct preservation Elkhounds to work with. Thus Kamia Kennels is literally the only Preservation breeder left in North America.

Why, well, we do not share our genetics with the greater pool in North America at the moment, nor in the past so that our genetics were “Diverse” and intact with all instincts, features, traits and behaviors. We keep our lines unique, diverse and full working capable so as to be able to replenish the genetic pool.

There are two ways to replenish a genetic pool, one method is to use unrelated but same type genetics. Meaning a fully intact diverse Norwegian Elkhound that has no connection in say, 100 years or more to the main pool of Elkhounds. This can introduce very diverse genetic material to the main pool. The issue comes in with this is it’s unsustainable for any long term decade plus strategy as the genetics are not available to continue to insert new diverse bloodlines. It’s still totally doable for immediate time frames, but will not sustain in the long run.

However, Full Blood Elkhounds can supply literally limitless combinations of new genetic material to the type pools such as the Norwegian Elkhound or the Swedish Elkhound. They can if carefully managed extend the genetic pool back to pre 70’s time frames of dogs and diversity, or further with continued management and care. It’s literally like stepping back 130 plus years in some cases and starting over, this time with a much greater understanding of the dynamics of breeding Elkhounds. This automatically allows us to learn from the mistakes of heavy culling, culling on only certain attributes, etc.

We could at this stage, not focus on anything but saving genetic diversity, keeping all instincts intact and move forward to great a broad base of females and males that are rich in all the features, then we can adjust back into the types as all Full Bloods can go to both types easily.

Breeding Full Bloods is literally only done currently by one Breeder, Kamia Kennels. We are the lone breeder of this incredible restoration Elkhound as we are the only one with the bloodlines required to do it. Fancy that for a minute would you!

One of the very best combinations of genetic lines of Norwegian Elkhounds in the world culminate in the spectacular Norwegian Elkhound female at Kamia Kennels, Revna.

Revna is one of, if not the very best, very nearly at the top of all Norwegian Elkhounds in all attributes anywhere in the world. She has sisters and aunts, relations at Kamia Kennels as good but no really counterparts elsewhere in the world as diverse and instinct rich.

She is one of the absolute mainstay females in the restoration of the Norwegian Elkhound, but also the Swedish Elkhound. But her primary goal right now is to establish the base of Full Bloods so the true diversity can become limitless with potential and opportunity for new genetics.

Revna is currently bred now for her “Second” litter of Full Bloods. She is mated to Ark. She has now whelped 9 Full Blood Elkhound puppies, a Great Time In the History of Elkhounds. Click the image!

Here is a new video on Revna be sure to reach out to me if you are interested in a pup merv@kamiakennels.ca