Norwegian Elkhound

Bold and friendly, independent, and quick to bark.
A Norwegian Elkhound
Photo: Canarian
Adult male
21–25 kg
46–56 lb
Adult female
18–22 kg
40–49 lb
Lifespan
12.9 yrs
Class · Field
also Sport, Family

What it's like

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. It is a vocal breed and quick to bark, and it keeps the stamina of a dog bred for long days in rough northern forest.

Day to day
Activity
Needs lots of exercise
Intelligence
Learns readily, likes games
Handler demand
Needs an experienced owner
With people
Affection
Affectionate on its own terms
Loyalty
Bonded to its family
Independence
Decides for itself
Around the home
Sensitivity
Hardy, takes a busy home in its stride
Voice
Very vocal
Prey drive
Likely to chase small pets
Breed explains only about 9% of how individual dogs differ in behaviour1. Meet the dog. A good breeder breeds for temperament as well as health, and matches each puppy's personality to the right home2,3.
Is a Norwegian Elkhound right for you?
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Living with one

It has a coat of medium length. Most of the shedding comes when the seasons change. Plan on brushing a few times a week, plus daily brushing through the seasonal moult. It needs plenty of exercise compared with other breeds.

Size and growth

A Norwegian Elkhound is a medium dog, heavier than a Border Collie and lighter than a Golden Retriever. Males end up clearly heavier than females. Its weight is an estimate, not a published figure.

It is a compact, square-built spitz with a broad, wedge-shaped head, small pointed ears held upright and a thick tail curled tightly over the back. The dense double coat is grey, with black tips to the longer outer hairs, a paler undercoat and legs, and a darker muzzle and ears.

Puppy growth

Reference curve · community data appears as owners log
By about 5 months, a male Norwegian Elkhound puppy is already as heavy as a grown Cocker Spaniel. They grow fastest between 3 and 4 months old.
Fully grown
11 mo
Both sexes, at 99% of adult weight6
Male
Female
Shaded: expected range
01020302m4m6m9m12m18m
01020302m3m4m6m9m12m18m
Age
Male
Female
2 months
4.5–5.5 kg 9.9–12.1 lb
4.3–5.3 kg 9.5–11.7 lb
3 months
6.6–8.1 kg 14.6–17.9 lb
6.1–7.5 kg 13.4–16.5 lb
4 months
9.6–11.8 kg 21.2–26.0 lb
8.8–10.7 kg 19.4–23.6 lb
5 months
12.4–15.1 kg 27.3–33.3 lb
11.1–13.6 kg 24.5–30.0 lb
6 months
14.8–18.1 kg 32.6–39.9 lb
13.0–15.9 kg 28.7–35.1 lb
7 months
16.6–20.3 kg 36.6–44.8 lb
14.4–17.6 kg 31.7–38.8 lb
8 months
17.9–21.8 kg 39.5–48.1 lb
15.4–18.8 kg 34.0–41.4 lb
9 months
18.8–22.9 kg 41.4–50.5 lb
16.1–19.7 kg 35.5–43.4 lb
10 months
19.3–23.6 kg 42.5–52.0 lb
16.6–20.3 kg 36.6–44.8 lb
11 months
19.8–24.2 kg 43.7–53.4 lb
17.0–20.7 kg 37.5–45.6 lb
12 months
20.1–24.5 kg 44.3–54.0 lb
17.2–21.1 kg 37.9–46.5 lb
15 months
20.6–25.1 kg 45.4–55.3 lb
17.8–21.7 kg 39.2–47.8 lb

Lifespan

In UK vet records, the typical Norwegian Elkhound lived to about 13 years, about average for a medium breed. The group was small, so treat the figure as rough.

Where it comes from

The Norwegian Elkhound is Norway's elk dog: it trails one by scent and holds it at bay until the hunter catches up. Its roots are old, for Stone Age dog skeletons very like it have been found in Norway, one of them dug up at the Viste Cave on the Jæren coast, and its remains lie in Viking graves8,9.

The Norwegian Elkhound took its modern shape in the late nineteenth century, when Norwegian hunters began recording pedigrees and showing their dogs, and a written standard soon followed. In Norway it is called the Norsk elghund grå, the grey elk dog, which distinguishes it from the smaller black elkhound, a separate breed. In the field it usually works off the lead, ranging well ahead of the hunter and barking steadily once it has an elk standing, while keeping clear of hooves and antlers. On farms it also served as a watchdog and general-purpose dog.

Breed standard

The Norwegian Elkhound is judged against standard no. 242, in group 5, Spitz and primitive types4.

Questions people ask

General guidance for dogs rather than a measured Norwegian Elkhound figure: most females have a first season somewhere between six and fifteen months, and cycles then settle to roughly every 180 days. Smaller breeds tend to start earlier and larger ones later, so a medium-sized breed is most likely somewhere in the middle.

Compare with related

Siberian Husky
Spitz & primitive · Medium
Keeshond
Spitz & primitive · Medium
Swedish Vallhund
Spitz & primitive · Medium
Akita
Spitz & primitive · Large
Or compare the Norwegian Elkhound with any breed you choose
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Sources

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Parts of this page were written by AI ·