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Ragnar in Russia

Barbara sent some awesome photos of Ragnar having a blast in the snow over in Russia.

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Ragnar Stunning Male Elkhound

Ragnar is one of the famous sons of Tora and Bram, one stunning Male Elkhound this boy.

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Jaegar High Mountain Pass

Jaegar checks out a high mountain pass at Revelstoke for Ashten as they hike to around 7200 feet.

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Kai and Tora

Kia and Tora in some deep snow conditions, working and training, excellent mother and daughter team.

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Two coming one way, two another

Tekla and Tora on the left, and Kalia and Tuva coming through some deep snow on the right.

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Marlene and I

It was a beautiful day to get out and get a couple photos with the group of dogs.

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One of my snowshoe trails

Kai on my knee, Tekla to y right, Kalia and Tuva in front, Tora to my left, snow is deep now.

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Ashten with Hanna and Vendela

Ashten and Kalie came out to see the pups from GAEDA and Jaegar, they were pretty happy, no doubt.

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Kalie with Syn and Vuk

Kalie had a fun time with the pups in the snow, a great day for her.

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Kalie and Vuk

That Vuk, he is a sharp fella, check him out.

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GAEDA and her rascals

Storming outside, GAEDA is happy to be in, heated floors, nice and dry, tons of room.

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Lots of snow this season

Guess I won't be hauling lumber with that truck today?

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New Kennel Roof Design

I changed the roof design on the dog houses after the first winter, way longer front veranda because of the snow, works great.

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GAEDA and pups out

We begin socialization with the big dogs from a very early age, basically day 1.

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Neil out with Nalla

This is a lovely daughter from Takoda and GAEDA, they love winter sports.

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Kobe

These are the perfect hiking companions. What an awesome life this Kobe has, way to go Henry.

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Jaegar Alpine Meadow

Jaegar checks an alpine meadow for Ashten and Brin over at Revelstoke.

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Ashten and Jaegar

Ashten and her big boy Jaegar, 7200 feet hiking at Revelstoke BC.

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Beth and Russ

Beth and Russ with the two big Swedish Elkhounds, Rico and Kalia.

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Duane and Tammy

Syn watches the trails in the Crowsnest for Duane and Tammy.

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Matthew and Tesla

Matthew has a best buddy in his pal Tesla, friends for life those two rascals.

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Shasta and Tesla

Took this picture almost six years ago, young Shasta and Tesla. Both tremendous family Elkhounds today.

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The Crew and I

Had my crew up on a high altitude hike in February, some beautiful day it was out!

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Julie and Vendela

Julie and Vendela, pals for life now.

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Dredan - Calaya - Julie

GAEDA and Kai come to see young Vendela off to her new home.

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David and Su

Hanna goes to her new home with David and Su. She has it made, no doubt.

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Aleah and Justin

Big fun time when Aleah and Justin came for that rascal Vuk, everybody came out.

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Tammy and Syn

Syn is the perfect dog for Tammy, they are both high energy and love to have a great time, Syn has a really good home.

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Tiffany and Bane

Tiffany and Bane out hiking when he first arrives home, Bane has it made.

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Kamps Rascals

Kamp and Jaegar had an awesome litter, all terrific young pups.

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Jenn and I

Jenn and I are here with Storm, and her kin, they were having a blast.

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Early Training

Young Ranger learning come here, only been walking a week or so, already can do come here, outstanding.

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Kamp and Pups

Kamp is a good mama, she raises some really great pups, she stayed in awesome shape, check her out.

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Aina in Vancouver

Aina and I in Vancouver, what a greeting with the Native Totem Poles, AWESOME.

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Aina - Joensuu Finland

I cover our terrific trip to Finland to pick up our new Jamthund Female Puppy, Aina. Click the link to read the full story on Aina, our Swedish Elkhound .

International Dog Show

While in Finland I attended the International Dog Show. I witnessed incredible Norwegian and Swedish Elkhounds Check it out.

Master Jamthund Breeders

Our hosts of course were Satu and Jani, Master Jamthund Breeders. An incredible couple with truly amazing Jamthunds. You have to check this out.

Athletic Elkhounds

In this article section of the newsletter I speak to the years of athletic ability I have witnessed in the Elkhound. How work ethic and real working conditions assist in breeding Elkhounds.

Offleash Hiking Dogs

In this section I did an article section on off leash hiking in remote conditions. Check out Offleash Hiking Dogs, Awesome photos.

Raising Two Elkhounds

I finally finished my article on raising two siblings or related Elkhounds article. Check out Raising Two Elkhounds.

ROad Takes A Turn

I also was able to put a great article up on this past Artificial Insemination breeding, in the Road To A Litter Takes A Turn.

 Jamthund history

This is a great article on the history of the Swedish Elkhound / Jamthund. Be sure to check out the Jamthund History.

Norwegian Elkhounds - Swedish Elkhounds - Jamthunds

Winter Mountain Hiking With Norwegian ElkhoundsTruly Awesome Winter

I had a tough time deciding what to start out with on this Elkhound newsletter because there is so much great stuff to share, but I decided to start with one of the terrific hikes I had this winter. This particular area of BC is so perfect in the winter for me and the Elkhounds it's hard to believe. I can walk out of the house and hike in any direction and have such an outstanding hike it's mind boggling for me at times.

The snow this winter was more than the other years, we have only been here a few short years so not a long history for me to compare, but none the less, more. However we learned a bit about the conditions of the snow. The light fluffy power is difficult for the dogs and I to gain any real height in our climbs. The Elkhounds all love the soft powder, but to reach this particular altittude is impossible as we are sinking way too much. No amount of conditioning and trail packing can get to this height without some frozen snow. So later in the season, once it gets cold enough I found the snow at higher elevations to firm right up. We could then walk on top and hike way up. Basically, we can go as high as we can find peaks. This particular hike we were at the highest peak around.

The Elkhounds love this style of hike. All fresh terrain, they get to see a long ways out and are so happy to have this expansive training ground. It's absolutely awesome for me as I can take a lot of dogs, do training with a large group, and as it takes pretty much the whole day to return we have a lot of time to skill build.

This first image is an offleash hike I did with Jaegar, Tora, Kai, Tekla and Tuva along with Kalia. I put a great story together on this along with some really neat photos, please check out this article for the whole hiking with Elkhounds offleash in winter article.

 

Two Elkhound Females Tekla and Tuva and their mother Kamp

Two Elkhound Siblings, Tekla and TuvaThis winter proved to be one of the best for having some super outings on literally a daily basis. With so many dogs and tons of trails to run we had an awesome time this winter.

As a breeder I want to see the instinctive traits pass down intact. I want to be able to witness first hand the remote terrain skills of the ancient Elkhound in my dogs. I have been hiking with Kamp since she was a baby and have hiked from day one with Kamp and her two twins Tekla and Tuva. These are three amazing Norwegian Elkhounds. I have put together a slide show of just one of the many hikes I had these girls out on but it is very cool. You will be able to see three stunning females go with me throughout the day through a beautiful landscape.

It covers a fair bit about Tekla and Tuva Norwegian Elkhound females as well.

 

 

Tuula, Elkhound Female - Jaegar and GAEDA DaughterTuula - Elkhound Female - Daughter of Jaegar and GAEDA

The beautiful female shown to the left is Tuula, a stunning daughter of Jaegar and GAEDA. Tuula is out in Toronto and Sashi and family provide an awesome home for her. Sashi keeps me posted on the life and antics of Tuula when he gets time and sent me a lovely set of photos on her recently. She is super faithful, as are all of GAEDA's girls, extremely steady dogs, they make terrific family companions.

Tuula is one of those big beautiful females that come from that particular pair, they are super social, althletic, and have a tremendous amount of manners. They still have a ton of energy though, Jaegar passes that go power to them don't worry, they can travel. Sashi mentioned she is always alert, knows immediately when they are home & comes right away to greet them and when they are ready to head to the park or out she is all set to go, loves to spend time with them. 

Ragnar Male ElkhoundRagnar Playing & Working In The Snow In Russia

I get some super updates from Barbara on a regular basis, she has a stunning big dark male son of Tora and Bram. Barbara has done a wonderful job with Ragnar and has worked to get all of the skill this young dedicated male has in perfect form. She is a very good trainer, and works with some of the great Russian trainers to fine tune her training and work with Ragnar, as you can see it pays off. This is a very handsome male. Way to Go Barbara, please stay in touch!

