Varja is one of the most important females ever produced at Kamia — a daughter of Tekla and Karu, uniting the original Norwegian foundation female with the Finnish reinforcement sire. She carries the deep, old‑world genetics that anchor the maternal side of the Full Blood Restoration, combining Tekla’s historic Norwegian architecture with Karu’s rugged Finnish working lineage. Varja represents the kind of Elkhound that existed before the modern show‑ring era: powerful, athletic, intelligent, and steady, with the unmistakable presence of a true northern working dog. She is thousands of years of history!
Her Lineage and Genetic Role
Varja’s pedigree is a rare and irreplaceable convergence:
- Tekla — the first‑generation born Norwegian import whose maternal line defines the restoration
- Karu — the Finnish‑born working‑line male who reinforces endurance, structure, and old‑type genetics
Together, they produced a female who is genetically clean, structurally correct, and temperamentally exceptional. Varja is not simply a good female — she is a foundation female. Her genetics are the kind you build from, not the kind you correct.
She stands as the maternal continuation of Kamp and Tekla’s line and the first expression of Karu’s influence on the Full Blood program. She maintains as a dual purpose restoration female in that she is also preserving and restoring the Norwegian Elkhounds with her earlier litters.
Her recent litter with Odin was monumental in that both lineages were multiple generation Kamia bred Norwegian Elkhounds and the offspring are incredible. Lesja has been retained as a maternal foundation and the other four are in our new Norwegian Elkhound stewardship program. Two of those boys are featured above.
Temperament and Working Instinct
Varja carries the classic Elkhound mind:
- calm, confident, and observant
- deeply bonded to her people
- intelligent without being reactive
- steady in new environments
- naturally protective without unnecessary edge
She reads the world correctly — the hallmark of a true Elkhound. Her instincts are clean, her judgment is sound, and her presence is unmistakably that of a working northern dog.
Structure and Type
Varja is built exactly the way a restoration female should be:
- strong, correct topline
- deep chest and proper rib
- powerful rear assembly
- correct feet and pasterns
- balanced proportions
- dense, weatherproof coat
- classic Elkhound expression
There is no exaggeration in her structure — no cosmetic breeding, no modern show‑ring distortion. She is functional, athletic, and built for terrain, weather, and work.
Her Role in the Restoration Architecture
Varja is a maternal cornerstone of the Full Blood program and Norwegian Elkhound program. Through her daughter (Lesja, and the females that follow), and her earlier son, Odin, along with the latest Norwegin Elkhounds from the Odin litter the Varja–Karu architecture continues forward with depth and integrity. Through her sons, she reinforces the male rotation and strengthens compatibility across the Posso, ARCO, Leif branches.
She is one of the females who ensures the restoration remains genetically deep, structurally correct, and temperamentally authentic.
Varja × Posso — A Defining Cross
The Varja × Posso pairing is one of the most strategically important breedings in the restoration. It unites:
- Varja’s Tekla‑rooted maternal depth
- Karu’s Finnish working‑line structure
- Posso’s Swedish/Jamthund hunting drive and size
- three fully compatible northern lineages
This cross produces dogs with the genetics, structure, and temperament to carry the restoration into the next decade.
Varja in the Kamia Program
Varja is not just a dam — she is a pillar. Her influence will be felt for generations through daughters who become foundation females and sons who reinforce the male architecture. She is one of the clearest expressions of what the Norwegian Elkhound is meant to be.
Varja is of course blessed with genetics from centuries ago and her heritage is full of the Nordic Champion Elkhounds from Norway. She carries the famed Ravenstone bloodline, Kamia is proud to be one of the last remaining breeders that focus to maintain that ancient working lineage from a master 50 year breeder. Multiple 50 year breeders are in the background of Varja. Ravenstone Hattie is shown below, literally the winningest kennel in the Crufts history with more Championships than any other. I think the record still stands today for Ravenstone. Varja looks like a splitting image of Hattie.
I of course named Varja in honor of the profound ancient female in her background, none other of course than Varja, who was decades ago the first International hunting and working Champion female from Norway and still today, stands as the most prolific female of all Norwegian Elkhounds. This great heritage is carried forward in our Kamia Varja.
Varja is one of the oldest known lineages of all Norwegian Elkhounds. Tracing back to the start of the Assocations and beyond.
The bloodline genetic set and more importantly the Instinctive genetic set is completely intact in Varja. This old boy, a masterpiece of working Norwegian Elkhound excellence passed down all instinctive skills intact. These old boys were cherished working dogs and Varg was Champion hunting Elkhound early 60’s. These boys are still showing traits in todays pups from Varja.
Varja’s father bring intense genetic diversity to the bloodline of Varja. His bloodline has not been in North America and most of his background is Finland and some Norway great sires. He is the perfect match to bring that diversity, the hunting instinctive skill set as his ancestors are Champion hunt lines like the ones in Tekla. Matching these two genetic’s was a tremendous thing to have for foundation maternal females like Varja.
