Keeshond vs Norwegian Elkhound

A Keeshond
Photo: Svenska Mässan from Sweden
A Norwegian Elkhound
Photo: Canarian

Side by side

Keeshond
Norwegian Elkhound
Adult weight
16–20 kg (35–45 lb) (breed club figure)1
Males 21–25 kg (46–56 lb); females 18–22 kg (40–49 lb) (estimated: ±10% around the Royal Kennel Club's approximate ideal weights of 23 kg for dogs and 20 kg for bitches)
Height
Males 43–55 cm; females 43–55 cm2
No sourced figure
Lifespan
Median 12.3 years3
Median 12.9 years3
Fully grown
11 months, both sexes4
Group
Spitz & primitive2
Spitz & primitive5
Coat
Long coat2
Coat of medium length5
Shedding
Moults most as the seasons change
Grooming
Daily brushing
Brushing a few times a week
Exercise
A moderate amount
Plenty
Class
Family
Field

Which suits you

Size
The Norwegian Elkhound is a little larger on average: about 22 kg (47 lb) as an adult, against 18 kg (40 lb) for the Keeshond.
Grooming
The Keeshond needs more grooming, daily brushing, where the Norwegian Elkhound needs brushing a few times a week.
Exercise
Plan for plenty of exercise with the Norwegian Elkhound, and a moderate amount with the Keeshond.
Temperament
They differ most on independence (Keeshond: keen to work with you; Norwegian Elkhound: decides for itself) and on handler demand (Keeshond: suits a first-time owner; Norwegian Elkhound: needs an experienced owner).
Alike
Both are rated the same on voice: very vocal.
Neither is the better dog in general. Which suits you depends on your home, your days and the care you can give.
Take the breed matcher

What they're like

Keeshond
Spitz & primitive · Medium

The Keeshond is friendly, lively and outgoing, and is closely attached to its household. It is quick to bark at visitors but is not aggressive.

Norwegian Elkhound
Spitz & primitive · Medium

Friendly, bold and dependable, the Elkhound is confident with people and independent at work, where it was expected to make its own decisions out of the hunter's sight.

The Keeshond page →The Norwegian Elkhound page →

Breed traits

Day to day
Keeshond
Norwegian Elkhound
Activity
Differs
A good daily walk and play
Needs lots of exercise
Intelligence
Learns readily, likes games
Learns readily, likes games
Handler demand
Differs
Suits a first-time owner
Needs an experienced owner
With people
Keeshond
Norwegian Elkhound
Affection
Differs
A lap or leaning dog
Affectionate on its own terms
Loyalty
Bonded to its family
Bonded to its family
Independence
Differs
Keen to work with you
Decides for itself
Around the home
Keeshond
Norwegian Elkhound
Sensitivity
Differs
Average
Hardy, takes a busy home in its stride
Voice
Very vocal
Very vocal
Prey drive
Differs
Usually fine with small pets
Likely to chase small pets
Breed explains only about 9% of how individual dogs differ in behaviour6. Meet the dog. A good breeder breeds for temperament as well as health, and matches each puppy's personality to the right home7,8.

Puppy growth

Reference curves · both sexes
The Norwegian Elkhound grows to the heavier adult, about 22 kg against the Keeshond's 18 kg. The Norwegian Elkhound's weight is not a published figure.
Keeshond
Norwegian Elkhound
01020302m4m6m9m12m18m
01020302m3m4m6m9m12m18m

More comparisons

Compare the Keeshond with
Finnish Lapphund vs KeeshondNorwegian Elkhound vs Siberian HuskyNorwegian Elkhound vs Swedish VallhundAkita vs Norwegian ElkhoundKeeshond vs SamoyedAll breed comparisons →

Sources

Parts of this page were written by AI ·