"Hi Merv,

Ragnar is on a diet. I fattened him up in winter, so he'd be fine during the coldest nights. But now the fat has to go or the dog will overheat. He's taking the diet very easy, but that's probably because he has food stashed all over the place.
This winter aside from raw meat he got a lot of fish - sturgeon, salmon and catfish. We bought huge fish and gave him their heads and skin. He loves that, lots of fat in those pieces. And once he stuffed himself silly, he always made the heads into toys. But when he shows them off he likes to throw them at me. A frozen catfish head is not a nice thing to get hit by.
Ragnar Male ElkhoundAlso this winter there were a lot of lynx tracks close to where we like to walk and close to the village in general. European lynx is a very large cat, weighing the same as Ragnar but taller - 70 cm at withers. Plus it is a bit psychotic.... There's a picture of the tracks with my father's hand next to it. Now I am even more happy to have Ragnar with me in the woods.
I did get very upset though when Ragnar got caught in a poacher rabbit snare. The snare was badly done so Ragnar just tore it, but I was so angry at the idiot who set it up near the road!
Other than that everything is great. Ragnar is becoming more responsible and mature. He is a very sensible dog. Doesn't bark too much, but guards our house and us very fiercely. He is amazingly brave.
A couple of months ago two stray huskie males freightened my mom. Ragnar charged at them so viciously. He was outnumbered and outweighed, but he didn't even hesitate. Mom needed protection so he just threw himself between her and the strays. He wasn't harmed though. His thick fur served him well until I ran over and we dragged the dogs apart. Honestly, I was deeply touched by his devotion. There was never a second thought in his mind. We all love and respect him so much.
On a last good note I wanted to tell you that we seem to have solved the tick issue. It's a big problem here, so we needed something desperately, especially since sprays and collars lose effect after a dip in the river. This year new pills came out. Ragnar chews one treat-like pill and no ticks or fleas for a month! Good stuff. If you have similar issues, I recommend looking into this new stuff.

I haven't shot any pictures of him in spring yet, 'cause he's all dirty and shedding, but I have some nice winter shots I hope you enjoy.

Best regards,
Barbara"

Bane and Havoc, Desna Training Program Recruits Two Elkhound Brothers - Bane and Havoc - Desna Training Recruits

I sure am pleased with the results of my fledgling Desna training program, no doubt about it. I was lucky enough to get two more rock stars to go through it. These boys are half brothers to Desna, maybe even a bit more than half. They are sons of Jaegar and GAEDA, ( Desna is a son of Takoda and GAEDA - Takoda is Jaegars dad, thus why I say more than half maybe).

The Desna program I started when the rules of import changed to the USA. I need to keep the pup longer in Canada to do the required boosters so implemented a training program to get the pups started on some basic training while they are here. Might as well put these rascals to work, they are here. Both these boys exhibited the high level skills that only ancient lineages can produce, same as their older brother Desna, they were performing better at 16 weeks than 99% of the entire population of dogs in the world, by now they are most likely super dogs!

The Desna program focuses on the key element of off-leash work from basically day one, so by 8 to 16 weeks they can cruise the mountains with me as you see here, off leash, wilderness masters these two. I also do some basic leash training skills, and quite honestly, it's actually pretty good leash training as these guys learn super fast. So extended stays, down, come, distance down, those skills while on halter, or off, all foundation work was in place. No doubt about it though, lots of work left to do, but for me, I am seriously pleased with the results these young rascals have shown so far. All three, Desna, Bane and Havoc have been truly outstanding young recruits.

I can offer the Desna program to any pup they don't have to be just those going to the USA. Canadian pups could stay if folks wanted them to go through the program, no worries.

Here is a neat video of the boys working through one of the sessions, enjoy.

 

Desna - Male Elkhound AnchorageMr. Desna himselfDesna - Male Elkhound Anchorage

I really enjoyed the extra time with young Desna. Tim sent me some great photos of the rascal now that he is growing up, and these photos are from some six months ago, just getting around to using them.

Thank you Tim, and your family, that Desna, he has it made. Tim has him working the Moose already, Desna of course is the old Moose lineage from way back, so being calm and steady around them, well that's his instinctive nature. He just figures somebody should skin one of these babies for him, too funny.Desna - Male Elkhound Anchorage

Desna is up in Anchorage Alaska and has a terrific life there, Tim and his family are active outdoors, and as you can see, right in his element that big fella lives. This my friends, this is an ancient hunting Elkhound!

 

 

 

 


Loki - Norwegian Elkhound Male

Loki - Son of Mia and Takoda - Half Brother To Desna

The big fella we see here is one of the big boys from the first litter we had, this is Loki, son of Takoda and Mia. Dorothy and Dan keep me posted on the big fella at regular intervals and he is a truly outstanding pal they have. These big boys are very personable dogs and make awesome family companions, up for any adventure.

Loki is a half brother to young Desna above, and he is of course the "Older" brother of Jaegar and Tora. We were some fortunate that very first litter to have such outstanding pups come for the folks. Loki, Shadow, Niho, Koda, Loki-Bear and the dark beauty, Lexi.

It's with great pleasure I read the emails from Dorothy and Dan on the big fella, I want to thank them for staying in touch with all of us and sharing the fun they have with the big fella.

"Hi Merv,
Thanks for including us in your email, Merry Christmas
We continue to love our Loki like crazy, I can't believe he turned 7 last month!!!
Loki is a constant joy in our lives, he was my first ever pet and I had no idea the unconditional love that could be received from such a magnificent creature❤️❤️❤️ Can't even imagine our lives without him. He is out fur-baby and such a gentle giant.
I hope he lives forever!!
Have a great Christmas and thanks again for the pictures and videos.
Dorothy and Dan"  


 

Hrute - Norwegian Elkhound MaleHrute - Norwegian Elkhound Male - Son of Kamp and BramHrute - Norwegian Elkhound Male

Megan and Phil, along with daughter Leona are here with the tremendous Hrute. A Norwegian Elkhound Male out of Kamp and Bram. He is a full stamina big fella as you can guess, no doubt. Bram and Kamp, tons of energy to put into these types of big fellas. Hrute is a full brother to the twins I have here, Tekla and Tuva.

I want to thank Phil, Megan and Leona for the great home and care they give this rascal, he sure looks happy, filled out terrific and is a stunning example of a pure ancient lineage Norway Elkhound. Both Kamp and Bram have ancestors in Norway only a generation or so back so for Hrute, he is like second generation in North America. I can guarantee that Vet knows what she is talking about, Hrute is definitely more handsome than any male in Norway! Check that bad boy out...

 "Happy Holidays Merv,
Our apologies for not keeping you more up to date with Hrute'a adventures. In short, all is well, we love him with all our heart.
Such a good dog. He has checked out well with the vet at every visit. We got him fixed around 1 year old. Our vet just went to Norway and saw several elkhounds (she thinks he is the most handsome) He goes to Northshore here in Bellingham.
He goes on runs, and hikes almost every day. We are able to let him off leash and he stays right w us. (He's only run off a few times and we've found him fairly quickly. He has been to Mount Baker several times and loves the snow. I've attached a few pictures. I also tagged Kamia Kennels on a Facebook post, it's Hrute having fun wih some friends.
If you ever are in the neighborhood be sure to visit, we will try and post more pictures. Peace be with you and yours.

Megan, Phil, Leona, Hrute."

Gunnar - Norwegian Elkhound MaleGunnar - Elkhound Male - Son of Jaegar and GAEDA ( Brother to Tuula)

I really enjoy getting updates from Sharlene, Mr. Gunnar man, he was a handful to start with, but now he has settled in, matured a bit, learned some, all is well. I knew he was a good boy, he has that great nature to come from GAEDA, that rambunctious side, yep all Jaegar.

As all of you know, Gunnar might have been a pretty good candidate for the Desna program, which I didn't have at that time, but had I known, I could have started it then, named it the Gunnar program. Gunnar is a big boy from Jaegar and GAEDA, an intense serious big fella, tons of stamina and energy. These boys can be a handful, but over time, and with patient care and training like Sharlene and Wayne have done, along of course with excellent help from Connor and Lauren, all things can work out. You end up with a beautiful big companion male that would do anything for you.

Hats off to the Minke family, a beautiful Elkhound Male they have. Keep us posted on this rascal.

"Hi Merv,
Merry Christmas to you and your family! We enjoyed your Christmas message and thought we'd send you a quick note about Gunnar, who was 2 in August (see photo).
As you might recall, Gunnar was a challenging puppy. I'm very happy to tell you that he has really settled down over the past 6 months. He's still very energetic, but now is also obedient and trustworthy. We're glad he's part of our family!
Best wishes for a healthy and happy 2016.

