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Breed

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.

A photograph of the Norwegian Elkhound
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.

Compare the Norwegian Elkhound with another breed

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.

Around people and other dogs
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
What they will ask of you
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
Around the house
Shedding
5 of 51 barely · 5 constantly
Drooling
2 of 51 a dry mouth · 5 keep a towel
What they tolerate
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.

Side by side

Height 0–38 in

  1. Norwegian Elkhound
    19–21 in
  2. Alaskan Malamute
    24–26 in
  3. Pastore della Lessinia e del Lagoraino recorded figure
  4. Swedish Vallhund
    12–16 in
  5. Shikoku
    7–21 in
  6. Alaskan Klee Kai (Miniature)
    13–15 in
  7. Alaskan Klee Kai (Toy)
    13 in

Weight 0–220 lb

  1. Norwegian Elkhound
    50–60 lb
  2. Alaskan Malamute
    79–95 lb
  3. Pastore della Lessinia e del Lagoraino recorded figure
  4. Swedish Vallhund
    25–35 lb
  5. Shikoku
    35–50 lb
  6. Alaskan Klee Kai (Miniature)
    10–15 lb
  7. Alaskan Klee Kai (Toy)
    9 lb

Lifespan 0–20 yrs

  1. Norwegian Elkhound
    12–15 yrs
  2. Alaskan Malamute
    10–12 yrs
  3. Pastore della Lessinia e del Lagoraino recorded figure
  4. Swedish Vallhund
    12–15 yrs
  5. Shikoku
    10–12 yrs
  6. Alaskan Klee Kai (Miniature)
    12–16 yrs
  7. 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.

See the Norwegian Elkhound on the breed mapRead about the Norwegian Elkhound on Wikipedia
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