Elkhounds excel in agility, obedience, and tracking. Learn about their independence, intelligence, and versatility in dog sports.
Tracy Lorraine Smith
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This article was originally published in Showsight Magazine, May 2015 issue.
Elkhounds are not just pretty faces; they are very intelligent and can excel in many different dog sports. There is nothing like the feeling of working with your best friend. Bred to be independent, when hunting, they go off and find the moose, then bark and bounce to hold it in place until the hunter comes to shoot it.
While they are definitely not a breed that will do something just because you tell them to, with the right kind of training and respect for their independence, you can do just about anything.
One of the most popular AKC performance venues is dog agility. The athleticism of the Elkhound is showcased in this venue. Elkhounds are running agility at every level, and the thrill of a great run with your favorite teammate cannot be beat!
AKC agility started in 1994, and the AKC top dog that year was an Elkhound, Berrit, aka Ch. Midnight Sun’s Grin N Berrit MX AXJ CDX VNEX, owned and handled by Richard (Dick) Budny. The High in Trial trophy for agility at the Elkhound National Specialty is bestowed in her honor.
It took a bit longer for the first MACH, but in 2003, “Serker,” MACH Ch. Longships Sealine Berserker VCD2 TD OVNEX, owned and handled by Larry Lovig, became the first Elkhound to get several dogs have followed in his footsteps, and the all-time leader, MACH 5 Ch. Vikrest Steppin’ Out in Style RN CD “Prada,” is still active and working on that MACH 6 at the age of 7 with owner/handler Betsy Flagg. Elkhounds are a healthy breed, and dogs are frequently competing into their teens.
Obedience is another venue where Elkhounds can shine. Elkhounds have worked at every level of obedience, including the highest levels of competition obedience. The first two Obedience Trial Champions were owned and handled by Don and Marilyn Rotier: Am/Can OTCH Camalot’s Bella Tigra (a Norwegian import!) and Am/Can OTCH Camalot’s TrulleAyla UD in the 1980s.
Elkhounds are quite intelligent and learn things very quickly. The challenge is to have them show what they know in public. Frequently, the mischievous imp in the Elkhound can think up new and better ways to perform the obedience exercises, pleasing the crowd but not necessarily the judge! When working with Elkhounds, a sense of humor is a requirement.
When Rally was added to the AKC performance options, Elkhounds were right there in the forefront. Rally is a fast-paced, fun activity for both dog and owner. There are twists, turns, and jumps, keeping both Elkhound and handler on their toes. Rally has probably become the most popular dog sport for Elkhounds, and the first Rally title came within weeks of the start of the new sport, a Rally Novice title for U-CD Wrathwood’s Lasting UD RN NA NAJ “Merlin” and his owner/handler Dona Barsul. Merlin was also a Search and Rescue dog, once again showing the versatility of the breed.
Being Scent Hounds, tracking comes naturally to Elkhounds. Even with that advantage, it is also a very challenging sport. We are proud to say that there is a Champion Tracker (CT) Elkhound, “Alley” CT Ch. Highland Tornado Alley CD RN VNE, owned and handled by Wendy Vise-Wiley. A tracking dog uses its nose to follow a set track, and the handler is just along for the ride.
Not being in the Herding Group, the Elkhound cannot contend in AKC herding trials, but dogs have earned American Herding Breed Association (AHBA) titles. The Breed Standard mentions Elkhounds being used as reindeer herding dogs in Norway. Melanie Rodgers and her Elkhound Silkgrass Trufa’s Hy Mountain Beyla RE CGC have the AHBA Junior Herding Dog title on sheep.
Barn Hunt is a new sport where dogs climb up, over, and under straw bales to find tubes containing live rats. There are three levels with increasing numbers of rats to find. In 2014, the National Champion was an Elkhound, the first one ever! Ch. Janor’s Guilty as Charged CD GN RAE MXP MJP “Loki” and owner/handler Dennis Bell took the honors at the Barn Hunt Nationals in Missouri. This up-and-coming sport is ideally suited for the Elkhound’s natural scenting and scrambling abilities and is becoming very popular in the breed.
But at the end of the day, Elkhounds also love just being with their people and enjoying the great outdoors with them—hiking, skijoring, rafting, or camping. They are built to go all day in the forests of Norway, looking for game, and they enjoy getting out into nature. In Norway, they hunt off-leash, “loshund,” and on-leash, “bandhund,” but in the U.S., we usually keep our Elkhounds on-leash because they expect you to come looking for them, not the other way around!
They are busy looking for moose, and the Norwegian hunting test requires them to bark for three hours to help the hunter find them once they have the moose at bay. They are also used for hunting bear in their native Norway. A more loyal and loving friend and companion you cannot find.
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