Sharlene, Wayne, Connor, Lauren and Gunnar "

Nalla, Elkhound Female, Daughter of Takoda and GAEDANalla- Elkhound Female - Daughter of Takoda and GAEDA

 I have a soft spot for any of the daughters of the big fella Takoda, no doubt. Make no mistake, I love all the dogs, but of course I lean a bit toward those from my big fella. This truly magnificent big female, Nalla, was the only female in her litter. She is of course from that litter with Desna, Sky, and Magnus. She was always as big as those boys and they had nothing on her let me say, they sure still don't. Check that out. Takoda and GAEDA, that is a good combination for sure. 68 lb females, with no fat, go figure. GAEDA is a big girl, large by Norway standards and she put everything into this beauty.

Cyndi keeps me posted, her and Neil provide an awesome life for Nalla, a big thank you to them, keep us in the loop for sure.

Also, Congratulations from all of us on your Wedding, many happy years we wish you both together, awesome. 

" Hey Merv,

Just thought I'd give you a little update on Nalla after our first year together.

We had a very busy year with many big events happening including our wedding so Nalla had to adjust to not being the centre of attention all the time. She also had to get used to spending more time alone as Neil has had to work away a few times so can't be home with her every day. She is doing very well though and her and I have bonded a lot more with Neil being gone.
 
We were concerned about her needing more space to play in during the day while I'm at work so we installed some in ground electronic fencing and she trained to it in only a few days. Now we don't have to worry about her wandering off with the neighbourhood dogs when we are not out with her. We still have not left her out by herself all day while we are away but we are working up to it.

She is an amazingly smart dog when she wants to be but is very good at pretending she doesn't understand if it's something she doesn't want to do like stay out of the kitchen.

We did have one question about feeding. She is now about 68 pounds and we feed her about 1 cup of food twice a day. Is that enough? We still feed raw and her meals are a mix of beef or wild game, fish and chicken. With some organ meats about 3 times a week and a can of tripe every six weeks. She appears healthy but always seems to want more food after she's eaten so we weren't sure if 2 cups per day was enough.
We are certainly very pleased with our girl and don't know what we'd do without her.
 
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you and all your family, especially your new little fur babies!

From Cyndi, Neil and Nalla"

Athletic Ability of the Elkhound


Kalia and Tora watching Takoda come up the mountainI had folks comment on the neat photos I was able to get this winter when I put a few online. What I wanted to discuss today is the extreme athletic ability of the Elkhound and I put together a complete article to discuss it. Everyone who has a descendant of Takoda knows of the endless athletic ability of that lineage. As Takoda is getting older now it's with a continual amazement that I watch him display the most intense athletic ability still.

Please click here to read the Athletic Ability Of The Elkhound Story. This is a very good story as well about confirmation and build of the Elkhound. The key aspects to look for in a robust healthy hiking dog. Some totally Awesome Photos as well of the dogs in action!


Elkhound Pack Mentality
Elkhound Pack Mentality In Action.

All of you might have seen the pack mentality of the Elkhounds in action on this site many times, but this is a profound statement to the clear pack rank and order. I told the big dogs to leave the young pups be. The young pups are eating some Turkey drumsticks. It took them over 20 minutes to clean off those bones. They are around 5 to 6 weeks old. Now, I do this so that the pups learn that there is no reason to rush and fear losing food. It's a great thing to let a pup know that he doesn't have to get aggressive to keep food. Also the big girls all learn there is a time and place for sharing and working as a team. Those girls all sat for 20 minutes till the bones were available to them. I give them those as the little guys can't eat them yet. This one photo illustrates so many things, it covers a ton of ground from obedience, rank and order, raw food, when to start training, and much more, I'll be expanding on this in the future.
GAEDA and Jaegar, a terrific pair have an awesome litter of 6 pups

GAEDA with Six Elkhound PuppiesGAEDA is shown here in December with her 6 lovely young Elkhound pups she had with Jaegar.
These were some really good pups, all super friendly and personable. GAEDA and Jaegar are both very social, and GAEDA of course is our most polite female ever. GAEDA is also the very best mom you could imagine, she really does a job with these young rascals. Jaegar was a big help himself this time round as he has matured a great deal and was able to handle a lot of responsibility in the training end.
Tammy and young Syn, get a great send off from GAEDA and Jaegar

Tammy and Syn, GAEDA and Jaegar send offTammy and Duane have an awesome home and life for young Syn, the dark daughter from GEADA and Jaegar. Tammy and Duane are in the rugged outdoor mountain area of Crowsnest Pass. They contacted us about getting a good mountain hiking companion as they hike, hunt, camp and love the outdoors. We selected a rough and tumble young rascal for them, she is a tremendous young female, Syn. I want to Thank Tammy and Duane for the confidence in our program, and for the great life young Syn has.
Syn returns for a visitSyn Returns for a Visit

That dark beauty Syn, came for a visit while I was away to Finland. Ashten had a chance to come out and visit with her while she was here for a couple days. She is some proud of that stunning daughter of her big fella Jaegar. Tammy and Duane have done a wonderful job with this high energy young female. These dark females are some of the sharpest looking Elkhounds in the world.
Su meets her young female Elkhound pup, Hanna

Su meets her young pup HannaIt does not get any better than this when you are raising Elkhounds. Check out that smile Su has when she came for young Hanna. David and Su waited a long time for young Hanna. They wanted a female as a companion for them on the walks they have on the West Coast. A terrific couple, I am so happy to be able to have such great couples come for the pups. Hanna in the tall cloverI offer a huge thank you to Su and David for the patience they had to wait for our litters, and more importantly the love and care they provide for young Hanna. Hanna is one of the prettiest Elkhounds you'll ever see, no doubt.
Hanna as well has that wild pup side to her. Jaegar, you are to blame buddy. I heard from David and Su a few times and she is a handful this rascal.
I am sure happy they have patience, time, and energy to take this young female out and about, burn off some energy, and train.

David contacted me one time, they had thought, oh, let's take Hanna off leash for a while on this nice trail. NOT.
She was gone. Away she went, around the bend, and out of site. She is like a big rig trucker, give me 40 acres and I'll, you all know what happened. David and Su burning after her, no catching her, finally someone way down the trail catches her for them.  I am going to be doing some more work yet sharing some of my techniques on off leash for sure, but for now, Hanna is getting more leash work. Keep us posted David, we all know it's not all sitting pretty in the clover is it?
Julie and her daughter Calaya, come to meet their pup, Vendela

Calaya and Julie picking up VendelaNo doubt, serious smiles all around when Julie, Dredan and Calaya come to meet the new young pup, Vendela.
This was a great family, I was so very happy for them. They have a beautiful female Elkhound. Julie has been keeping me posted on her as she grows and develops. She is over Princeton way.
It was neat when they came as GAEDA was able to do a little bit of loose leash training with Calaya so that she would know just the technique to use with Vendela. It was a great day when they came. Vendela Female Norwegian ElkhoundI really enjoyed my time with Julie, Calaya and young Dredan.
Julie sent me this awesome photo of Vendela a while back. She will be growing a lot since this but I was so happy to see her developing into such a beauty. Now that is a great Elkhound!
Julie has been working off leash, taking her on walks, training her, all types of activities. This is a great dog for this family. Super smart Julie says, and is such a personable dog. I sincerely want to thank Julie and her entire family for the great home they are giving Vendela. Keep us posted Julie, we love the updates!
Vuk gets a royal send off when Aleah and Justin come for him

Vuk meeting his new handlers Aleah and JustinHats off to Aleah and Justin. Boy, they did some traveling to get out here from Ontario for Vuk. Both Justin and Aleah are super with dogs. All the dogs just loved them, they were having a blast. I had all the dogs out, sometimes it's overkill but they really enjoyed the greeting.
GAEDA, Jaegar and even aunt Tora got in on the send off photo.
Justin and Aleah are great with dogs, Vuk is learning super fast. He is highly intelligent and Justin has been keeping me posted on his developments. What a great job he is doing with Vuk.
Vuk out with Justin FishingAleah and Justin get out ice fishing, you might have seen that great post I made shortly after Vuk left if not, check it out here: Vuk Icefishing I recently got a great update from Justin, it's below. I sure enjoy these updates, keep us posted Justin, what a stunning big fella that Vuk is. Total Viking seafaring rascal!
"G’day Merv (take 2),

It’s been a while since we reached out so we thought we’d give you a bit of an update on Vuk. We’ve been taking Vuk on many hikes, fishing trips, cottage adventures and daily visits to the many dog parks Toronto has to offer. This past weekend we even had Vuk swimming with us, to our surprise Vuk took to water straight away, going as deep as his stomach. We took Vuk a little deeper with us and sure enough he was swimming. Vuk continues to eat our freshly caught fish, Vuk can’t get enough of it. Vuk is becoming more confident within himself and is very social, Vuk learnt very quickly the differences in social behaviors and how to behave around different dogs e.g. puppies vs older dogs. Vuk’s training continues and has mastered off leash when hiking, checking in every couple of minutes. Largely to do with what you taught Vuk!"

