Norwegian Elkhound
The Norwegian Elkhound is a hound breed from Norway, standing males 19–21 in · females 18–20 in at the withers, weighing males 50–60 lb · females 40–55 lb. Recorded lifespan is 12–15 yrs.

- Breed group
- Hound
- Origin
- Norway
- Height
- males 19–21 in · females 18–20 in
- Weight
- males 50–60 lb · females 40–55 lb
- Lifespan
- 12–15 yrs
Among the 500 breeds here with recorded measurements, the Norwegian Elkhound is taller than 40% of the measured breeds, heavier than 56%, one of 33 in the Hound group, one of 7 from Norway.
Living with the Norwegian Elkhound
Two breed references score every breed they cover from 1 to 5 on the things an owner lives with day to day. These are the Norwegian Elkhound’s, with what a 1 and a 5 mean on each row.
- Affection with family
- 5 of 51 independent · 5 devoted
- Good with young children
- 4 of 51 not suited · 5 very good
- Good with other dogs
- 4 of 51 not suited · 5 very good
- Openness to strangers
- 4 of 51 reserved · 5 everyone is a friend
- Watchdog / protective nature
- 5 of 51 unbothered · 5 vigilant
- Energy
- 4 of 51 couch potato · 5 busy all day
- Exercise needs
- 5 of 51 a short walk · 5 a job to do
- Playfulness
- 4 of 51 only when invited · 5 non-stop
- Barking
- 4 of 51 only to alert · 5 very vocal
- Shedding
- 5 of 51 barely · 5 constantly
- Drooling
- 2 of 51 a dry mouth · 5 keep a towel
- Tolerates being alone
- 2 of 51 poorly · 5 well
- Tolerates hot weather
- 3 of 51 poorly · 5 well
- Tolerates cold weather
- 5 of 51 poorly · 5 well
Rated 1 to 5 by the American Kennel Club and DogTime, averaged where both rate the same thing, and read from their breed pages in 2022. Nobody at Woof & Beyond has met this breed — these are the publishers’ judgments, not ours.Norwegian Elkhound on AKCNorwegian Elkhound on DogTime
Breeds that look like the Norwegian Elkhound
A neural network trained to tell breeds apart by sight read all 510 photographs in this reference, and these are the 6 it placed closest to the Norwegian Elkhound.
Alaskan Malamute
Pastore della Lessinia e del Lagorai
Swedish Vallhund
Shikoku
Alaskan Klee Kai (Miniature)
Alaskan Klee Kai (Toy)
Height 0–38 in
- Norwegian Elkhound19–21 in
- Alaskan Malamute24–26 in
- Pastore della Lessinia e del Lagoraino recorded figure
- Swedish Vallhund12–16 in
- Shikoku7–21 in
- Alaskan Klee Kai (Miniature)13–15 in
- Alaskan Klee Kai (Toy)13 in
Weight 0–220 lb
- Norwegian Elkhound50–60 lb
- Alaskan Malamute79–95 lb
- Pastore della Lessinia e del Lagoraino recorded figure
- Swedish Vallhund25–35 lb
- Shikoku35–50 lb
- Alaskan Klee Kai (Miniature)10–15 lb
- Alaskan Klee Kai (Toy)9 lb
Lifespan 0–20 yrs
- Norwegian Elkhound12–15 yrs
- Alaskan Malamute10–12 yrs
- Pastore della Lessinia e del Lagoraino recorded figure
- Swedish Vallhund12–15 yrs
- Shikoku10–12 yrs
- Alaskan Klee Kai (Miniature)12–16 yrs
- Alaskan Klee Kai (Toy)12–16 yrs
Nothing here was grouped by hand. The ranking is an opinion about appearance, not about ancestry, which is why it sometimes puts together breeds no kennel club would — and why it is worth looking at the photographs rather than taking the order on trust.