Thanks to Lindsay for sharing the experiences and photos of Bosco and providing such a great home for him.
"Bosco, Truly Outstanding Young Male Elkhound picture here with his owner Lindsay"
There are few Swedish Elkhound males in Canada, Bosco is a terrific example of a really outstanding young male. Lindsay measured Bosco on about the 8th month time frame and he was 22.5" at the top of his shoulder and 27.5" on the top of his head if he is standing straight. He was lean and trim and weighed around the 42lb mark.
"Although he is still a very bright and for the most part well behaved dog, he has kept me very busy the last couple of months. He is very mischievous and is always looking for something to get into outside, or is constantly stealing twigs to chew. He is much mellower in the house though, which is a relief, because he is a bona fide house dog. But he does love to be outside, and really loves snow, and no sort of extreme weather bothers him at all. During the cold snap in December, he was still as excited as ever to go for walks and even when it was -40 outside he was quick to bury his face in the snow!" Lindsay
Bosco, Male Elkhound 2009
Bosco is a great young Male, we really like Bosco, he has such a good personality and nature. Lindsay has done a wonderful job allowing him to reach his potential and grow and develop. Bosco has two brothers, Bruin and Kona. Bosco is a brother to Tora, and has six other sisters.
The markings and coat of Bosco is one that I particularly like, he has the deep coloured face, the nice dark back that extends down the legs, with a dark black tail tip. Bosco has a clean stance, he is clearly pulling toward the stature of Takoda and will mature out as a big Male. He has the good deep gaze that the Elkhounds are known for, he looks right at you, you know he is paying attention.
Bosco, Male Elkhound 2011
Bosco is shown here in the early part of 2011 Lindsay had sent me some photos of the big fella and I was a little behind getting them up online. Bosco is a terrific young Male, he has one of the best personalities you'll ever come across in any dog, Elkhound or other.
Bosco, Male Elkhound 2011
"Hello Merv,
It has been a while since you heard from us, so I thought I would send you a quick update on Bosco.
He seems to have reached a steady size, he is now at about 24” at the withers and 55 lbs. He is a very athletic dog, runs fast and hops like a deer. Despite being a house dog and enjoying being around people, he absolutely loves snow and being outside. He never seems to get cold, or ice up, or stop diving into snow banks. I regularly take him down to the river where he can run off leash, he meets lots of dogs there and loves to hunt around. People we meet constantly comment on his happy personality and how good looking he is. I have attached a few pictures from this weekend’s excursions.
Bosco is one of the most social dogs I have ever known. He wants to meet and befriend every dog he meets, and try to get them to play tag with him. He also loves to meet people, and is very friendly with guests, including children. For this reason he is not quite a ferocious guard dog… but he is a watchdog, and lets us know if he hears anything strange (in his biggest bark).
We went on some camping trips this summer (including a 25 km backpacking trip, he carried his own food), and I take him with me whenever I can. He travels well and settles down in new places.
Bosco has a lot of personality (he constantly gives us a laugh), and will talk to you. He understands many words and commands – I even get him to clean up his toys.
Things are going well for us, and we wish you and your family a happy new year!
Regards",
Lindsay Jones
"I still feed him Origen, but I also feed him raw meat/vegetables/fruit. He devours it all. I also give him big marrow bones, on which he will happily spend a couple of hours chewing away. I rarely give him treats, besides bones or some Origen out of his daily ration when training, and we exercise every day, so it has been easy to keep him lean." - Lindsay
A young dog and in fact all dogs will live much longer healthier lives if kept lean. Elkhounds are easy keepers, they don't require huge amounts of food, they have developed over the centuries to be very efficient and make good use of the food you give them. Elkhounds do the best on raw food diets. It's only been in the last 70 to 100 years or less that Elkhounds have been fed processed food, we always recommend a raw diet for the most part if possible.
Males at this stage that Bosco appears will eat a fair bit right here at this stage, they are filling out now, muscling up, and they run like the wind while developing so a good high quality diet assures the adequate nutritional requirements for them to develop and fill out. Lindsay is a perfect example of a great dog owner and handler, she is making sure that Bosco is going to have the best possible life he can have, lot's of exercise, great food, and above all, the kindness and companionship that these dogs live for. They are without a doubt the most loyal dog, and to have one of these as a long time pal is really something. Elkhounds will live a long time, they are trouble free, no real problems of any kind.
To experience a loyal dog in ones life, this is a great thing.
The Great Grey Elkhounds Are A Perfect Companion Dog
It's the perfect companion dog for an active individual. These dogs are long in history of hunting and hiking, and for centuries have worked in tough terrain. They are strong, independent dogs, they can easily operate without a handler, they are very intelligent, but work exceptionally well with a loyal handler/owner.
Bosco was a solid silver as a young pup, his dark brown eyes have always looked intently at you, he is a very sharp young dog.
Bosco has all the great traits of the Ancient Elkhounds, he carries forward all the qualities the old world breeders have sought for centuries. A good well balanced dog, even tempered with excellent enthusiasm and energy, ready to work, play, hike and hunt. Yet a dog that is balanced mentally, one that will calm down, relax, be a companion. A trainable intelligent dog, who wants to learn, eager to please.
In the Northern regions of Sweden the taller dogs were highly prized, the extra inch or two in deeper snow meant a great deal. Bosco is very much like Takoda, he will mature out in the 24 inch range, quite easily reach 60 lbs and be a solid muscle lean and active Male. This type and quality are rare in Canada, in fact Old World breeders are becoming scarce, dogs of this quality and type are tough to find. We have seen old ancient photos of Elkhounds of this type and Bosco is a very good representation of the principles that breeders of old wanted to maintain. We are very proud of our program and seeing Bosco and all his siblings develop into outstanding dogs is a great reward for us.
Seeing how well Lindsay looks after Bosco and how he is treated is more than we could ask for, and we thank her for giving Bosco such a good home.
Our very sincere thanks to Lindsay for sharing the photos and stories with us and allowing us to share with all how he is developing. It's always great for someone to see all the pups as they mature. We look forward to more on Bosco as he develops.