Bane out biking with Mike in down Chicago way
Bane out biking with MikeI can't say enough about the young couple, Tiffany and Mike, down in the USA near Chicago. They did some serious research and homework before settling on a Kamia Elkhound. We are very honored to be able to work with such a great young couple and provide them with an awesome companion and pal. They have a great life planned for young Bane, he is out here enjoying the countryside with Mike. This young pup will be a steady pal for Mike and Tiffany for many years. He was here for the Desna training program and was outstanding all through it. I am very excited to see the updates and life that young rascal has going on down south. Tiffany, Mike, thank you very much for your confidence in our program and your extreme patience while I found you the right pup. We look forward to hearing more on Bane and his adventures when ever you get a chance, keep us posted.

Havoc Meets Storm

Havoc Meets StormWhen Storm came up with Todd and Jenn to meet her new brother she thought she might be looking in a mirror. This half brother looking back at her was just as rambunctious as she was.
Todd and Jenn have two stunning Elkhounds, one a daughter of Jaegar and Kamp, and now a male, young Havoc, a son from Jaegar and GAEDA.
Storm and Havoc got along terrific right from the moment they saw each other. Havoc is a dominant male, so Todd already is sending me updates letting me know, Havoc is in charge in Seattle. Too Funny! Havoc loved Todd right from the moment he saw him.
Todd and Havoc best pals right awayI really get some great updates from Todd and Jenn, they have a beautiful pair of Elkhounds now and I really want to thank them for this great home they have for these two. They just were moving into a new home with a larger yard when they came up, so that the pups could have more room to burn around. Awesome. Thank you both, keep us all posted on the Storm and Havoc adventures!

Once again, a HUGE THANK YOU to all the folks with pups from the GAEDA and Jaegar litter. Be sure to keep us posted.



 
Kamp and Jaegar have a litter Kamp and Jaegar have a second litter together. 5 Awesome young rascals. This was the AI litter that I wrote about in the story, The Road To A Litter Takes A Turn, check it out.
These were some really great pups, all are now at the new homes.








Joe and his daughter come down to get Arkin
Joe Wells, his daughter, and Arkin
Joe and his family live up in Northern BC up past Smithers at Kitwanga.  Joe is a true outdoorsman, and he and his family are out hunting, camping and picking mushrooms in season and much more. They are always out and about. Joe's Dad many years ago had a really great Elkhound. He always talked about how good that dog was. Many years had past since they had an Elkhound and Joe was going to be looking for a new pup. This time, he knew he was going to find a great Elkhound once more for his family.
Joe contacted me and asked about the possibility of getting a pup. I said absolutely, we have a great litter coming. I went over the traits of Jaegar and Kamp. Exactly what Joe was hoping to find.
Joe and his daughter came down to pick up Arkin, a tremendous young son of Jaegar and Kamp. Neat thing was, I let that big fella out of the pen he ran over to those two, sat on their feet, and basically, never left their side. Too Cool! This was the perfect dog for this family. Joe is up in the bear country, travels over to the rain forest area a lot, and is in areas of heavy bear. There is no better dog than a calm steady stable big fella like Arkin. I selected him on his fearless nature, steady behaviour, and of course his personable nature. Joe will keep us posted, we sure do wish to thank him and his family, and also we would like to say hello to his Dad, as he will now have a chance once more to hunt with a great Elkhound. I trust Arkin will be every bit as good as the old boy he once had. Arkin is an ancient lineage Moose and Bear line. Arkin is a grandson of the ole boy himself, Takoda. No better dogs roam North America.
A Real Feel Good Photo, Ron and his son meeting Ranger

Ron and his son, picking up RangerLast year Ron and his wife Brandie contacted me about the possibility of getting a new pup. They have three children and were hoping to find a great family dog and had settled on the Elkhound.

I mentioned we had a tremendous pair of adults, Jaegar and Kamp, and the pups would be outstanding family dogs.

This particular pup, Ranger, no doubt about it is one awesome young pup. He is the rascal I have in the photo with Jaegar. He is a very steady fella. Super friendly, uncanny with how fast he can learn, just a great young male.Ranger and Jaegar

As you can see this Ranger, he loved that young fella, and vice versa. They will be fast friends for years. Ron and Brandie can rest easy, they have one of the very best family dogs in the world for their kids. I am very happy for them. A huge thank you for the confidence in our dogs, our breeding program and for the patience while we got that litter sorted out. Keep us posted in Ranger.

 

Pam and her Mom come for Rhett and Kari

Pam and Rhett and KariSometimes the road to a litter is a long road. Pam contacted me a long time ago about getting a matched pair of Elkhounds. Pam had been following the site for a long while and had been waiting for the right time to get her pups. She knew she wanted a matched pair. We are big fans of two siblings of course, have a lot of experience with that and went over all the pro's and cons of two siblings.

I let Pam know that as great a pair of Pam and Rhett and KariElkhounds as there ever was in Canada were going to be having a litter, Jaegar and Kamp. I told her that is the pair I would select pups from for her. I knew they would be very solid, super steady, and with tons of intelligence. Pam and her mom traveled down from Dawson Creek BC to pick this pair up and Kamp was there to see her babies off.

I watched the litter closely. Pairs can be spotted if you pay attention. Some dogs get along better with each other than others. This particular pair of pups will be one of the very best pairs no doubt about it. These are going to be very sharp dogs, extremely personable and yet, totally fearless. They come from Mr. and Mrs. GQ Elkhound of course, Jaegar and Kamp. Both those two are GQ Elkhounds, our most versatile dogs we have. I truly appreciate the work Pam did in organizing to get these two pups, the trust she has in our program. It is a very great honor to be able to provide her with the two young rascals Rhett and Kari. A huge thank you to Pam for the great home she will give these young pups. Keep us posted Pam.

Sandra and Wayne, picking up Kaieesha, all the big girls come say goodbye

 

Wayne, Sandra and KaieeshaWayne and Sandra are old Elkhound handlers from a way back. They love Elkhounds and have always had them. A long while back they lost their great companion and began to look for a new pup.

They contacted me and inquired about the possibility for a young female. I mentioned the timing was good as we were planning some litters. They are shown here picking up Kaieesha. A beautiful daughter of Kamp and Jaegar.

 Everybody came out to see her off, half sister Tekla, her mom Kamp of course, GAEDA, aunt Tora and Kalia as well, it was a big fun time for sure. Wayne and Sandra had a blast meeting all the Elkhounds. I could easily have slipped a couple in the back of the SUV and they would have taken them as well. What great folks. We had a real nice visit and time talking about the Elkhounds. They will keep us posted for sure. I appreciate the confidence in our dogs and thank them very much for that. They know great Elkhounds and it was very good I was able to provide the quality they were looking for.

Kamp and Jaegar

Kamp and JaegarKamp came through this litter with flying colors. She was still in tremendous shape even at the very end. GAEDA had came through her litter same way. I am very happy with my feeding program and conditioning program.

The females come through and look like they haven't even had a litter, yet all the pups are larger and heavier than ever.

Now considering that Kamp had such a long holiday between litters last time, basically two years, I will most likely let her have another litter right quick when she cycles again. If she is in as good a shape as I think, she will naturally cycle. If so, I am going to use Jaegar again I do believe.

The pups from this match up are tremendous Elkhounds. Both these two are solid steady dogs, no issues of any kind, large big Elkhounds. Kamp even after having weaned the pups remains over 60 pounds. That is quite amazing to say the least. So, I will be keeping and eye on this and if she cycles like I think, then we will have another litter from this combo.

 Storm, a daughter of Kamp and Jaegar 

Storm, Daughter of Kamp and JaegarI have a nice photo I got of Storm, one of the daughters of Kamp and Jaegar from the very first litter. This is one of the few pups I have seen that have a wider chest than Tora.

This is one very solid female, she runs a little bit extra condition as she has that easy keeper genetic from Jaegar via Mia so Todd and Jenn have to watch her weight.

But stance, build, muscle, bone density, muzzle, ears, tail, coat, chest, rib size, literally you could not improve on this dog in a million years in my opinion. Of course there are a few out there Storm, Daughter of Kamp and Jaegarwho would suggest that she is pushing the upper limits of size, and I agree, she is a big female, but with the correct relative muscle, bone density and depth and strength, no problem at all. In fact, I prefer this style of female myself. The big muscled in girls can go and go, they have so much power.

The beauty of the Elkhound also lies in the extreme flexibility. Take a look at the way the back legs can go straight out back. Elkhound folks have seen this before but for folks that don't have Elkhounds they don't sometimes know of the flexibility of the Elkhound. That is her younger brother, Havoc with her, he is a son of Jaegar and GAEDA, so is a half brother. I would tend to think he will be a taller leaner version, still heavy and solid, but not so prone to the easy weight gain as storm. GAEDA will lean that out a bit.

To all the folks with pups from this awesome Kamp and Jaegar litter, thank you, and stay in touch. We love to hear what's happening with these racals.

Kari up in the Yukon, still mushing on

IKari Today received a really great update from my friends up in Whitehorse, Shelly and Brett. Shelly sent me a lovely update on Kari, one of the two sisters they had. Nika as you recall was lost tragically a year or so ago. This is a very nice update and I wanted to Thank Shelly for keeping us posted. That Kari, she is a great female, none like her, that is for sure. Kari is one of the dark daughters from Takoda and Mia.Kari Today

"Hi Merv!
It seems like it’s been forever since I’ve emailed you with good news. It’s been a tough year and a half without Nika; we had a picture of her and Kari commissioned by a local artist, it hangs on our wall and Nika stares down at us everyday. We’ve created a small memory corner in our house with a shadow box of her collar, our receipt from when we first got her, her vet records, her leash, our son will go over and “talk” with Nika and tell her about his day regularly. Kari took some time to getting used to being alone, and of course to really make things entertaining we had a baby (#2) (Mckinley (a girl) is now 13 months) 5 months after Nika passed. Kari had her world really flipped upside-down, she’s back to her self now…she looks forward to when we all get dressed up to go out…she now has a job to do; taking our son down the trails on his sled. He loves it when Kari is pulling him along, and she loves taking care of him. She sleeps in his room every night and is always on the look out for him…they spend a lot of time wondering the bush together. This fall while out for a walk with her she veered off the trail, about 5 seconds later Brett heard an awful squeal…out comes Kari with a rabbit…oh dear! McKinnley and KariShe was so proud of herself she turned and without even thinking of finishing her walk she ran home, I found her sitting on the front step with a rabbit between her legs, looking rather proud. She’s a hunter through and through, squirrels, birds, grouse, rabbits…small game doesn’t stand much of a chance near our house. I’ve attached a few pictures for you; I haven’t been able to get a picture of Brayden (our son) and Kari pulling the sled yet as I’m running with them; this weekend I’ll try and remember my camera and take some new pictures. Hope all is well with you and your family and I must apologize again for being so poor in correspondence lately."

I wanted to offer a big Congratulations as well to Shelly and Brett on the new lovely daughter, Mckinley we are all very happy for you both. What a neat photo, Mckinley has a great protector there once she is up walking around with Brayden, Kari should be able to easily pull them both, no problem. Keep in touch, we all think of you.

P.S. I am going to be getting some harnesses for all the dogs here finally this winter, I'll keep everyone in the loop on this. Shelly had sent me all the details on the ones she uses, I have a full team here now and hopefully can get them to run in a straight line, not through the bush...maybe...

Maui, with Greg and Anna-Marie Maui - Greg and Anna-Marie have a stunning daughter of Takoda and Mia, an older sister to Kari, full sister to Nika

I got a really nice update from Anna-Marie a while back and wanted to get it online. It was such a neat thing to hear from the Perrot family. Quite a few years ago, 7 or 8 even, Anna-Marie contacted me about getting a great family dog. They have three children now, I think they only had 2 then, but have a full house right now. They are purebred cattle ranchers down in the southern east side of Saskatchewan, near a town called Alameda. I know that part of the world a little bit, that Oxbow, Carlyle, Souris River region, just a beautiful part of the world. Excellent grazing country, lots of hay, great for those Angus they raise. Now on the farm you need a versatile dog, the Elkhound is perfect. We had cattle and hogs growing up, our old Elkhound King was always with us.  They get along great with livestock.

That Maui she has some siblings, her full sisters are Tora, Tegan, Nika, Reba, Tula and Sophie, and her brothers are Bosco and the two big boys up in MacKenzie, Bruin and Kona. There was ten amazing pups in that litter. All Stunning Elkhounds.

Anna-Marie wrote that Maui has been the perfect dog for their family, she loves the farm life, and even sleeps with the bulls sometimes, they love her to pieces.

We are sure happy for Greg and Anna-Marie and the kids, and wish to thank the whole family for the great life that Maui has down in that cattle country of southern Saskatchewan. Keep us posted anytime, we sure appreciate the update. Thank you. That Maui looks fabulous, you can pick those dark daughters of Mia and Takoda out of thousands of Elkhounds, they are awesome.

Sky - Male Elkhound Son of Takoda and GAEDA - Half Brother to Maui and Kari above

Sky, Male Elkhound Son of TakodaI have a photo I recieved along with a nice update on this rascal, Mr. Sky, a really great looking young male from Takoda and GAEDA. This big fella is a full brother to Nalla, Desna and Magnus. Amanda and Bob mentioned he doesn't stray too far from his young handler when she is playing in the yard, I figured as much. Takoda stamps on that protective nature to the young children in all his pups. They make excellent family dogs. I want to thank Bob and Amanda for the great home that Sky has, he is in great hands out there, be sure to keep us in the loop on this big fella. A stunning male you have, no doubt about it.

"Hi Merv,
Bob and I were talking last night about how it’s hard to believe that we have had Sky for just over a year! I thought perhaps you would enjoy a quick update....he has been a wonderful addition to our family and our daughter has a very special bond with him! He is protective of her and usually doesn’t stray too far from her side when she’s outside playing. He is extremely good tempered and such a pleasure to work with. We’ve had a lot of compliments on him. I’ve included a picture for you.

Wishing you and your family all the best in 2016!
Bob & Amanda Reitenbach"

Shasta - Daughter of Takoda and Mia Full Sister To Jaegar and Tesla 

Shasta Female Elkhound Sister to Jaegar This past spring 3 famous Kamia Elkhounds turned 5, Shasta this beauty you see here, and her two little brothers, Tesla and Jaegar.

I remember well when those three were born, they were born only a couple days ahead of Tora's litter of 7 in the next pen. All those rascals are 5 this season. I received a neat update from Lynn who has Shasta up in Slave Lake. It's always great to hear what's happening up that way with Shasta. Send us some new photos when you find them Lynn, keep in touch, thank you for the great home that Shasta has.

"Hi Merv,
Things have been going well. Payton is a big girl, in Kindergarten now. I will have to get some more recent pictures off of my phone, however, this is one of my favourites, taken when we were camping a couple of years ago.. the protector/watcher of her domain.

Unlike you, moving further out of town, we moved into town this last year, with Payton in school, there is more running around, and it has been good. Just renting right now, but have a nice back yard with a nice big tree for shade. Shasta has adjusted fine to town, she also became a bit of a sled dog this year…. Slave Lake’s Christmas Parade, the school put in a float and asked for any kids that wanted to come, however, because of space, they said that some of the kids would have to walk. As the route is well over 6/7 blocks… Here is what we did. Payton has a wagon (Fisher Price with big wheels), so, I decorated it, harnessed Shasta to it and off we went. You would have been very proud of her, I think everyone in Slave Lake thinks we have a real sled dog… She pulled it fine the whole way (I had an extra rope for myself if needed), and as quite a few people coming to watch the parade bring their dogs…. Well, Shasta could have cared less that there were dogs barking at her, she was at work. Straight down the street with our float, didn’t even sniff at anyone else. I heard a lot of people commenting as we went by how good she was, needless to say, I was very proud of my daughter waving at everyone from the warmth of her wagon, and our ‘sled dog’.

Anyways, Happy Birthday to our little Litter….
Take Care
Lynn"

Tesla - Son of Takoda and Mia, Full Brother To Jaegar and Shasta
Matthew and Tesla

Here is the big brother to Jaegar, Tesla. What a great update Julia sent over. Years ago I met Julia and Eric in Kamloops with Tesla, he has been a standout family companion for his entire life, and he will continue to be one. This is one of those awesome dogs you hope you get when looking for a family pal. All Kamia dogs are great, don't get me wrong, but Telsa, he is something no doubt. Way to go big fella.

Thank you Julia and Eric, Matthew and Katherine, what an truly awesome life that Tesla has. Keep us posted on the big fella, we sure are happy for you all.

"Thank you so much for writing! The pups are adorable

We’re really pleased with Tesla; he shows his quality so many times. He is patient with kids and takes far more kid abuse than I would in his position. He’s had toy cars run into and over him, had a baby twisting and tugging his ear, had my daughters soccer jersey put on (only once, and now I know how come there are so many rips in it), had a Halloween bag tucked into his tail and probably more outrages that I don’t know about. It’s not all fun and games for urban elkhounds!

Telsa Male Elkhound Five years oldHe’s never nipped a kid (even when he would have been justified), never started a fight (but never backed down either) and is probably the only dog to be called inside with “doggie storytime” as our son, who struggles with reading, reads aloud to Tesla every night. Truly a very supportive and forgiving audience! The dog loves this so much he has refused evening walks in favour of this quiet time. While he’s a “family” dog, there is no doubt that Tesla and our son have a special bond. I think that dog has done more to bolster his self-esteem, build confidence, love and empathy than anything else we’ve tried. Truly an amazing dog!

Tesla has had his paws full around here with the ‘coons. A bunch decided to move into the kid’s treehouse for the winter. I’m sure you can imagine how noisy it was! Finally got ‘em moved out…Tes and I have developed into hunting partners ourselves (in a very minor way). At night he’s been busy treeing the rats and mice that head for the bird feeder at night and I whack ‘em out of the bushes (with my “rat bat”). He catches them and gives them the coup de grace. Then, funny thing is, he never eats them. Instead, he lines them up on the grass, side by side, neatly arranged with the heads all at one end. Our best tally so far is 3 in one night. He makes sure I come see them all lined up. A very interesting dog…

Tesla stealing a bootHe’s still a trickster with a huge fondness for stealing boots and popping soccer balls (though not balloons – he had one pop beside him and gives them a wide berth now). He still has his favourite den in the back garden under a dense cypress tree. He loves to lurk in there until you forget he’s there.

Thanks again for writing Merv and for all your newsletters. We love to read them!

Julia, Eric, Matthew and Katherine"

Jaegar - Premier Elkhound Sire - Shown here with Takoda and I July 2016Jaegar Today

Jaegar TodayJaegar today like his two siblings above is a tremendous Elkhound. Jaegar has developed into one of the strongest dogs pound for pound anywhere, anytime. He has some serious strength. This is a full tilt male as well, I have 9 foot high fences for him when breeding season roles around, as he is going where the females are, period. No keeping him out.

He spends almost all his time in Kamloops with Ashten, but he gets out here with me a fair bit as well. This past winter I had him lots so we did a ton of hikes. He is a tremendous mountain dog. Jaegar has a huge bark, and he loves to use it. Something crosses his turf, we know about it, immediately. He is social though, which is a very good thing overall, he is great around kids, folks, pretty much everything except other dogs. As a breeding male, that is understandable though. Nothing to worry about at all, unless of course your the other dog! At five years now he is handling most of our breeding duties. He has produced some really great pups, we are expecting him to continue to provide the best family dogs ever as always for a long stretch yet.

Ashten is very proud of this big rascal, she has done an outstanding job with him, probably our best mannered dog ever, all thanks to her of course. She has to retrain him after he leaves here every time I bet as it's pretty much chaos here he figures.

With my recent trip over to Finland and taking in the show and seeing all the great dogs over there I came home with a renewed appreciation for how good Jaegar is. Jaegar in his prime right now is a stunning example of an all you can be Elkhound, no doubt about that! Rivals any male out there today, no question.

Kobe - Male Elkhound - Son of Tora and Bram

Kobe - Norwegian Elkhound MaleHenry sends me updates on a regular basis with the most amazing set of photos of hikes he has been on with Kobe. There are no Elkhounds, in fact there are no dogs period, world wide that are photographed in better shots, surroundings and with such clarity as Kobe. On top of Henry and Elena getting out to some of the most amazing hiking locations, which is a feat in itself, my god, some great hikes, but on top of that, his camera skills are awesome.

Now, to top off all of that, Kobe is such a masterpiece Elkhound Male. I am like Wow everytime I get the updates, this dog is solid, well muscled, excellent style. Super stance, alert, obedient. Can you say skilled ranging Elkhound! Most people would give anything to have a great ranging dog, especially when you are hiking in regions like this. I can fully bet there are thousands upon thousands of people who look at these photos and just can't believe you can let a dog loose in that terrain and it doesn't take off. Well, hats off to Henry, he has done a very good job with Kobe, make no mistake, this took some time, and effort. Of course those ole genetics from Tora and Bram sure didn't hurt. Way to go Henry!

I put the whole set of stunning new photos Henry sent up on the new gallery, you have to check it out. Thank You Henry and Elena, Awesome!

Awesome Photos Of Kobe Hiking

Ryker - Elkhound Male, Older Brother To Kobe - Son of Tora and Bram

Ryker - Norwegian Elkhound MaleIts no coincidence that Kobe the male above is such a great dog. No sir. Great genetics they flow, from one great Elkhound to another, it's very consistent. This big brother to Kobe, this fella is Ryker. Ryker is down in Calgary as well, Amber and Chris keep me posted on this rascal.

Ryker was one of the males in the pen next to Jaegar, Shasta and Tesla over 5 years ago now. Ryker was in a litter of 7. As you can see these big boys, they are truly standouts in the Elkhound world. You get a Kamia Elkhound male, whoa man, you have a dog. I want to Thank Amber for always staying in touch, I love to hear about Ryker and folks have followed along watching this big rascal for years. It's neat to follow these big boys. Thank you for keeping us posted, please continue to do so.

"Hi Merv! So great to hear from you and see an update on Tora. She is looking great still! And now I know where Ryker gets all of his hiking stamina from. He will go probably three times as far as us when we are out walking with all of the hills that he is running up and down (and all the deer and coyotes he chases!). And he never looks tired. Always on duty, always alert, until we get home and he knows he can sleep, then he crashes. Ryker is still pretty stubborn and very independent - he wanders of to investigate things and doesn't listen if I call him, but he always comes back, I never have to worry about that. Too bad you didn't have the Desna program when we got him - we would have loved to take part in that!

Ryker - Norwegian Elkhound MaleI have included some pictures for you, and I apologize that we haven't been sending regular updates. Life seems so busy sometimes! Ryker now has a little brother named Austin. Tough little guy with so much energy. He is a rescue, he was found alone as a 4 month old puppy on a rural road in Saskatchewan. We think he is a shepherd/husky cross but we're not entirely sure. He's big now though! Taller than ryker by about half a foot, and longer by about half a foot as well, but still the same weight. One ear was almost completely ripped off (now he has a permanently floppy ear!), he had almost no fur on him due to Mange, and he also had a severe case of Parvo! This one is a fighter for sure, and he just absolutely adores Ryker. We never doubted that Ryker would be a good role model for a young pup, but to see how much they have bonded and how Ryker teaches him the tricks of the trade is pretty amazing.

Ryker is still getting to work on his scentwork when I have time. I'm hoping to get him back into real training in the spring. He practices when we go for our walks, always tracking rabbits and scaring up prairie chickens from the long grass! Always looks so proud afterwards too. After 5 years, I have gotten to know his signals pretty well and when he smells something in the air he is not sure of, I can tell and it definitely puts me on alert! Great nose on this one for sure!

Thanks again for the update - we'll keep in touch!

Amber and Chris"

We Remember Nola - Last Daughter Of Mia - Passes on

Nola, Female ElkhoundIt was a real tough break for Linda and Darryl down in Montana when little Nola took ill. She ended up with something or injesting something that caused her kidney to shut down and she couldn't pull through. She has went on to join Mia, and her sisters Lexie and Nika, along with brother Shadow.

I always liked Nola, she was such a great little rascal, she of course had such a tough break when she was born, Ashten and I fed her by a bottle the whole time. I had a chance to work in the mountains with Nola, I went and picked her up one time and brought her home for a while with me. We had a truly great time. She just fit right in like she never left.

She is shown here, Mia and Kai were sharing a bone with her. These three females are all dominant females, all the same size, style and type, tough as nails little rascals. Super fast, super agile. All peas in a pod. Nola was the last pup Mia had. Our thoughts are always with Linda and Darryl, I speak with them often, I have young Shorty here now, he was Nola's sidekick for the whole time. He came up here after she passed on. He is doing well here, he was a good buddy and pal to Nola. I sneak him a snack now and then extra. I'll always think of little Nola.

Tegan - Older Sister of Nola, Full Sister to Maui

Tegan, Female Elkhound 

I remember well meeting Tracey and Dennis up in Williams Lake to pick up Tegan years ago. What an awesome young couple, so excited to meet their new Elkhound female, Tegan. Tracey and Dennis have stayed in touch over the years with us sharing the great stories and lifestyle this great Elkhound has. We always enjoy getting updates on Tegan.Tegan, Female Elkhound Tracey took this picture of the flowers in the park by their house with Tegan, awesome spot.

Tegan is the perfect Norwegian Elkhound, right from day one, and still remains a perfect illustration of what makes this breed so outstanding. Tegan is the same litter as Maui, Tora, Reba, that awesome group. Dennis and his daughter hunt with Tegan, Tracey and Dennis camp and hike, she has a great life. I have been meaning to take Tora and drive up to Kelowna one of these days and let those sisters play, sometime I'll do that. Dennis said they may be able to drop in here some time on the way by as well, we sure look forward to that. Thanks for keeping us posted Tracey and Dennis, and for the great life that Tegan has!

"Hi Merv,

So it has been some time since we have sent you any updates on our girl. Tegan is turning the big 7 this month! She has slowed down a bit though once you get her outside, she is as rambunctious as ever!
Her health has been great. No concerns. And her personality is still as calm and loving as ever.

Keep up the good work providing such great companions!

Tracey and Dennis Swanson"

Stefan, Janine and Maya - What a lovely photo

Stefan, Janine and MayaSome couples are just destined to have an Elkhound. Doesn't matter how it came about, why they chose one, none of that, once you see them with the Elkhound you know, that is the dog for them, and they for the dog. And, as Janine says its far beyond just the perfect dog, but the perfect breed, the only breed. I know I have witnessed some great bonds over the years, and this my friends is one of those between the handlers and the Elkhound. Maya was the very best selection for them as well. I have her two sisters here, Tekla and Tuva, I know how good that Maya is. There would not be a better female anywhere in the world, no doubt. Maya has a great life, I want to thank Janine and Stefan for providing such a caring home for Maya, and for keeping us all posted on all the new and great things in Northern BC.

And on behalf of all of us, Congratulations you two on your new baby girl, that is so great, we are all very happy for you!

"Hi there Merv

Maya and MaelyIt was really good talking to you the other day. As promised, I have sent some photos of Maya. I can't believe she turns 2 this week. Time really flies.

She is an awesome dog and a valued member of our family. We have gone on many a great walk as well as many wonderful trips with her. She loves camping and we have even done a couple of trips on the plane with her (definitely not her favourite!). Her recall has really solidified although that stubborn streak definitely rears its head occasionally!

We were quite curious as to how she would react to the new baby. But I must say I was confident it would go well. She has such a generous spirit and loves meeting new animals and people. She took so well to the baby. Very interested from the start, she would quickly come over if Maëlys cried to make sure that I was going to tend to her. I think Maya would have been a great mother. Her instincts were spot on and she kept me in line from the start; making sure I was not slacking! She would even make me feel guilty by staring at me if I allowed Stefan to care for the baby. According to her, it was my job.

She is an amazing companion to us, but we have been saying for a long time that she needs a friend as well. And not just any dog friend will do. Elkhounds have a unique way of playing with each other and we have fallen in love with the breed so deeply that no other breed would have what we want. We would love it if we could be on the list for a female, especially from Tekla/Tuva. We trust that you would choose a great dog for us Merv.

Stef was asking if we could put down a deposit so long, then we can work closely with you when the right elkhound comes along. I am looking forward to your next newsletter to hear what all the other elkhounds are up to!

Yours sincerely
Janine (and Stefan)"

Teeka and Nikeeta - Sisters - Daughters of Tora and Bram, Half sisters to Maya above


Nikeeta and Teeka

John and Denise have two beautiful sisters down in Calgary. Truly outstanding females from Tora and Bram. These are half sisters to Maya right above. They are out on an excursion in the Kanaskis area of Alberta, a great winter hiking and trail location for them.

I want to thank John for always staying in touch and keeping me posted on these two great females. He does such an outstanding job with these girls. Denise and him provide a very loving home with tons of companionship, they have some cats as well and the two girls love those cats.

"Hello Merv

Nikeeta and TeekaTeeka wants to thank you for the birthday greeting you sent earlier this month. The photos of Tora are beautiful, Teeka at 5 years sure has the same solid body structure. To celebrate Teeka's birthday we went on a hike in Kananaskis Country just west of Bragg Creek. Teeka and Nikeeta just love to go out. Their enthusiasm is contagious and it makes one feel like hiking forever. I took a few pictures, then the memory chip in my camera become full with no replacement on me. Please enjoy the attached photos of Teeka and Nikeeta.
As far as the photos you just sent me, all I can say is WOW. You are making me so totally jealous of your environment, absolutely awe inspiring. What fantastic Elkhounds, off leash and (seemingly) well behaved. Am I a nervous Nellie or what, Nikeeta wants to pull like crazy when she finds a scent trail and I fear I may never see her again if I let her loose. I suspect that Teeka would come back but I do not trust her entirely if she scented something and had a visual as well. Perhaps it is not them but more my fear of losing these precious creatures. What can I say other than I love them.
Your photo file set up sure is slick. One day I will have to become more familiar with the latest photo technology.
Always a pleasure to hear from you and learn about your latest excursion with the mighty Elkhounds. All the best to you and your family.

Sincerely,
John"

Gunnar Male Elkhound - Full Brother To Maya Above

Gunnar and the Murray BoysWhen ever I get a new update from Teri about the episodes in the life of Gunnar and the Murray boys I am smiling for the rest of the week. You can't get a happier bunch than these three rascals. That Murray family is a good bunch, no doubt. You just don't have happy rascals by chance. Takes some work, way to go Teri and Jeff. Great family!

So that Gunnar, you can see he is a steady boy, but has a little mischief up his collar as well, I think these photos are great. A companion dog needs to be as versatile as the handlers, and that my friends is why the Elkhound is and always will be the greatest family dog, that photo says it all!

"Hi Merv,

Just wanted to send you an update on Gunnar. He's still loving life and living large. These three boys are inseparable. Life is still good in NS for Gunnar.

We loved reading about your upcoming possible litter with Gunnar's mommy...it took a lot of willpower not to write you and say we wanted another pup. We probably will in the coming years, but for now Gunnar will remain a lone pup.

I've attached a picture of the boys and Gunnar from this past weekend. He lives being in the truck and near his human brothers.

Hope all is well!

The Murray's
Teri, Jeff, Connor, Quinton & Gunnar"

Shorty and Kai - Norwegian Elkhounds

Shorty and Kai Norwegian ElkhoundsI am standing here with Shorty and Kai. I was hoping to have a litter between these two. I am not going to get one this round. Now this season has been a tough season on breeding. Kalia didn't mate with Rico, and now I did not get a litter with Shorty and Kai. I did see a hook-up with this pair, but for some reason, Kai is not bred.

I am not happy about that for sure, Kai is the best or in my opinion one of the very best females in Canada, or North America, after my trip overseas she probably is pretty much as good as any world wide, but she is still not bred. Potentially could be her fault, I doubt that very much, but could be, but more than likely, Shorty is to blame, or timing. At this point I won't say one way or another. All I can do it wait till she cycles again.

However, I am going to find another male just in case, even if I have to import semen from Norway. It's a major league disappointment for all the folks waiting for pups only to find out the mating was not successful. Shorty is a great Norwegian male, a solid stout dependable fella, he is from show stock, so is different in many ways from mine, but truly a good match up for Kai and my lineages. I was really looking forward to these pups. Kai is exactly like all the Norwegian dogs I saw over in Finland. Splitting image of them all. So getting a pup from her is like getting a pup from the best in the world basically. But, if I can't get her bred, doesn't matter at all.

Kalia Female Elkhound

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Kalia Female ElkhoundKalia is the other beauty queen Elkhound I have here not bred. Now that was my screw up. I didn't have Rico here in time, so when he did arrive, by the time he was making friends, it was too late. That was all my fault, for sure. Kalia and Rico are not to blame.

So this next round I am bringing Rico way earlier, so they can get to know each other a bit more, and be at the early stages of her cycling. Kalia is a big girl, if she is not happy with a male and she wasn't, she can cause some damage. She is older than Rico and was not having anything to do with him. Sure didn't want to cause Rico any problems either, it was his first mating, he was ready, she wasn't.

So the folks waiting on this litter have to wait once more. We will get a litter just later now is all.

Kalia is a tremendous female, she is a big girl, very close to my largest female, her and Kamp are very close size wise now. Kalia has all the personable nature to the handler you could expect, she lives to spend time with me. She has a ton of protection ability as well, and shows it. This is a great dog. Her pups combined with Rico will be stunning dogs. I saw some really beautiful Jamthund females in Finland and outside of a few of the Jamthund markings that come out after a few years of all Jamthund breeding, Kalia is every bit as good as those I saw over there. Kalia has the old Swedish Elkhound blood so doesn't have the white jaw, chest area like the recent Jamthunds all have. Only after a few years of selective breeding Jamthund upon Jamthund did those traits come right back out. Now, basically every Jamthund has them. So Rico will pull that right back out. Rico is a full Jamthund, his ancestors entered registration from the early days, Kalia's did not. I am so excited about this litter from Kalia, and make no mistake, I was kicking my own butt around for days, still am, I'll get it right next time.

Tora - Turned 7 - A Complete Warrior

Tora Female Elkhound A WarriorTora turned 7 this spring. She is shown here on a deep powder hike with Takoda, Kalia and I. I had packed up some gear, we had some lunch while we rested and took a few photos. Roughly 4700 feet, heavy sledding the whole way. I speak to this hike on the Elkhound Athletic Ability Article .  Tora is the height of reliability. She is so dependable. Actions so consistent every time. Absolutely predictable. Completely fearless. Unbelievable work ethic. Never stubborn. Never fails to respond to a command. Rarely do I ever have to give her a command. She is my training partner with all young dogs.

Tora is what any person could ever want in an Elkhound!

Rico - Jamthund Male Comes For a Working Visit

Rico Breeding Jamthund MaleRuss and Beth brought big Rico up for a stay when Kalia was in heat. We were hoping that he could mate with Kalia. I messed up the timing a bit and had him come just a bit late in the cycle. My mistake. I feel really bad about that. Rico was all business, and ready to get the job done, but Kalia was not.

Beth and Russ were awesome to leave Rico with us for the week, we really enjoy this big fella. He is so well mannered and such a polite fella.This is a stunning big male Jamthund. One of the very best in the world of course. Now if you are not familiar with this big rascal, I have some background on his breeders, Jani and Satu, who I met over in Finland when I went to get Aina. Satu and Jani are Master Breeders of the Jamthund. There are no better dogs to be found than those they raise.

Aina, our new little Jamthund female is shown here with her new buddy Rico, shortly after I arrived back in Canada with her. I will be posting more details on Rico on the Elkhound Litter page as well. I will be updating Rico's page here with some more information shortly as well.

Beth and Russ have done such a great job with this big fella. We can not thank them enough for working with us and all they do to assist us. It's been a great time working with them both. We can't wait to have Rico back up soon when Kalia cycles again, and of course we sure look foward to Aina and Rico having a litter some day as well.

Joensuu Finland Trip - I Attended The International Dog Show

Joensuu International Dog ShowOne of the big deals this spring for me was of course taking in the big International Dog Show in Joensuu Finland. I was traveling over to Finland to get Aina of course and our trip timing worked out that we could take in that big event. It was awesome! A chance of a lifetime to see the top Swedish Elkhounds and top Norwegian Elkhounds compete. What a great time.

I have a whole story on it here Joensuu Finland Dog Show - please enjoy.

Satu and Jani - Jamthund Master Breeders - Our Gracious Hosts In Finland

Jani and Satu Our Hosts In FinlandOur hosts and new friends over in Finland, Jani and Satu treated us so well. Satu and Jani are the breeders of Rico. Russ and Beth were so impressed with this young couple and I can sure understand why now. They are an awesome couple.

Satu and Jani are master Jamthund breeders over in Finland. They raise some outstanding Swedish Elkhounds, one of which of course is Rico, who is in North America now with Russ and Beth.

Satu was extremely gracious to offer to assist me in finding a Jamthund female. I had initially wanted to get a great female from Satu but timing and litters were not going to work out, so she offered to assist me in finding the best female we could find.

I have a great story up here on Satu and Jani and I speak about the Jamthunds they have, the work they have done and much more, please check it out.  

Aina - Our New Jamthund Female Here in Canada

Aina Swedish Elkhound - JamthundSo this is Aina our new Jamthund Female. I recently went to Finland and brought her back here to Canada. I am so excited to have her here, this is such an oustanding young Swedish Elkhound.

She has been a busy girl with all her travels and new friends plus trying to learn all new skills and  new language, a very smart girl though, totally bilingual now, Finnish and English.

Aina is a real dominant young female who is already taking charge around here. She is a hunter through and through, already she has stopped two young bucks for me. I was able to walk right up to 30-35 yards quiet like. They were standing still looking at her barking at them. She doesn't have her recall down pat just yet, so when I called her off, they took off, and she of course right after them. Took me quite the hike through the bush to catch up and get a hold of her. She wanted to stop them again for me hoping I was a much quieter hunter with a better aim next time. So her and I have been working dilgently on her recall. After that great work though she is on leash with me now in the bush. She just has so much drive that if she smells a small Moose, which is what she thinks those Whitetail are, she is gone.  I'll be working on getting her scent switched over to Moose soon as well, it's just we have deer all over the place here so to her, they are it for now. So incredible to see the instinctive ability come flying out at 3 to 4 months and with skill. Not fooling around either, a pro in a small package. Mighty barks, 60 to 70 a minute. Just rapid fire. Amazing.

Super protective dog as well, already very good at watching and guarding the yard. Has a ton of instinctive skill in that area. Bunking out with Takoda those first few months has been splendid for that. Her and Takoda are exactly the same in one owner mentality. She is a one owner dog, no question. Super personable to me, not to others. Same as him.

This my friends, This is a Swedish Elkhound!

I have a whole page on this young Jamthund, please check out the Swedish Elkhound Aina page.

Takoda - Premier Elkhound Male - Kamia Kennels

Takoda Premier Male Elkhound Kamia KennelsWell I am about to wrap up this newsletter, but no news is complete without something on the big fella himself, Takoda.  There has been a ton of things going on for us around here and Takoda has had to be making some allowances for sure.

Females cycling of which he was not going to get to mate with. New males coming in like Shorty and Rico, neither of which Takoda is happy with, but has more tolerance for them than I thought. And of course Jaegar here freaking over the females as well, so a fairly hectic time last while.

Takoda is an phenomenal pack leader though, GAEDA when she was going to come in I thought she had a couple days yet, but she decided it was time. So she just pushed Takoda over on the mat, curled up beside him and had them. Talk about socialization from day one. Too funny. I go out, all the rascals are nursing away, GAEDA is happy, Takoda him and Tora, they are off to the side a bit away, not far, just relaxed. The females they have total confidence in Takoda. There is nothing like pack oriented ancient Elkhounds.

Takoda he sure likes Aina. Watches out for her, gives her his bones and shares his meal with her, it's so unreal. Last dog he did this kind of thing with to this extent is Tora when she was a pup. Talk about a spoiled Aina. I had Aina bunking out with Takoda and Tora the first couple months, just so she was comfortable and got to know the whole group.

Takoda Premier Male Elkhound Kamia KennelsI switched his food around a bit, changed his ration to a little more fat and oil, a wee bit less protein. Increased his total intake a slight bit, but not much. I have been using a wider range of product for him, including some of the new Performatrin Ultra. I give him a cup of that every third day or so with about 3 good squirts of this salmon oil I have been using lately in addition to all of his other ration outlay. I have not been able to find my Salmon yet this year, so opted for that oil. It seems excellent. I have a butcher in Kamloops that Ashten found making us a ration, just testing it out on Aina and Takoda now. Both seem to be doing really well on it. Has a lot of fun, you can see he is happy and enjoying himself. Still plays like a pup with me, fascinating really, you wouldn't know how old he is watching him.

I think he actually enjoyed his time with Rico. For one reason or another, even though females in heat all around them, these two got along extremely well. No altercations at all. It's like they could sense they were long lost kin or something, not sure how to explain it. Sure was neat to see the big fellas side by side though. Always through a fence of course, I wasn't taking any chances with two males this size. Rico is 78 pounds, Takoda pretty darn close if he ain't.

Takoda Jaegar and RangerTakoda is in really good shape these days. This past winter we had some great hikes, did some nice treks this spring and summer, lots of shorter hikes in the timber zone as we had pups around almost all the time.

He sure was a huge help with Bane and Havoc. I used him a lot to assist me with them. They follow what he does without question, so makes my life easy to instill all the basics of offleash with his support.

It was nice of him to offer to help Jaegar and I with getting young Ranger off to a good start. He was happy to be there helping his young grandson learn the loose leash. Ranger hadn't quite got it just yet in this photo, still pretty tight lead. But he was learning.

Three generations of the best mountain ranging Elkhounds there are, those my friends, those are some serious Elkhounds!

Till later,

Merv 

Canadian Based Kamia Kennels!

Located in The Boundary District of Super Natural British Columbia, Canada

We are in the southern end of the province of BC, right up next to the old ghost town of Phoenix, once Canada's highest city!